200-4R shifts early

[standupjskiguy]

There is a little check ball just above the armature in the solenoid. What happens is metal in suspension in the oil gets pulled into the center of the coil of the solenoid. After all it is a magnet. Eventualy enough metal builds up around the armature inside the coil and it binds the armature causing it not to release the check ball which vents the lockup shuttle valve. I have actually taken the solenoids apart, cleaned the armature and coil and reassmebled them. They are still working to this day and this was 5 years ago on one transmission.[/QUOTE

I found no metal in mine, my plastic spool collapsed onto the armature.
I drilled the hole larger and solved the problem.
In the 85, it happened after nearly 100k miles.
In my 87 it happened after 12k miles but within a few years of the 85 problem
demonstrating the problem was not mileage related.
You have to break a weld to get it apart but you can assemble it back onto the trans
without re-welding it.

 

[standupjskiguy]

Yeah, I dont have a GN... Or a turbo buick as I said. Tranny is in Cutlass.

It doesn't matter the TCC has caused problems in many transmissions. But you said you have a th 200 4R.

 

[Pasikiainen]

It doesn't matter the TCC has caused problems in many transmissions. But you said you have a th 200 4R.

Yes, sure! But the governor isnt from GN. I think the transmission is from Caprice.

I tried to poke the hole in solenoid, didnt feel anything? So should the ball be in the bottom?

 

[Jerryl]

Yeah, I dont have a GN... Or a turbo buick as I said. Tranny is in Cutlass.

My bad.

 

[standupjskiguy]

If the solenoid is good, shake it, it should rattle. That metal rod or armature should
be free to flop back and forth. If it doesn't it's probably frozen.
Or, if you want to get your lips dirty, try blowing through that open end. If you can blow
freely, it is not plugged. If you can't blow through it, its bad. Or you could just get a new one
and see if that fixes the early shifting.

 

[77 cruiser]

At what rpm or mph is it shifting at? Sounds like something is messed up in the TV system some place.

 

[Pasikiainen]

"Normal" acceleration: 1-2 is at about 12mph, 2-3 at 18mph, 3-4 at 25mph. Tranny really stacks them up!!! At WOT 3-4 is at about 60mph, but the 1-2 and 2-3 is about the same time as in the "normal" acceleration.

 

[77 cruiser]

Put a gauge on it & see if you have proper pressure rise.

 

[Pasikiainen]

Changed the TCC solenoid, checked the valve body, everything as it should be, still doesn't work.

Could poor line rise effect ONLY early shifts 1-2 and 2-3? Shifts are firm.

 

[77 cruiser]

Did you put the kit or someone else?

 

[mikestertwo]

Changed the TCC solenoid, checked the valve body, everything as it should be, still doesn't work.

Could poor line rise effect ONLY early shifts 1-2 and 2-3? Shifts are firm.

You could have a total mismatch between the valve body and governor. If you had a CZ or OZ valve body with a OG governor that would give you early shifts. The weights on the governor look pretty heavy. Do you have access to lighter weights? As questioned above who installed the shift kit? There could be something way out of line with the shift kit installation.

 

[77 cruiser]

Here's a couple pics of my OG gov. It's the one with all the holes in it.

 

[Pasikiainen]

Rebuilded the tranny myself.

mikestertwo: You said my governor and valve body could be a miss match. Forgot to mention, I bought the tranny, it didn't have a governor at all! So I'm thinking could that cause it. I don't have access to lighter weights, but I can modify what I got.

And thanks for the fotos 77 cruiser!

 

[bison]

Put in a high performance calibrated vb and governor if you want later shifts. Make sure they are known good.


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[Pasikiainen]

They are really expensive here in finland :/

 

[mikestertwo]

Rebuilded the tranny myself.

mikestertwo: You said my governor and valve body could be a miss match. Forgot to mention, I bought the tranny, it didn't have a governor at all! So I'm thinking could that cause it. I don't have access to lighter weights, but I can modify what I got.

And thanks for the fotos 77 cruiser!

That could definitely cause your problem. Start by lightening the primary weight. I know it's a pain with these transmissions because you have to drop the pan every time you pull the governor.

 

[77 cruiser]

Short of finding another VB gov combo, I'd start by taking what looks like about an 1/8 inch off of the small wt. About 1/2 way to the hole & the edge . Maybe take about the same from the big wt. too.

 

[Pasikiainen]

Modified the governor. Shiftpoints happen later, but still, at wot it changes at about same speeds as in the "normal" acceleration. Now shifts happen:

1-2: 18mph
2-3: 31mph
3-4: 43mph

Part throttle is now okay, something still wrong with WOT

 

[Pasikiainen]

Photo of the governor.

 

[TexasT]

I'm no guru but when I took my lo-po trans apart it had springs on both weights. I see yours only has one. I tried to go with one on the heavy weight side and none on the light weight side and this made mine hold the shift too long for my liking.

Yours in the pic appears to have the spring on the light weight. I would move it to the other side and give that a try before doing any weight reduction. This would give you the spring on the side with the heavy(larger) weight and no spring on the lighter(smaller) weight side.

That yellow piece on the governor shaft is there to help keep the spring situated in the even the tires stop suddenly( Like a burn out). I think the reason it shifts so fast is it is holding the light weight "shut" and "telling it to shift as soon as the heavy weight "shuts" which is soon .