Questions, questions, questions...
Finished up the 5.0 AWD swap on my 99 this past weekend and been driving it this week. The shifting has got to improve. Actually it may have this afternoon. after I think that I fixed a big vacuum leak between the throttle body and intake. Doesn;t make sense to me that fixing a vacuum leak in the intake would improve shifting, it definitely felt like it was shifting better. Maybe just a side affect of running better.
Anyhow more improvement would be better and have been skimming over the jmod and shift improvement stuff the last few days recently. Going to have questions.
First, you said you bought a valvebody off eBay. What application was it for? My trans is a 2000 AWD, but I've actually got a "spare" 1998 2wd transmission. I was thinking about using that valvebody as the basis of the modification then swapping it in once done. From what I've read those two transmissions should likely have the same valvebody.
Which Sonnax parts did you buy/use?
So first time around you drilled all the jmod holes to 0.100 inch? That gave improved shifting compared to the Mountaineer, but still soft?
I had others when I forst read your thread a few hours ago, but I can't recall what they were now.
Being an AWD setup I don't know that I want it to chirp second, if it were even able to. Gradual improvement is kind of the route I was figuring to take for the jmod. Minimum recommended sizes and see how it responds, with later upsize for particular shifts where/if desired.
Pretty sure this is going to happen in the near future. I've already got the larger pan 4wd pan and we added a drain plug while it was off. New fluid, filter, and gasket installed. As long as I can keep the fluid clean I should be set to drain, drop the pan, swap, and reassemble.
I guess my biggest hangup at moving forward with this are, can I use the '98 valvebody and what Sonnax (and/or other) parts do I need to order?