# A4 shift kit?



## Mongoose (Jun 17, 2009)

Ive been searching around the forum for the anwser to the question for a while. And I do know that the Automatic transmissions in our cars are great, but still wanted the option of manually shifting it like I could in some other cars that I have built with 700r4 or TH400 transmissions.

Ive looked on summit and other parts websites and have seen that B&M does make a couple rachet shifters that say they are compatable with the new GTO. Has anybody installed one in thier cars or even have pictures?

Thanks in advanced for any help.


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

NO!!!! DONT DO IT! I have had nothing but problems with my shifter, the metal flexes too much and makes it a nightmare to put the stupid thing in gear, and that was before i started have the problems that I have now and dont know how to fix. At least i knew how to fix that


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## Mongoose (Jun 17, 2009)

Metal Flaxes? as in it just cant keep up with abuse or it has had that problem since you installed it?


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

can't keep up with the abuse, my stick literally flexes. It's ridiculous! That is just one of the many problems. Do you know much about clutches and Slaves?


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

Are you talking about a shift kit, or a aftermarket shifter?


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

redhdw/redGTO said:


> can't keep up with the abuse, my stick literally flexes. It's ridiculous! That is just one of the many problems. Do you know much about clutches and Slaves?


Red, mongoose is talking about an automatic transmission. Sounds like you are talking about a manual transmission. You have the B&M manual shifter for your car?


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

Yeah it's a six speed, sorry about the confusion.


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

yeah I have that. Can anyone help me troubleshoot my clutch please, it's making me nuts


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

redhdw/redGTO said:


> Yeah it's a six speed, sorry about the confusion.


That's ok. You need to toss that junk and replace it with a BMM Ripshifter.


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

redhdw/redGTO said:


> yeah I have that. Can anyone help me troubleshoot my clutch please, it's making me nuts


What's the problem you are having?


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

The slave went bad so I replaced it, then in 40 miles the b**ch left me on the side of the road leaking fluid everywhere so we replaced it again. This time i got a vacuum bleeder and got all the air out of it and it wont go into gear at all, but the clutch is good. Am I missing something or is my transmission messed up?


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## Mongoose (Jun 17, 2009)

Did you check all the bearings in the clutch? What about the Syncros in the tranny? Could be a number of problems not just the slave. And I guess no Shift Kits in the A4 cars huh?


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

Mongoose said:


> I guess no Shift Kits in the A4 cars huh?


Not sure which item you are talking about. A "Shift Kit" for an Automatic is usually a few springs, checkballs, and/or a new valve plate for the Auto's valve body, or even a kitted valve body to swap out. But from what you were asking above, sounds like you're asking for a Shifter, just simply a new gear selector handle.

So which is it you're really wanting?


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

I have decent shifting from 2nd to 3rd and better from 3rd to 4th. I have to turn off the car to get it into 1st or reverse. I cant open the tranny because it's under warranty and I have to make sure that it is has nothing to do with the clutch or the majority of it's system. that isn't covered. and I thought he was talking about a B&M short throw. I kinda feel like and idiot for saying that no offense, it's a piece of ****. but there is nothing stupider than missing work cause you dont know WTF is wrong with your really pretty, fast red car. Hell i'd like to be able to drive it to 7-11 with out being afraid i'm going to have to go get my truck and trailer to get her home.


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## Mongoose (Jun 17, 2009)

Justice said:


> Not sure which item you are talking about. A "Shift Kit" for an Automatic is usually a few springs, checkballs, and/or a new valve plate for the Auto's valve body, or even a kitted valve body to swap out. But from what you were asking above, sounds like you're asking for a Shifter, just simply a new gear selector handle.
> 
> So which is it you're really wanting?


Im talking the actual shift kit assembly along with the gear selector.


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

I have never heard a bad thing about these cars in an automatic, not that it's un-heard of but a friend did a lot of performance stuff to his and he did change the way that the car shifts but it wasnt just the selector handle he did something else, I will have to get back to you on what he did.


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## Mongoose (Jun 17, 2009)

That would be awesome Red even if you can jsut ge the company where he bought it from or made the parts I can do my own reserch as far as exacts.


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

redhdw/redGTO said:


> The slave went bad so I replaced it, then in 40 miles the b**ch left me on the side of the road leaking fluid everywhere so we replaced it again. This time i got a vacuum bleeder and got all the air out of it and it wont go into gear at all, but the clutch is good. Am I missing something or is my transmission messed up?


I have a person I'm going to run this by and see if I can get his response. He's done quite a few clutches in his day, and knows his stuff. 

His respose:


> Sounds like it's possible that something is allowing your slave cylinder to over extend and allow the seal to pop. The most likely culprit to this happening is a bad pressure plate. Now, with the yet again replaced slave, the bad pressure plate is not allowing the clutch to disengage and thereby not allowing you to shift.


So maybe that helps, maybe not. But I'm trying!:cheers


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

Mongoose said:


> Im talking the actual shift kit assembly along with the gear selector.


Huges Performance may have a shift kit for your transmission. Welcome to Hughes Performance

As for the shifter unit, I'm not sure. I used to have a B&M ratchet shifter for my 73 Firebird so long ago, but I haven't looked into anything for the GTO since I drive M6.


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

Sounds wicked expensive but hey i'm tired of this this thing sitting in my driveway. 
Would this make it so that I can go into all gears fine while the car is off, but once i start it no more shifting. I can tug it out if gear into neutral but it's and act of all religions to get this thing back in gear.


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

oh, off the subject, your kitty looks cozy. That is cute.


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

redhdw/redGTO said:


> Sounds wicked expensive but hey i'm tired of this this thing sitting in my driveway.
> Would this make it so that I can go into all gears fine while the car is off, but once i start it no more shifting. I can tug it out if gear into neutral but it's and act of all religions to get this thing back in gear.


Yes, the clutch is NOT disengaging. Could very well be a bad pressure plate.


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

ok, lets say that it's not what you all have pointed out to me as being the obvious step-child pressure plate, and it could be something else. anything, give me ideas. and what is all the rave about braided lines? Please explain. I am a wastewater mechanic, not a car mechanic. I can take it apart, fix what's wrong and put it back together, unless it's a pump, i'm kinda lost


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

The rubber lines flex so much that not all your fluid is going into movement of the clutch. This lends to a soft or mushy clutch feel. Steel braided lines don't allow flex, and all of the fluid pressure goes to the clutch movement.

What else could be the problem? Well, lets looks at what went wrong. The slaver cylinder dumped fluid. What caused that? Why did it happen yet again? That keep pointing back to the slave cylinder overextending. One other possibility is that the check valve in the master cylinder is keeping a little bit of residual pressure in the line that doesn't allow for full disengagement of the clutch. But if you say the clutch disc looks fine, that's most likely not the problem. Another possible issue is that the trasmission bolts to the engine are loose.

I hope that helps some...


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

The first time it was dumping fluid becase it had a massive crack in the release bearing on the slave and big chunks torn out of it. Happened the 2nd time we think because the bleed valve didn't get tightened down all the way.and i have never had a mushy clutch feel from the petal and that was even when the busted release bearing was in there.


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

Were you able to find out where specifically the fluid came out on the 2nd time?


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

yeah out of the slave and it pooled until it seeped out of my bellhousing. that was tedious to clean up but that's cool. How long do you think it would take me to swap the clutch if I just did it in one of those big kits that has the pressure plate with it?


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

redhdw/redGTO said:


> yeah out of the slave and it pooled until it seeped out of my bellhousing. that was tedious to clean up but that's cool. How long do you think it would take me to swap the clutch if I just did it in one of those big kits that has the pressure plate with it?


Depends on what tools you have at hand to do the job with, and how many people you have to help. There's actually a decent article on how to do it over on High Performance Pontiac. Take a look at it. They also show replacing the stock shifter with a ripshifter while they had the tranny out.


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

redhdw/redGTO said:


> yeah out of the slave and it pooled until it seeped out of my bellhousing. that was tedious to clean up but that's cool. How long do you think it would take me to swap the clutch if I just did it in one of those big kits that has the pressure plate with it?


If it came out of the slave cylinder, the bleeder being loose doesn't make sense. If the bleeder was loose you would have sprayed fluid everywhere outside of the tranny and it would have splashed down on the exhaust and burned like crazy.


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## redhdw/redGTO (Jun 17, 2009)

You have been the most awesome help i could ask for on a day like today.i'm going to check that out, Thanks so much.)


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## Justice (Oct 9, 2005)

Well, I just hope it all works out for you.

Mongoose, Sorry for hijacking your thread!


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## taztassio (Jul 1, 2009)

i have a Transgo stage 2 shift kit, with massive trans cooler (a must on the 4l60e), as well as a pinless 3-4 billet accumulator and oem style steel 1-2 accumulator piston.

chirps 2nd hard, and i just recently beefed it up to 2 shims.

here is a pic of the coolers and a vid of 1 shim chirp. (dont mine the m90 charger )

















Nicks1-2.flv video by taztassio - Photobucket


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