Question. With the mystery switch off, does the convertor lock as normal, or not lock at all?

http://www.napaonline.com/masterpage...+Dimmer+Switch

That is the switch I'm talking about. I just picked a 79 Chev 1/2 ton truck. My Dad has one and I know it has the dimmer switch. I'd imagine between Chev, Ford, etc they switch is pretty much all the same.

Having it on the floor will be handy since I won't need to root around with my hands for a switch. I can be talking on the cell, driving, and eating a burger all at the same time with this setup...

 

The tranny will continue to operate completely normal with the switch open. when closed, the convertor will be forced into lockup.
I think I will look at possibly mounting a switch on the floor also!
Mike

 

Sunir, I would get the trans controller that Scott and Leonard have if I had the money. I will most likely get one with my trans in a couple of months. It sounds like it works great and is completely automatic once it is setup the first time.
I am considering the Mystery Switch for now. I am going to wire the three relay set up, so I can keep the truck from stalling when I stop. My question for the experts is, can I turn this switch on at a stop and have everything work from 1st gear on, or do I have to wait for 2nd gear to throw the switch???

 

I can hit my switch at a stop sign, take off, and right after the shift into second gear the convertor locks.

 

I have only felt that shifting thing in this cold weather. When i realy started to feel it was after i changed the APPS. Would that have anything to do with it?
That switch seems kind of hard to install, tell me also can we damage anything if we dont click it back on at the right time?

 

Great thanks... Looks like I have a weekend projects......

 

Yeah Scott and Len both have the Painless/Scorpion kit...looks like that's a good solution...I was thinking about getting mine set up just like Scotts...set the lockup at around 30 and then the 3-4 shift around 42 mph.

This Mystery Switch is interesting though...If you could have the converter locked up most of the time even at lower speeds that would be great for efficiency essentially giving more usable power at less throttle for better mpg...just like a manual tranny which is an on/off switch with the clutch. I want to reduce the time my tranny's TC is in fluid-couple and make it more and more closer to an on/off situation like a manual, heck if it could be locked at all speeds from a dead stop to hwy that would be fine, but you mentioned the thing about stop and go, what heppens in that case of say around town or traffic driving if the TC is locked up and start, stop, start etc...again and again... would that damage the tranny or TC? How would that effect Tranny temps? I wondered about that also...

 

A locked torque converter will kill your engine just as a clutch will if you don't push it in. In fact, that's just what the lockup is, a clutch except fluid operated. No, you don't want to turn it on at a stop and never turn it off. You have to operate it similar to a clutch when coming to a stop.

Personally, I wouldn't wire the 3 relay setup since you will figure it out soon enough if you forget to unlock it. Too much work for me. I don't think a stock VB will allow lockup in first gear but I didn't install mine until I had the Dunrite VB so I can't say. The computer has some control of shifts and lockup also and they are not all programed the same either. I think all the VB's will stack the shifts locked up if you don't shift manually. WOT they won't stack shifts, just at part throttle.

What I do with mine is put the gear selector in 2 with OD off, lock the switch soon after it shifts into second and then manually shift into third at or just before I hit 30 MPH. If I am where I can use OD I will switch the OD button to on and unlock the lockup switch to let the trans shift itself. I do it that way because my trans computer locks in third gear and unlocks for the OD shift. The '01 and '02 computers do it this way but I don't think earlier computers allow converter lockup in third. I have not driven an earlier one with a lockup switch so i am not sure how I would do it with them. You would have to try it and see what works for you. Coming to a stop, I shift down into second, and then unlock the switch as the RPM drops down to about 11-1200. My tranny shifts into second very smoothly on compression but not so much from fourth into third. If I keep my foot a bit on the throttle the 4-3 shift is quite smooth so I will downshift that way.

Locking the converter keeps the trans temp down. I recently was pulling my TT and had to use 4 wheel drive and first gear. Would have had trans temp climbing in a big way but I locked 'er up and she worked just like a stick shift. I unlocked a couple of times pulling a steep hill just to see the difference and would not have wanted to keep it going like that for very long. Like I said, I don't think a stock valve body will allow first gear lockup but I could be wrong about that.

The lockup switch is about the cheapest and easiest upgrade you can do and I would not be without it. I have sat in Tony's office (Dunrite) on several occasions over the last year or two and heard him tell guys to put the lockup switch on or you will burn up your tranny if you are pulling hills unlocked for any distance.

I hope this is at least somewhat helpful.

 

Good info Russ Roth. I have a 2000 and my torque converter locks right after the tranny shifts into 2nd. And it seems to stay locked when it shifts into 3rd. But when it shifts into overdrive, it'll unlock, shift and relock real quick. I don't really feel this when driving with a light throttle, but driving WOT or towing heavy I can feel it happen.

 

JPR...what lock up switch do you have (make, vendor, & p/n would be helpful) ...I think this is the same as my friends setup. He told me the same sorta description or similar to what yours is...locking up down low and then locking again immediatly when going to overdrive, I didn't understand why it would lock, unlock then relock again

what speed does yours go into 2nd? Is your setup an electronic and programmable lock up switch or is it a manual switch? I'm looking into getting something for my tranny...darn thing just annoys me to no end especially having to wait for it to lock on cold days...

I shoulda gone with a manual tranny, I say that each I wiat on the converter to lock up...then each time I'm in traffic I like my auto...go figure

 

Well, the thing is, I don't have a lockup switch....yet. Just a modified V/B and triple disc torque converter. The PCM/ECM is what is controling my torque converter lockup/unlock. No matter what gear or speed I'm doing if I let off the throttle, the torque converter will unlock. I want to remedy that, especially when towing.

I'm not really sure of the speed when it does shift into 2nd. But I'll pay attention later today when I drive it. Now, in the morning when it's cold, the tranny does a have a slight delay when shifting from 1st to 2nd, but the torque converter still locks at the appropriate time after the 1st to 2nd gear shift.

Sunir, I have a question for you. Is it the shift from 1st to 2nd gear that is delayed when cold? Or is it in fact the torque converter lock that is delayed? Also, at what speed and in what gear does the torque converter do its initial lock?

 

Thanks. Hope it was helpful. Are you sure it is locking in second? I didn't think any of them locked until third at the earliest. I'm not positive but I don't think it should do that and I'm fairly sure none of the programs do locked shifts. I thought mine would do locked shifts into 4th but it doesn't and found out it just isn't that great at locking/relocking at certain throttle/load situations.

 

How do you get it to lock (full lock is what I mean here) without a lockup switch? True the PCM/ECM controls the TC lockup...but the ECM does not lock the converter until around 40-45 mph, all the lower speeds the TC is in fluid coupling and not fully locked (this is where you get the inefficiency of the auto tranmission). Now in order to get the converter to lock 100% (like when a clutch is engaged on a stick shift tranny) you need to set it to lock at a certain speed & set it n' forget it (programable lockup switch), or do it yourself each time and lock and unlock it manually (manual lock up switch), OR I guess if you had a downloader that manipulated or altered shift points, like a smarty, that would help...but you still have converter lockup delay with the RMP winding out before the TC locks.

To answer your questions...it's not the 1-2 shift that's delayed. I think it's the converter lock up which is delayed...when the truck is right around 40 mph to right around 45mph it'll start winding, until THUD, the truck jerks and it's locked up. I have a modified VB and a triple disk TC and ruinning smarty on Level 3.

My shifts occur roughly as follows: Dead Stop then steady roll on throttle to start ...shift 1 @ 12mph, shift 2 @ 23 mph, shift 3 @ 35 mph, Converter lockup (the big thud and jerk of the truck, especially when cold after the thing winds up the rpms) @ between 40 - 45 mph depending on how cold it is outside

 

Russ Roth / Sunir - Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe what I think is the the torque converter lock is actually a shift into 3rd. I really don't thinks so though. I'll check it out tonight when I drive home. I'll record the speeds at each shift. That "thud" you mentioned, I think it's when the tranny shifts into overdrive. But I'll pay more attention tonight and try to figure out what mine is really doing.

 

Take a note of your tranny's behaivior when you drive next through the gears...we can compare. I always thought it's shift 1-2 at like 12 mph, then 2-3 at like 23 mph, then the shift to 3-4 at 35 mph (4th is overdrive so this would be the shift to overdrive) and THEN the jerky winded out & delayed THUD at over 40 and under 50 mph somewhere depedning on how cold it is outside and how hard you push down on the throttle...what I'd like to know is what is the THUD...I think that is lockup...is it overdrive and do I have the event at 35 mph mixed up with the THUD at between 40 and 50?