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PI TC and LSD install...Guys, please help!!

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Old Jul 2, 2007 | 08:41 PM
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Default PI TC and LSD install. Please help! (Videos on 2nd page!)

Just got my car back today after not having it for 4 frickin' days...Total BS! The car feels like it is shifting funny and holding the gear too long sometimes. When I hit it (WOT) at around 30-40 mph it does NOT drop into a lower gear - ever! Oh, and by the way I purchased a supposedly 3.76 supra LSD from Apex84 (Team Lexus) and I really don't think it's 3.76 gearing; another total BS! Guess what...for instance when I'm at 80mph I am at around 2900-3000rpm. Hmmm....that's EXACTLY what I was at with my STOCK rear end! What the hell should I do now?! I purchased this thing about 6 mos. ago (didn't want to install it in the winter) and still have ALL PM's promising and confirming that this is in fact a 3.76 LSD; and yes, it has the "fins" on the bottom of the pumpkin. I am ABSOLUTELY HATEFUL of my car right now. I can't even spin the tire with TRACTION OFF!!!! How the hell is that possible?! I have a frickin 2900 stall Precision Industries Torque converter! Please please please anyone shed some light on this subject and give me advice! I just spent about $1,000 to have this LSD,TC, new axles and cooler installed! Oh, and it's frickin' leaking tranny fluid a little on my engine shroud! I got to bring this thing back tomorrow and have the leak fixed at the LEAST. What should I do about this LSD and why is my car NOT performing?

Last edited by Rock-a-Lex; Jul 8, 2007 at 07:11 AM.
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Old Jul 2, 2007 | 08:50 PM
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Sorry about the issues you're having.
If you are unsure whether it's 3.76 LSD or something else, I would recommend asking the shop to open up the pumpkin and check for yourself.

I wouldn't see why they wouldn't since you've spent a chunk with them already.

Again sorry for the frustrations. I have been wanting to add LSD for a while myself and would not foreshadow this problem( when all you're thinking about the whole time is that this things' going to put a smile on your face.)
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Old Jul 2, 2007 | 09:21 PM
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2900-3000 RPM @ 80mph seems to be right.

OEM 3.26 gearing at 80mph should land you around 2600 RPM.

It's most likely the torque convertor install. Check your fluid level when its hot. Our tranny is sensitive to fluid level. I was a pint off any my transmission was slipping pretty badly.
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Old Jul 2, 2007 | 10:40 PM
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i agree with GSteg.

diff sounds like a 3.76. i sit at around 2900-3000 rpm with the 3.76. you'll notice your gas mileage going down soon.

check the tranny fluids.. when i did my TC after i added fluid i checked it and it was fine. but after i drove it for a few mins the fluid was low. i didnt pre-fill the TC enough. so get that checked.
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 05:00 AM
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Actually my fluid seems a little high when hot...past the top line. Don't you think it's a little unusual that I am not able to spin the tires from a stand still? Traction on or off it doesn't matter. Believe it or not the car does NOT even feel faster! That's why I'm so upset and how I can't believe the results that I'm getting! EVERYONE and I mean everyone that gets 1 or BOTH of these mods done explain how the car is "totally different" and some even referred it to a "beast"; mine is neither...it just sucks. My car was totally stock before just with intake and exhaust and ran and shifted fine. Now I have a POS that shifts funny and accelerates the same MAYBE WORSE because there is a HUGE lag from 2 - 3 almost like the car is bogging down. BTW, I could have sworn that initially I was @ 3000 rpms at 80 mph because I was assuming that I would be at around 3300 after the LSD install. Even if my tranny fluid is too low or too high wouldn't this just effect the smothness of shifting...if so then why is my acceleration so poor???
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 06:09 AM
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Thanks for the info. so far guys. I came to the conclusion that I must have the 3.76 LSD due to the rpms at certain speeds; sorry for the alarm. Good, now that that's out of the way what about my TC. Can that be the culprit of my ENTIRE problem as far as shifting and poor acceleration? If so, how can it NOT cause quicker acceleration? Could it be that PI didn't adjust the stall correctly? What should I do and how can I tell if the stall is correct?
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 06:19 AM
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The TC wouldn't cause any poor shifting unless the installer doesn't have a clue. We installed many TC upgrade and never have a single problem. Make sure there is enough ATF in the tranny otherwise it will slip and does a lot of funny things.
JPI
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 06:59 AM
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If the PI TC was installed improperly wouldn't I hear grinding and have a lot more problems? I mean you can only install it either fully correctly or not correctly at all...am I right? There isn't anything that they could have slightly done wrong that would throw just a couple of things off right?

BTW, where should the tranny fluid be when hot? At the top of the hot line? Also, what is the proper way to check the transmission fluid; while the car is running?

Last edited by Rock-a-Lex; Jul 3, 2007 at 07:02 AM.
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 07:17 AM
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yes tranny fluid should be towards the top of the hot section. check it with car on, shift gears around, let it sit, take dipstick clean once, and check.

the TC doesnt make the car shift any faster. over all the feel is more responsive.

make sure you get that tranny leakchecked out .
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 07:42 AM
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Oh and one other piece of information not really related to problems. I read on here that MANY CL member have installed tranny coolers in-line through the radiator as well either placing the cooler before or after the radiator. My shop installed it as a stand alone completely by-passing the radiator. They said the instructions from B & M said to install it by itself. Is my shop BS-ing me or should this be a concern of mine? How can I check the stall of my TC?
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 09:47 AM
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I have my tranny cooler installed by itself. I bypassed the OEM aux cooler, but will be hooking it back up later on. I haven't had a problem.

to check your stall speed, put your car in drive and hold onto the brakes HARD. Then rev up your engine. Your engine should wind up to about 2900-3000 RPM before your wheel starts to/wants to spin. At whatever point you feel the torque convertor is locking up should be about where the stall speed is.
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 10:43 AM
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awhat size tires are you running? Some people are still running factory 17's with stock sized tires and the 3.76 acts a little different. I just put in a 3.76 w/LSD and I have the oversised 19" set-up that has 275's on the rear. That is a lot of tire to spin. Unless I power brake, it does not brake loose. When I floor the car just squats and goes.

Your shifting problem is obviously another issue, I just wanted to say that different set-ups make these mods feel differently.
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 08:45 PM
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Dont no what to say about lost performance, but you gotta remember your trying to turn over both tires now...twice the traction. I had a lifted ford on 46's, iwould blow peoples mind when i would smoke the rear tire from a dead stop. I did a lsd because it would spin pulling my boat up the boat ramp, i would have to get out and lock it in 4low. After i did the lsd it wouldnt think about spinning the tires. I went from clouds of smoke to nothing. Broke my little heart!!!
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 09:42 PM
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Originally Posted by GoFaSSter
awhat size tires are you running? Some people are still running factory 17's with stock sized tires and the 3.76 acts a little different. I just put in a 3.76 w/LSD and I have the oversised 19" set-up that has 275's on the rear. That is a lot of tire to spin. Unless I power brake, it does not brake loose. When I floor the car just squats and goes.

Your shifting problem is obviously another issue, I just wanted to say that different set-ups make these mods feel differently.
I'm running 20" 275's Michelins and able to spin them with just TC installed.
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Old Jul 3, 2007 | 10:22 PM
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the TC makes more of a difference than the 3.76 does when you're launching. But from the stall speed up, the gearing shines.
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