Rev. manual valve body, or just leave it?

Rich

Rich

Asshole at large
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
Central PA
I found a decent deal on a Reverse manual VB (with compression braking) for my 700R4..

Right now, i've got a mildly upgraded std. valve body, but I had to buy the $$ Bowtieoverdrives TV cable kit to work on my LSx engine. I could sell this and make about $100 back towards the price of the VB if I go that route, since it doesn't require the TV cable.

My current setup shifts pretty firmly when in low range anyway, so I'm used to it.

As I see it, the biggest advantages are:

Won't get a 1-2 upshift or 2-1 downshift at times I don't want (which happened alot with my old setup, but the gearing is way different now)
Could start in 2nd gear should I desire...
Would be able to lock the TC in any forward gear.

Downside would be the very firm shifts all the time, would it get annoying? I don't mind shifting gears at all.

Experiences with a manual VB on a trail rig?
 
well the manual VB would basically be like having a manula tranny without the clutch... so it wouldnt downshift or upshift for you (which could be a good or bad thing)

im sure you know, but reverse manual VB just means the shift pattern is backwards P-R-N-1-2-3-4 instead of P-R-N-4-3-2-1
 
Where I've seen the reverse valve body be most useful is because of the proximity of the shift positions of 1st, Neutral, and Reverse.

With RVB layout and with the shifter in the "1" position:
P
R --
N
1 --
2
3

and climbing an obstacle where you suddenly start to come over backwards, it's much easier to shift rapidly from "1" to "R", as opposed to the normal configuration below:
P
R --
N
3
2
1 --


Stewart
 
I had a RMVB in my Blazer and when I replaced the tranny I didnt go back with it.

WHile I loved LOVED the manual aspect, I would not go back with a reverse pattern, unless I had a floor shifter unless you never intend to go past 2nd.

One thing of note though, I was still occaisonally road driving mine, which is where the problem came in. On 2 different occaisons I bumped the shifter with my knee/thigh and went from OD to 2nd... Note I said I replaced my tranny...
 
D'oh, that sucked..

I have an Art Carr shifter mounted between the seats.. one side has the gates mostly cut out, the other side still has some gating between a few of the gears.

Was the shifting harsh, or just "firm"?
 
I would say that it would shift pretty hard, kinda like a full blown stage 3 racing shift kit, cuz i would think that it keeps the tranny pressures really high.... but thats all speculation
 
Rich, you might want to shoot John (Stump) a pm about this. He had one in his old TH400. The thing he complained most about was the lack of engine braking. I will point him to this thread.
 
drkelly said:
Rich, you might want to shoot John (Stump) a pm about this. He had one in his old TH400. The thing he complained most about was the lack of engine braking. I will point him to this thread.
Click to expand...

Not all the manual VB kits have engine braking... That could have been his issue. it'll have just as much (or little) as it had with the OEM VB..
 
Rich said:
Was the shifting harsh, or just "firm"?
Click to expand...

Honestly it varied on the mood of the driver. If low shifted it was firm. Nice lil shift kit firm.

If you were reving it and dumped it. It was burned up tranny dont wanna shift harsh.

For the little street driving I did, I played with tying to feather the gas and such, but never got a smooth shift out of it...
 
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