Has anyone in readerland ever taken a stock unmolested stage 1 or W-30 valve body apart and measured every spring for tension/diameter/color, every bushing and valve, basically what makes these valve bodies unique. Basically I’m wondering if you had the proper bushings and sleeves, and the right springs, could you duplicate the calibration using parts for valve body cores. For that matter, what does each spring control? For example, I have noticed lots of valve body cores have red and blue 2-3 modulator valve springs. What would the shifting characteristics be if you swapped them with no other changes? Lastly, does anyone have any recipes they would be willing to share beyond simply drilling holes in the spacer plate? Id like this info just to satisfy the tinkering drive I have, secondly it would give me a reason not to throw out this bucket of old valve body parts I have acquired. Thanks!
I think Mark DeConti's switch pitch article touches on this, Read the entire article. http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/SPTrans.htm
I have read that article many times, I’m still searching for one of the .big detent calves. Been tearing down transmission cores for a few years looking for one. About 25 years ago I worked for Coan Engineering. One of my jobs was tearing down valve body cores in preparation to be machined for transbrake or reverse shift patten. Other than the shift valves and a couple small parts, very little of the OEM parts were reused. If only I knew then what I know now. I probably scrapped a few hundred of those valves and bushings. There are a few people still working there that I worked with, they are going to save the extra stuff they don’t use next time they machine valve bodies. Maybe I’ll get lucky.
Much of the tuning is in the governor, vacuum modulator, valve body plate holes, and pressure reg spring. Some in the clutch springs and ports. Bruce Roe
