Shift Kit or S5 wind up

[robbyj]

Basically i am asking for those who have experience in these options. What are the pro's and cons of each.

I am willing to get a tranny cooler to go with.

Any other information i should know about?

thanks, rob

[The Monty]

Go S5 turned up 1/2 to 3/4. The monty was done to half, and in the wet, it could skid a bit into second. Deffinately not harsh, but still quite positive shifting. No slippage at all.
Id say the Shift kit can do all that too, but with the ability to turn it off.

[robbyj]

Ah k, Im looking to take it around winton motor raceway on the next fun day. (25th jan 2011) This weekend just gone i went out with a couple of mates who took their cars. Was heaps of fun. Esp in my mates manual EF XR6 that has had a bit of work. Nothing major but was great fun.

I want the firmer shifts, but nothing to major that its going to smash the gear box after a while.

I think i would prefer the S5 wound up over the shift kit.

[The Monty]

I had that done for over 100 000km, drag racing, skid pans etc, and never once had a problem. Except that I wished it was a little harder (that was at half a turn).

[99AUXR]

what you mean S5 etc, im lost on AU transmissions.

[SILENT_RAPTOR]

Electronic shift kit killed my auto 5ltr, im in need of quicker shifts tho as it flairs abit from boost.

You can get a valve body mod done or the S5, my problem is for the 90% of the time i drive it normally i dont want the auto chirping tyres while just cruising.

Ive never been in an S5 adjusted au so does it bang into gears at cruise and chirp tyres in a crazy fashion?.

[The Monty]

Depends how far its turned up. Mine at half was still soft enough to not chirp in the drive, but it was nice and positive, and never slipped.

[Sox]

Which way to turn? Clockwise or anticlockwise to firm shifts?

[The Monty]

Good question. i just told the auto guy to do it, lol.

[blueoval]

I have the fully adjustable SK from http://www.shiftkits.com.au/index.ph...dex&cPath=13_1

I wanted the versatility of being able to turn the SK off if I had the mrs with me. The shift would too harsh for some passengers if I had it on full. Too many complaints.

Also the dial is great to adjust the amount of pressure you want for different driving occasions.

Probably one of the cheapest and best mods I've done to this car and my last Ford.

The s5 solenoid I was told not to bother with from my trans guy. He gave no reason, just that I shouldn't bother. Needless to say I went with the SK. The S5 is by far cheaper to do, but a hassle to undo if you change your mind.

The SK is just a flick of a switch and a turn of a dial.

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by blueoval

The SK is just a flick of a switch and a turn of a dial.

That is a good advantage, but if the half turn like monty said doesnt bang in or chirp, that would be fine for my daily use, and it would be better for some spirited driving.

Can any old mechanic or Ford give it a turn or will i have to take it to an actual trans place.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by bobuleh

That is a good advantage, but if the half turn like monty said doesnt bang in or chirp, that would be fine for my daily use, and it would be better for some spirited driving.

Can any old mechanic or Ford give it a turn or will i have to take it to an actual trans place.

Any mechanic can do it. It will be a bit of trial and error though. No guarantees how far is too far when you turn it and if it is too far, means you have to drop the tranny sump again I assume.

[robbyj]

Yea, i might take it to ford and see how confident they are, i know some of the blokes there.

Whats a good tranny cooler to go with??

[robbyj]

Or is the adjustable SK really worth the 120 or however much it is??

[The Monty]

I wouldnt go to Ford, They will tell you not to do it, will destroy your trans, earth temperatures rise, etc etc.

[blueoval]

Mate, I cannot speak highly enough of SK.com products. Some here may say it's a waste of cash and you can make one yourself for a fraction of the cost. Unless you have a soldering iron and know circuitry, I would not bother. Personally I have bought 2 units from them for separate cars and they have performed faultlessly. The wiring instructions are supplied, the materials used are well made, and the unit is designed to do its job.

If you aren't confident enough to wire up the kit yourself, I would get an auto electrician to do it. But the instructions are very easy to follow. The hardest part is finding a spot on your dash to fit the switch and dial.

If this is too daunting or costly for you, consider taking the car to a trans place and get them to adjust the S5 as I don't know what kind of charges Ford will place for something like that. Up to you in the end.

[robbyj]

Wiring would be simple enough. Just wasnt looking to spend to much on this upgrade with the bodykit still to paint.

How many K's have you had the shift kit on for shav?

[blueoval]

The shift kit I have had for a year at least.

I do not use it in peak hour traffic. Gets too clunky at low speed. So I switch it off.

Thats one thing you will need to contend with if you choose the S5 route. No off switch. Can get a bit annoying in grid locked traffic, unless you manually shift the trans to stop it from swapping gears.

As for trans cooler, something of reasonable size is the best option. Dont go with the poxy ford one, they are too small. Derale make a good version.

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by The Monty

I wouldnt go to Ford, They will tell you not to do it, will destroy your trans, earth temperatures rise, etc etc.

Yea different when you know some of them tho.
Im starting to think the shift kit route might be better.
Although the half turn like you had monty would be alright.

[GS608]

i made my own shift kit with the au..im no soldering pro..pretty simple task, cost was about $25 from jaycar, that included, carbon fibre missile switch cover, on/on switch, adjustable pot and a red 12v led..add 10 for a project box (much better to put it all in that and then into the console instead of on the fuse cover where i had mine) Wiring is alright but you do have to take out your ecu and splice into a few wires, theres a wiring diagram around here and fordmods somewhere. if you can be bothered its a fun little project, otherwise just go the kit from sk.com.au

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Derale make a good version.

Looked up a few derale products.. which particular tranny cooler would be best for me?

I think i am going to go with the adjustable shift kit

[JC]

Get a bar and plate cooler - they are more efficient than a similar sized tube and fin.

PWR make a great bar and plate unit - get the one that's 280 by 255mm (V8 rated one); for the few extra dollars, it's worth it.

By the way, shift kits do next to nothing for elapsed time, if that's what you are chasing. They feel quicker, because the shift is harsher, but that's about it.

[The Monty]

I have a big PWR one works well I presume ;)

[robbyj]

Have heard PWR thrown around in the build threads a bit. Might check out repco or supercheap and see what they can get in.

Originally Posted by JC

\

By the way, shift kits do next to nothing for elapsed time, if that's what you are chasing. They feel quicker, because the shift is harsher, but that's about it.

Feeling quicker is half the fun?

[JC]

Originally Posted by bobuleh

Have heard PWR thrown around in the build threads a bit. Might check out repco or supercheap and see what they can get in.



Feeling quicker is half the fun?

Supercheap's largest one is the 255 x 200mm one (rated for a 6 cyl/4.0L engine). You can get the bigger one from ebay.

[SILENT_RAPTOR]

Well if my auto flairs during changes (slow soft changes) then tightening it up would stop the flairing and time lost due to said problem?.

I lose anywhere from 3 tenths to over half a second because of this condition, ive had th electronic shift kit before and it ruined my box.

So s5 with half a turn should fix it?, gbox needs a service so ill look at getting that done.

[The Monty]

Maybe its not the shift kits fault?
If a shiftkit killed your box, so will winding the S5 up. Same principal, different way of doing it.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by The Monty

Maybe its not the shift kits fault?
If a shiftkit killed your box, so will winding the S5 up. Same principal, different way of doing it.

+1 agree on this.

outcome is achieved the same way in both methods. One is obviously cheaper than the other.

Apart from pure thrashing and burnouts, the quickest way to kill a gearbox is heat and poor servicing record. A trans cooler is a small price to pay for some longevity. It's by no means insurance for your gearbox to grenade itself, but it will prolong the life of a gearbox immensely.

The PWR coolers are excellent options if you can afford one. B&M make a good cooler. I think I have a Davies Craig heavy duty unit. I can't remember what brand it is as I asked the trans guys to just fit one. Cost me $350 supplied and fitted. Bit pricey yes, but I wanted it to be done right and have some warranty for it.

Been on my car for over a year now with zero issues and considering what kind of power I am pushing through the trans, the trans has handled quite well for a stock unit.

But I am experiencing some flaring of the gears from 3rd to 4th. So I think it's getting a little tired. Hell I would too if I was pushing 270fwkw through the me. haha

For n/a though, I doubt you guys will have any of the issues I am experiencing.

[robbyj]

Originally Posted by JC

Supercheap's largest one is the 255 x 200mm one (rated for a 6 cyl/4.0L engine). You can get the bigger one from ebay.

How does fitment of the larger one go? i plan to do this myself so want a straightforward job..

[The Monty]

Pretty easy to fit. You can fit one the size of the radiator if you really wanted. Just remember to add a little extra trans fluid for the extra lines and cooler after you drive it around the block.