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Hey @Crusty , I sent you a direct message; see if you can read it.

If it's 47k miles since new, you don't need any transmission work other than a boost valve. You can do that yourself just by removing the pan and filter, and a pair of snap ring pliers.
Sounds good. Thank you.
 
Might be hitting you up for a VB, injectors, and tuning software soon. Just picked a 96 RMS with 125k that's bone stock. Gonna make some upgrades and then give it to my father for his 69th birthday this year.
 
Discussion starter · #23 ·
Might be hitting you up for a VB, injectors, and tuning software soon. Just picked a 96 RMS with 125k that's bone stock. Gonna make some upgrades and then give it to my father for his 69th birthday this year.
125k is right where I see most valvebodies getting pretty worn. Doing this work will guarantee a trouble-free experience for him. We can drill out the shift feed holes in the spacer plate to give slightly quicker shifts too if you like. Send me a direct message whenever you're ready to proceed.
 
Discussion starter · #24 ·
Discussion starter · #25 ·
Just sent out a '96 VB to a longtime friend up in the northeast USA, @95BRMW. He contacted me about a '96 RMW he recently acquired with 125k and TCC shudder on it. He's already replaced the boost valve and pressure regulator valve which helped significantly. This will be the full and final solution. Bring it to ISSCA Nationals and run it wide open on the road course Dave!

Reamed out for Sonnax 77754-04K TCC regulator valve (permanent fix), and 77964-04K 4-3 sequence valve (this has become standard since every valvebody I've tested has lousy vacuum here). AFL valve tested good at 20" of vacuum so I left it.
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All checkball locations filled with assembly goo, plus some extra in the upper right for holding the checkball next to the 4th accumulator. Four plastic checkballs pre-installed in the high-wear locations.
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Fitzall VB-101 checkball fixes to the two most commonly worn locations. Main feedholes drilled out to 0.093" except for the 1-2 shift which I drill out to only 0.086" for street applications. TransGo and Sonnax both recommend 0.093" but I find it too harsh at part throttle. AFL feed drilled out to 0.052". Valvebody and case gaskets also included (not shown).
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New modified EPC solenoid filter included. This is the finest filter in the whole transmission and tends to clog. The only way you can get to it is to remove the valvebody. Dumb. TransGo has you drill the top so it works like a bypass filter until it clogs, which is a pretty smart plan B. Cork pan gasket also included.
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Truck pan filter. this one had a busted nub on the bottom but it doesn't affect filtration. I had one with a cracked top recently and it failed a vacuum test. This one passed, so it's good to use.
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Discussion starter · #26 ·
This is why component testing is so important. Normally I do before and after, but this time I was assembling a previously disassembled core valvebody and went ahead and made all the usual upgrades before testing. @95BRMW 's is on the right column. The 205A-C bore readings (highlighted in red) were way below what they should have been. I investigated and discovered that the inboard valve was not where it should have been. Turns out I had missed a spring. I installed the spring and re-tested, and the values all passed. In case anyone's wondering, the 77964-14K reamer is unavailable and impossible to find (I've tried), so I ream and install the 77964-04K as most of the wear is always in 205B, C and D. That reamer took me almost a month to locate and procure.

202A and 202B are both for the '95-earlier valvebodies; @Sshockr 's valvebody was a '95 and so he had real readings there; the '96-up are wide open due to a different 3-2 downshift valve layout.

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Discussion starter · #27 ·
Update - I updated post #3 to star the parts you can (and should) install yourself if you install a shift kit or remove the valvebody for any reason.
 
Discussion starter · #28 · (Edited)
Video on how to install the boost valve and drop-in pressure regulator (PR) valve:
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
I got a chance to check a valvebody (VB) I did BEFORE I got my vacuum test rig, and also got a core back from a longtime friend. The VB on the left needed abuse bore plugs, and the 77964-04K oversized 4-3 sequence / 3-4 relay valve (requires reamer). It also failed the AFL (circuit 207A) just barely, so I put a Sonnax one in (requires a reamer). The core on the right has all the usual wear including the TCC PWM valve bore wear (circuit 206B) at a horrible 10.5" of vacuum. The TCC was shuddering in this car with only 125k on it. The Sonnax TCC regulator valve I add was already in the VB on the left. Look at the improvement in vacuum.
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