Allison 1000 Shift Kits

Hardtailxxx

Hardtailxxx

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Jun 7, 2006
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I did alot of research before hand and heard only negative comments, so I thought I would post my thoughts on the Bully Dog shift kits now that I have done the installation of both their kits on my rig. I started with the Super Aggressive Kit on my '03 GMC and It was nothing short of SUPER AGGRESSIVE! I thought I would pop u-joints just driving around town, but when you actually are laying in to it from a light you couldn't ask for anything better from a tire chirping kit that installs in under an hour for a hundred bucks. It gives you an "unrefined I'm in gear, hold on feeling". Now, don't get me wrong, I love doing all the best mods and nailing down on it from a light and wasting the kid in his daddy's 'Vette, but to each his own. All in all, the Super Aggressive kit is too much to be streetable in my opinion, but if you are a sled pulling stocker or racing I can see its use. After I found the Super Aggressive kit to be less than streetable, I installed the Shift Enhancer kit. It is exactly that, a enhancer, it would be right between stock and the Super Aggressive kit by the seat of the pants feel giving a more firm, quicker than stock, positive shift. Based on this I would think the shift enhancer kit is probably what 75% of the people out there with the daily driven LB7's would want- towing, crusing, controled street racing and at the least staying streetable. I am always in search of better upgrades and ways, so I thought I would try the shift kits myself. Any body else have thoughts about it?

:rockwoot:
 
Good write up.. I have a Trans-go Shift kit setting in the Garage waiting for a TQ Converter to put in. So it took around an Hour to put in?? Nice.
 
I have not seen their aggressive kit yet so I have no comment. How many miles have you put on it. Has it gotten any softer? Their enhancer kit tends to get softer after the TCM learns the pressure back down.
 
Without increasing control main, adding clutch surface area and converter clutch area, you will not make any appreciable gains with the A1000. Just my opinion. You can snap the pressure to the clutches for better apply, but the holding capacity will not increase significantly...
 
Hardtailxxx,

You're exactly correct, we sell the enhancer 99% of the time as the aggressive is just too much for the majority of folks.

Mark @ DPPI
 
The general concensus from those "in the know" is that the Bully Dog enhancer valve kit is a waste of time and money. You won't find it on the shelves of those with experience with the Allison.
 
The Bully Dog Shift Enhancer is worth it to me just for the faster shifts, like I said, to each his own. For the guys that haven't made it to tranny internal hard parts, but are looking for improvements to make,can find the enhancer kits on Ebay for about 80.00, install takes about 45 min and at least go away with the faster firmer shifts feeling like you have accomplished somthing. I have right at 230 miles on the enhancer kit with no change of feel, and I can tell you that the faster shifts while towing, especially up hill, makes me say that if I had it to do over, I wouldn't think twice about using the enhancer kit. Not to mention Bully Dog is as good as it gets when it comes to tech support, based on my dealing with them. Besides at a light if some guy with the "BUILT" truck breaks something, the under dog stocker still wins...I am just looking at it as, toy's are what you make 'em, the biggest and best is not required to have fun doing anything you're into...
 
Just don't get a false sense of security that it is increasing holding power significantly. An Edge on level 5 will slip the TCC clutch quite easily. Most who run level 4 hard will eventually harm their stock transmission and it happens w/o warning...
 
we put the bully dog set up in my buddies max, it was a totla waste of time, it didn't make it hold anymore power. and that was the only reason we put it in. i considered it false advertisement. jmho
 
What about combining the shift enahncer with a better TC (like an ATS 5-star)? Or would you be better off just doing the TC?

brandon.
 
joefarmer said:
What about combining the shift enahncer with a better TC (like an ATS 5-star)? Or would you be better off just doing the TC?

brandon.
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The ATS 5 star is a great addition but I would choose something different for internal trans mod. If you're going to do this, do it right. You will need more mainline pressure to begin with. When the Allison goes to lockup it drops mailine pressure from 245 psi to 145 psi. Only way to fix that is with a modified converter flow valve; then you can regulate how much pressure knockdown you want, if any. Mainline pressure should be bumped up to minimum 285 psi and additional clutches in every stack. C1 and C2 clutch are prone to failure because only half the clutch is actually used because of apply piston position. Both Suncoast and ATS have addressed that. I like using the the Transgo shift kit because it fools the TCM and keeps it from learning the pressure back down with its blow off ball design. The ATS copilot do well doing the same thing but works better when the pressure regulator valve and converter flow valve have been modified with their pump upgrade.
Remember, an 80.00 set of valves won't do much of anything when you pour big power on.
 
What about the speed of the shifts with other kits/ trannies? Are they faster, or slower? I'm happy with just getting the faster shifts at this point.
 
gunracer1 said:
what will the transgo kit hold with a decent converter?
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425 HP Some are holding more. It depends on what you do with the truck. High boosted launches will kill the C1 clutches in short order and the only help for that is upgraded one sided clutches. I have guys running over 500 HP with a converter and Transgo, but they don't beat the snot out of them.
 
Hardtailxxx said:
What about the speed of the shifts with other kits/ trannies? Are they faster, or slower? I'm happy with just getting the faster shifts at this point.
Click to expand...

If you have hard shifts in an Allison you have a tie up. ( 2 gears at once for a split second ) That is a slow shift. Quick shifts are never hard. The perfect shift is one you don't feel very much but lights up the tires upon transition.
 
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