Hey guys!
I finally got around to installing my Transgo shift kit, and I had some issues when I took apart my accumulator.
My 1-2 portion of the accumulator has a broken spring. It's the spring that gets re-used in the rebuild.
I need to put something in its place, so I am putting in the red and yellow Springs that are meant for the 3-4 rebuild, which I'm not doing. This basically makes for slightly less spring resistance, but it's more or less the same IMO.
I'm also switching this damaged/modified piston to the 2-3 slot, because then I can use that extra 'medium' spacer, to take away any additional possibility for issues. That way the piston will be a little more limited in its movement.
There is only one problem I can forsee- the slightly variance in spring resistance will mean that given a fluid pressure, the accumulator will be more inclined to slide up than before. I don't know how accumulators work, so I figured I would ask, how do you guys think this will affect the transmission? My own assumption is that the only thing that matters is the amount of pressure required to force the spacer against the accumulator housing, and thus causing flow to be blocked, so basically, all that matters is that the springs be about the same resistance as the old spring that they're replacing. So we're probably good...?
I'm not going to drive my car tomorrow in the event that someone has an input, as I don't want to damage the tranny. (Also because I am in the middle of a CV axle replacement and didn't get the Supercharged version which has a wider shaft, so I gotta drop by autozone)
Thanks ahead for any inputs, I know grandprixforums people always have my back
EDIT:
After doing some heavy reading on accumulators,
They control the firmness of shifting by briefly dampening the pressure to the clutch. This dampening occurs by allowing changing quantities of fluid to enter the piston bore, which acts as a temporary reservoir during shifts to lower the stream pressure and flow rate. This slows down the clutch engagement, letting the transmission slip comfortably into gear.
( According to this picture, the stock Springs will be located above this piston, and all the colored/modifying Springs will be located on the bottom of the piston, where the picture shows a spring. In our tranny, this picture would be represented upside down.)
The accumulator works with the throttle position, in that the opposite side of the piston has a fluid pressure that is in line with the throttle position. On hard throttle, the pressure rises, so the piston travels up to lessen the allowed volume for the clutch dampening. This makes for a firmer, higher performance shift. On low throttle, there is more volume allowed, which increases the dampening factor/slip.
What does this mean for me?
I'm going to say that my spring was there to calibrate the throttle pressures with the shift pressure. If it's a little bit softer, then there will be a normally higher give in the piston, which means it will provide less dampening in the shifts. Because the spacer is in there, I don't think I need to worry too much, however, because there will be a required minimum volume in the accumulator. In other words, unless someone has a definite answer, I'm going to run with my solution.
