Thread: SK4T65E Skift kit installed: results and debrief

After weeks of asking questions and naggings forum vets, its the least I can do to post my results with a little story aswell:

So this past Tuesday I decided I was going to go and finally install my newly arrived Transgo SK4T65E shift kit. Now because I am no mechanically inclined whatsoever and simply do not have access to any equipment, I knew I was at the mercy of shop labour rates. My first stop, Mister Transmission, mostly just to hear what they'd say about my shift kit (and my car, last time I was there the shop front man told me he'd see my car on a flatbed within the month, wow), now these shops are franchised but owned and operated separately. The first location was kind of friendly about it but warned me that this was not a miracle fix, which was something I already understood. So with the kit installed and a new filter and fluid would run me $260, kind of spikey for me, went to the other shop and the front man just tried to make me look like a fool in front of the other waiting customers, making jokes about my shift kit, telling me how spending 3 grand on a rebuild is less of a headache than trying quick fixes, but when you simply don't have the cash.... Anyways I mentioned this shiftkit is very popular by the looks of it on the internet and he then actually said he might DECLINE the job. What the hell is that? Went to the regular mechanics next door and they didn't even know what the heck it was...


I was fed of with this garbage and decided cut my grief and go to GM. The dealership where I get my oil changes done treat me very well, everyone is just so nice and honest, when I asked for service the price came out to $280 without the filter though, but it was ok, I just wanted it done right. Then, I find out their tranny guy is booked for a few days, I make some other dealership calls from there and no luck. Finally one of the GM tech asks me if I wanted it done today, I said ofcourse, so he phoned up his buddies that ran a tranny shop on the other side of town and managed to squeeze me in somehow, awesome service.

I arrive at this shop and again, really nice honest guys that didn't try to push a rebuild on me at all but did tell me not to get my hopes too high. They charged my $220 for everything, awesome, and 2 hours later I got my GP back. Before I drove off the mech told me line pressure definately increased and there are no more rough shifts.

Now the results:

Indeed, no more sluggish or harsh 1-2 or 2-3 shifts. Car runs 10x better. Now it does not feel like new though, there is definately a hump or gasp you can kind of feel and it feels like the car yanks back a sliver before shifting, but this is so much of an improvement I barely care.

Now some questions, will this help my tranny life, I know it has Max adapt but will it go farther before total disaster now that I have the shift kit? What kind of performance do you guys report? And faints yanks of pulls?

Thats good to hear you got it going good.
Most tranny shops are in bussiness to make money, lots of it quick and easy, that is the reason for all the hesitation from most shops. Once in a while you will find those in bussiness to provide a legitimate, truthful service to repair transmissions for customers. The difference is what comes first: MONEY (which = greed) or Passion (which = honesty and drive).
Now what you can do is get some tuning software and fine tune your transmission to how exactly you want it.

Wow, three grand?

That right there raises concerns.

Glad the shift kit helped though.

I will do quick/temp fixes but let people know thats all it is. There are a few like myself that will help people out that are strapped for cash and just want a bandaid. I say run it till she lets loose or you can spend some more on it and have it rebuilt.