Rules
Rule #1 - O/D off when you go WOT. If you suck at remembering things like I do, make notes and put them all over the car so you remember to turn it off. The overdrive clutch pack contains 2 clutches, the rest of them are somewhere around 6 if I remember correctly, O/D clutch pack CAN NOT HANDLE HIGH HP YOU WILL BREAK YOUR TRANS
Rule #2 - Double check that O/D is off.. joking? No, I've seen my little reminder notes and hit O/D off twice, turning it back on..
Rule #3 - O/D is still off right?
Rule #4 - Burnouts ONLY in First Gear. Do not let the transmission shift into 2nd during a burnout. You will very likely break the 2nd gear sprag. Tends to break when wheels are spinning on the shift from 1st to 2nd. I'm not a trans builder, I dont know why.. Its just known.
Rule #5 - Trans coolers, lots of them, big ones. I have 3 trans coolers on my car, first one in the chain on the Passenger side air duct in the bumper with a fan on it, from there to another large one in between radiator and intercooler, from there to a small one in the drivers side air duct on the bumper.
Rule #6 - External trans filter mount with the CORRECT type of filter on it. Its $28 for the bracket on summit racing. The filter you want is a Napa #1624 - this is a $20 filter, it is designed for hydraulic/transmission use, and filters to 19 microns. Put this filter BEFORE YOUR FIRST COOLER. The point is not so much to keep the fluid clean as it is to keep junk out of the coolers.
Rule #6a - PUT A TEMP GAUGE ON THE TRANSMISSION LINE OUT. You want to see what the fluid temp is BEFORE it hits your coolers. You dont want this ridiculously high, Ideal is under 220deg. With my stall being so loose, it generates a LOT of heat. We'll discuss this more later.
Rule #7 - Spend the $100 or whatever it costs to get the Lexus IS300 transmission pan, its deeper, allows a little bit more fluid to sit in the pan, and extra fluid means the overall fluid temp in the pan will stay lower
Rule #8 - REALLY IMPORTANT - MAKE SURE YOU'RE FLUID LEVEL IS CORRECT. It's not cut and dry filling the trans, variations in temperature cause variations in fluid level readings. When ever I flush the trans I put back in EXACTLY what I took out (minus whatever extra I flushed through). When first filling a new trans, even with the extra coolers and deeper pan the overall capacity is not going to be way higher than the factory dry capacity of around 8 qts (will update when I confirm the factory capacity for a dry system). I start with around 7.8-8 qts in the system, let the trans warm up, put it into each gear for 5 seconds, P - N - D - D (o/d off) - 2 - L, back up to P again stopping at each gear for a few seconds, I check the fluid level in Park with the motor running. you dont want it at the very top of the "High" line, thats the max fill. When the transmission gets VERY hot (it will if you race), the fluid level can go over the max fill level, this can cause the fluid to aerate, causing air to get into the lines, causing a momentary loss of line pressure, which can cause failures to happen.
Rule #8a - Go drive the car now, make sure it goes into every gear, including Reverse, and drive until the fluid is up to operating temp. Now go back and recheck the fluid level.
Rule #9 - Check your fluid level again
Rule #10 - KEEP THE FLUID FRESH. Change your fluid often, change it like crazy if you race. Keeping the trans fluid in good condition keeps the trans in good condition. Change the external filter even more often. I'd say for a normal street car it's not out of the question to change fluid every 2 oil changes and change the filter ever oil change. For a stock car, just change fluid every 10k unless you absolutely beat the piss out of it.
Rule #11 - Converter lockup. If you have a higher stall, figure it out. (more info below)
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you have a failure, converter, trans, or contaminated fluid somehow:
Do not be cheap, your trans cost you a good bit of money, you want a transmission that was designed to handle 320 flywheel hp to handle 3 times that? Dont cheap out.
Whenever I have a failure, or my fluid is questionable for some reason - I flush at a minimum 12 qts OUT of the coolers before I begin to fill.
Flushing is easy, disconnect the line from your coolers that goes back to the transmission, put a hose from that line to a drain pan, and turn the car on. Add fluid as it spits out fluid, dont let it run dry if you can. I usually start the car, let it run for 10-30 seconds, shut it off, dump the old fluid into either gallon or qt containers so i can see how much has come out, add more in, and Repeat.
Ideally run AN lines from the trans to the coolers, disconnect the cooler line at the trans so you make sure theres no crap in the line - flush it from that point.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Locking the converter
Converter lockup is absolutely essential for street driving with a higher stall. And you should do it on a lower stall too if for nothing other than the added fuel economy.
Converter lockup clutches are freakin small, they are not designed to be locked up at WOT - I have never locked my converter at anything over 30% throttle. The OEM ECU wont lock anything over 30% either if I remember correctly. This is because the clutch is not intended to handle power, its there to make the converter 1:1 ratio on slippage, enabling you to get better MPG and keeping trans temps down.
ONLY lock the converter in 4th gear over 50mph under 30% throttle.
Enabling and setting up hysteresis in the AEM converter lockup controls is a must, whenever I dig up my old AEM maps I'll post them. If I havent posted them yet, then I havent had time to find them, dont ask.
Cruising on the highway at 70mph with my converter unlocked, my temps on the way out of the converter will go out of hand, with the converter locked, the temps actually drop, like a brick.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Drag racing:
Do not let the car go into overdrive. 3rd gear at 8500rpm on a 26" tire should get you 155mph, if thats not enough, go to a 28" tire or change the gearing in the rear.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Line Pressure and AEM V1:
AEM V1 can not control the solenoids inside the transmission properly! The drivers operate at different frequencies and they will shut down. The AEM will ONLY run MAXIMUM line pressure at all times, THIS IS BAD.
With that said, you can still setup a timing retard on shifts, this reduces power on the shifts and helps the trans live a little longer. The FACTORY ecu does this already, in addition, the factory trac ECU closes the TRAC butterfly inbetween shifts to cut air into the motor, this helps the trans live. You took that shit out though, so either get an ECU that can control things right, or dont bitch when something breaks.
I run a ProEFI for my engine/trans control. It is able to completely control all aspects of the trans. I've bitched about this ECU in the past, but with the newest firmware thats out it seems to actually be shaping up to be decent.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Rule #1 - O/D off when you go WOT. If you suck at remembering things like I do, make notes and put them all over the car so you remember to turn it off. The overdrive clutch pack contains 2 clutches, the rest of them are somewhere around 6 if I remember correctly, O/D clutch pack CAN NOT HANDLE HIGH HP YOU WILL BREAK YOUR TRANS
Rule #2 - Double check that O/D is off.. joking? No, I've seen my little reminder notes and hit O/D off twice, turning it back on..
Rule #3 - O/D is still off right?
Rule #4 - Burnouts ONLY in First Gear. Do not let the transmission shift into 2nd during a burnout. You will very likely break the 2nd gear sprag. Tends to break when wheels are spinning on the shift from 1st to 2nd. I'm not a trans builder, I dont know why.. Its just known.
Rule #5 - Trans coolers, lots of them, big ones. I have 3 trans coolers on my car, first one in the chain on the Passenger side air duct in the bumper with a fan on it, from there to another large one in between radiator and intercooler, from there to a small one in the drivers side air duct on the bumper.
Rule #6 - External trans filter mount with the CORRECT type of filter on it. Its $28 for the bracket on summit racing. The filter you want is a Napa #1624 - this is a $20 filter, it is designed for hydraulic/transmission use, and filters to 19 microns. Put this filter BEFORE YOUR FIRST COOLER. The point is not so much to keep the fluid clean as it is to keep junk out of the coolers.
Rule #6a - PUT A TEMP GAUGE ON THE TRANSMISSION LINE OUT. You want to see what the fluid temp is BEFORE it hits your coolers. You dont want this ridiculously high, Ideal is under 220deg. With my stall being so loose, it generates a LOT of heat. We'll discuss this more later.
Rule #7 - Spend the $100 or whatever it costs to get the Lexus IS300 transmission pan, its deeper, allows a little bit more fluid to sit in the pan, and extra fluid means the overall fluid temp in the pan will stay lower
Rule #8 - REALLY IMPORTANT - MAKE SURE YOU'RE FLUID LEVEL IS CORRECT. It's not cut and dry filling the trans, variations in temperature cause variations in fluid level readings. When ever I flush the trans I put back in EXACTLY what I took out (minus whatever extra I flushed through). When first filling a new trans, even with the extra coolers and deeper pan the overall capacity is not going to be way higher than the factory dry capacity of around 8 qts (will update when I confirm the factory capacity for a dry system). I start with around 7.8-8 qts in the system, let the trans warm up, put it into each gear for 5 seconds, P - N - D - D (o/d off) - 2 - L, back up to P again stopping at each gear for a few seconds, I check the fluid level in Park with the motor running. you dont want it at the very top of the "High" line, thats the max fill. When the transmission gets VERY hot (it will if you race), the fluid level can go over the max fill level, this can cause the fluid to aerate, causing air to get into the lines, causing a momentary loss of line pressure, which can cause failures to happen.
Rule #8a - Go drive the car now, make sure it goes into every gear, including Reverse, and drive until the fluid is up to operating temp. Now go back and recheck the fluid level.
Rule #9 - Check your fluid level again
Rule #10 - KEEP THE FLUID FRESH. Change your fluid often, change it like crazy if you race. Keeping the trans fluid in good condition keeps the trans in good condition. Change the external filter even more often. I'd say for a normal street car it's not out of the question to change fluid every 2 oil changes and change the filter ever oil change. For a stock car, just change fluid every 10k unless you absolutely beat the piss out of it.
Rule #11 - Converter lockup. If you have a higher stall, figure it out. (more info below)
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you have a failure, converter, trans, or contaminated fluid somehow:
Do not be cheap, your trans cost you a good bit of money, you want a transmission that was designed to handle 320 flywheel hp to handle 3 times that? Dont cheap out.
Whenever I have a failure, or my fluid is questionable for some reason - I flush at a minimum 12 qts OUT of the coolers before I begin to fill.
Flushing is easy, disconnect the line from your coolers that goes back to the transmission, put a hose from that line to a drain pan, and turn the car on. Add fluid as it spits out fluid, dont let it run dry if you can. I usually start the car, let it run for 10-30 seconds, shut it off, dump the old fluid into either gallon or qt containers so i can see how much has come out, add more in, and Repeat.
Ideally run AN lines from the trans to the coolers, disconnect the cooler line at the trans so you make sure theres no crap in the line - flush it from that point.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Locking the converter
Converter lockup is absolutely essential for street driving with a higher stall. And you should do it on a lower stall too if for nothing other than the added fuel economy.
Converter lockup clutches are freakin small, they are not designed to be locked up at WOT - I have never locked my converter at anything over 30% throttle. The OEM ECU wont lock anything over 30% either if I remember correctly. This is because the clutch is not intended to handle power, its there to make the converter 1:1 ratio on slippage, enabling you to get better MPG and keeping trans temps down.
ONLY lock the converter in 4th gear over 50mph under 30% throttle.
Enabling and setting up hysteresis in the AEM converter lockup controls is a must, whenever I dig up my old AEM maps I'll post them. If I havent posted them yet, then I havent had time to find them, dont ask.
Cruising on the highway at 70mph with my converter unlocked, my temps on the way out of the converter will go out of hand, with the converter locked, the temps actually drop, like a brick.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Drag racing:
Do not let the car go into overdrive. 3rd gear at 8500rpm on a 26" tire should get you 155mph, if thats not enough, go to a 28" tire or change the gearing in the rear.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Line Pressure and AEM V1:
AEM V1 can not control the solenoids inside the transmission properly! The drivers operate at different frequencies and they will shut down. The AEM will ONLY run MAXIMUM line pressure at all times, THIS IS BAD.
With that said, you can still setup a timing retard on shifts, this reduces power on the shifts and helps the trans live a little longer. The FACTORY ecu does this already, in addition, the factory trac ECU closes the TRAC butterfly inbetween shifts to cut air into the motor, this helps the trans live. You took that shit out though, so either get an ECU that can control things right, or dont bitch when something breaks.
I run a ProEFI for my engine/trans control. It is able to completely control all aspects of the trans. I've bitched about this ECU in the past, but with the newest firmware thats out it seems to actually be shaping up to be decent.
--------------------------------------------------------------