Tranny shifting with jmods, springs, accumulators..which does what?

L

Lux

Registered
I've read alot about doing the Jmod as i just picked up the car and thats the next thing i'm going to do.

I have a 97 (also another thing is no one knows for sure what it all has in, some say it might be updated some say its not)

What do you guys recommend? I'm replacing all the fluid with motorcraft Merc 5, doing a Jmod, adding a bigger cooler and temp guage, and tapping the pan for a drain plug and i dont feel like messing with the tranny again for a long time. I want FIRM QUICK shifts but i dont want to break things, i want to be able to beat on it when i want, break the tires loose, but not destroy anything.

There is some reference to leaving certain springs out not doing the 2-3 and etc, everyone has thier own opinion, so my question goes to those who have done the swap, what do you think?

Is there a list somewhere that states "soft, medium, hard, so hard your breaking things shift list what to use and what not to use" and i'm missing it? lol

Thanks for the help
 
A lot of what you're asking is really personal preference.

The J-mod is very similar to the Baumann kit. Read the instructions here (including my notes).

Properly done, you will find that the shifts are throttle sensitive. More pedal means more firmness - WOT will be neck snapping while a soft throttle will be more stock like shifts.

IMO leave the springs in place as instructed on TCCoA and do the 2-3 accumulator as well as the 1-2. Get a BIG cooler and bypass the radiator. Get the factory dimpled pan with the drain plug.
 
driller said:
bypass the radiator.
Click to expand...

Ive read this before. Why?

My neighbor is a Ford mechanic and says no way. He agrees with adding the cooler though.

I'm not sure I believe him, he thinks ANY change from factory is wrong and tells me to undo it. (probably training)
 
Be2lose said:
Ive read this before. Why?

My neighbor is a Ford mechanic and says no way. He agrees with adding the cooler though.

I'm not sure I believe him, he thinks ANY change from factory is wrong and tells me to undo it. (probably training)
Click to expand...

Take the transmission heat load off the engine cooling system. Done properly it will allow both the engine and transmission to perform better. This is especially true when you start modding the car.

The only time this may not be wise would be a daily driver constantly in sub-freezing conditions.
 
Be2lose said:
Ive read this before. Why?

My neighbor is a Ford mechanic and says no way. He agrees with adding the cooler though.

I'm not sure I believe him, he thinks ANY change from factory is wrong and tells me to undo it. (probably training)
Click to expand...

yes i feel you on that one one of my in my auto tech class in school was aparentley on the ford R&D team for the mark VIII. not sure if he was or not becasue he can tell some pretty good storys but he did seem to know his stuff about the marks and he drive one him self. he freaked out when i changed the exhaust on my car saying it would never run the same and all. than i showed him my lower time slips after the exhaust change and he shut up real quick. when i asked him why he had 215's on his mark i asked him why he said it was the stock size then i showed him the door decal that said 225's and he shut up again lol.

the other teacher said a chevy 400 wont fit in a 3rd gen firebird so i guess i did not have the best teachers. lol
 
driller said:
A lot of what you're asking is really personal preference.

The J-mod is very similar to the Baumann kit. Read the instructions here (including my notes).

Properly done, you will find that the shifts are throttle sensitive. More pedal means more firmness - WOT will be neck snapping while a soft throttle will be more stock like shifts.

IMO leave the springs in place as instructed on TCCoA and do the 2-3 accumulator as well as the 1-2. Get a BIG cooler and bypass the radiator. Get the factory dimpled pan with the drain plug.
Click to expand...


Thanks, thats actually what i'm trying to figure out. What everyones personal experiences are. Did you leave any springs out or just replace them?
 
7 sek mark said:
yes i feel you on that one one of my in my auto tech class in school was aparentley on the ford R&D team for the mark VIII. not sure if he was or not becasue he can tell some pretty good storys but he did seem to know his stuff about the marks and he drive one him self. he freaked out when i changed the exhaust on my car saying it would never run the same and all. than i showed him my lower time slips after the exhaust change and he shut up real quick. when i asked him why he had 215's on his mark i asked him why he said it was the stock size then i showed him the door decal that said 225's and he shut up again lol.

the other teacher said a chevy 400 wont fit in a 3rd gen firebird so i guess i did not have the best teachers. lol
Click to expand...

That guy doesn't seem to know squat... he probably engineered a door handle.
 
"That guy doesn't seem to know squat... he probably engineered a door handle."

Yeah, the one's on our Marks!
 
Lux said:
Thanks, thats actually what i'm trying to figure out. What everyones personal experiences are. Did you leave any springs out or just replace them?
Click to expand...

I replaced the springs as advised and did not leave any out. You may leave the lower spring out of the 1-2 accumulator, but I have read stories of some who have and complained of it being 'too harsh'.
 
i left the spring out of my 2-3 shift and took one of the springs out of the 1-2 shift (forgot witch one i left out). the the shifts at part to low throttle are still somewhat soft but at WOT it will make the car jump sideways a little on the 1-2 shift and it will grab the 2-3 shift pretty hard enough that who ever is in the car with me looks over and asks if that was normal. my 3200 stall and 3.73 gears might have something to do with it but below about 3000 rpm i cant feel any of my shifts besides over drive. when making a left turn across a few lanes on a newly paved road its hard to keep my inside tire from chirping the 1-2 shift no matter how little throttle i give it.

so far besides the nitrous the stall is the best mod i have done to my car. it was good for about .3 sec in the 1/8th mile witch is not a bad gain for about $550 ish.
 
7sekmark,

does your car bang hard into od as well?

Would you recommed this on a daily driven mark?

I have bigger plans for it down the road, in the mean time i'm going to buy another engine/98+ trans and build that, keep my low mileage drivetrain and set that aside.

I dont mind hard shifting i just do not want to damage anything until i pick up another vehicle...i only have the Mark right now and its very very rare that i only have one vehicle at a time...usually its 2..or 3, or 4.. lol, i sold all of em including my gen 1 to grab the 97, sure glad i did though. :D
 
i would aslo love to do this and now that i have read and know what the j-mod is i want to make it my next item. as long as it will not mess up the car as it is a bone stock transmission and only small bolt ons. is it safe on a stock mark?
 
driller said:
Take the transmission heat load off the engine cooling system. Done properly it will allow both the engine and transmission to perform better. This is especially true when you start modding the car.

The only time this may not be wise would be a daily driver constantly in sub-freezing conditions.
Click to expand...

+1

I've had it both ways. Engine runs about 20 degrees hotter when using both the OEM and an aftermarket cooler at the same time than if you just use the aftermarket alone.
 
logres said:
+1

I've had it both ways. Engine runs about 20 degrees hotter when using both the OEM and an aftermarket cooler at the same time than if you just use the aftermarket alone.
Click to expand...

+2

... and the transmission will be about 40-50 degrees cooler using a big aftermarket cooler alone. ;)
 
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