I rebuilt a generic 2004R core for my '84 GN. Basically a stock engine with a healthy camshaft. I'm using a D5 converter and a TransGo VB kit, and the '84 turbo intermediate servo setup. I'm not really satisfied with the shifts. 1-2 shift isn't bad, 2-3 stinks, and it's in 4th way too early. I am using the stock '84 GN governor BTW. Downshifts are extremely unresponsive and late. 3-4 seconds of WOT, and it finally kicks down. Is there any way to tune this valve body to be like a normal turbo Buick trans? Maybe pull the accumulator springs and play with them? If anyone has a BRF, or even the earlier turbo Buick VB, I'd be interested in a purchase from you. I do have a stock '84 GN valve body that has been disassembled if that helps.
I have a BRF valve body for $250 shipped. But before all that, Have you checked pressures and are you sure the TV cable is right? Sounds like it may not have enough TV.
I haven't checked pressures yet... I have the TV buried all the way in right now with a couple of cable ties holding in the adjuster so it won't go out.
I still may need to put a gauge on it, but I doubt it's stuck. When I put the VB kit in, I was very careful with it and verified it's free movement prior to installing the TV linkage on the outside of the VB. I'm sure a search will turn up this info, but how easy is it to hook up a pressure gauge?
Ok, so I just took it out for a drive again to refresh my memory of what it's doing... 1. The speedo reads about 15 mph higher than it should. 2. Early shifts 3. Late kickdowns 4. Soggy WOT shifts. I'm starting to think that something is up with the TV not putting enough line pressure in. Not necessarily stuck, maybe my cable adjuster is screwed up somehow. Also wondering now if I grabbed the wrong governor off the shelf when I put the trans together. If memory serves (and it usually doesn't ), that would cause the speedo to be off, and the late shifts no?
Very possible the gov could cause some of the issues but it shouldn't cause a soft shift. I did a 700 recently, everything was good, same thing, valve body worked great on the bench. Installed it, similar symptoms to yours, put a gauge on it, pressure was pretty much static at 135 psi all the time. TV valve (inner) had stuck. Pulled it back apart, found the issue, played with it, and 19 out of 20 times it wouldn't stick, but that 20th time....
Ok, here's 2 spare governors I have... The orange one has 11 teeth on the speedo drive, the yellow one has 13. I think I put one in the trans that looked like the 13 tooth. There's my speedo problem. The orange governor is clearly a GN style but for some reason has 2 springs in it... Could have been someone trying to tune it their way idunno. Which of the two springs should come out?
I dug up two spare valve bodies that I had... One was complete and in good shape. It was known to be good in another application. I disassembled it, cleaned everything and put it all back together. I'm going to try that, the governor and see what happens. Which spring is supposed to be on the GN governor?
I think I'm going to order up a new TV cable too. The adjuster I have seems pretty loose and could easily be causing problems for me too.
Ok, here's an update, with not so good news. I switched the valve body, separator plate, 1-2, 3-4 accumulator parts, and governor. I disassembled the entire valve body to clean it and make sure everything was freely moving. The valve body and parts have an Art Carr shift kit in them. Now I have basically the reverse problem. It has seriously LATE shifts. I readjusted the TV by pushing it all the way in, and opening the throttle wide open. It adjusted outward about 3/4 " or so... It's worse than before actually now.
I wish it were that easy... This is a completely different valve body than before, and I paid very close attention to the TV circuit per your prior recommendations.
You need to put a pressure gauge on it. Did you install a GN governor on a generic VB? Are the shifts just late, or late and very firm?
I just drove it again, and here's what I noticed: 1. Starts in 2nd gear 2. Engine idles as expected in PRN, but when put in OD,D,2,1 it will slowly drag the motor down and usually kill the engine. I think I've somehow jacked up this valve body.
You're right, it needs a gauge... I had a transmission that was in my '87 GN that these parts were taken from. It drove fine in my '87, but it was not a BRF. Someone had build a non BRF to resemble one including the governor.
