US Shift transmission shift control

[turbotim2]

For anyone using the product on their 4R70W, can you tell me about your experience? I assume it comes loaded with a basic shift profile to get you started and then make changes from there? Do you connect your PC or phone directly with the controller? Have you used the efi TPS cable and how is that working?

Thanks for your help!

 

[904Bronco]

I have done two conversions, one had a 2 Bbl Sniper and the other had Mustang EFI with an old school harness (Ryan's) that had the 5 pin tap in plug.
They, US Shift, were more than happy to configure each harness to each application. (Jumper wire used for TPS on the Sniper) Appreciated the multiple questions asked about how the rig was configured, tire size, gearing, trans year, rebuilt/or not, etc.
Each were easy to install, apply wire loom, route the harness, and mount the controller. One opted to have the controller in the glove box and the other had the remote controller which I mounted next to the steering column. (sorry no picture). The controller does require a full 12v from the ignition switch in start and run...
I put about 100 miles on each rig, and then gave the Bronco back to the owners suggesting that they put 500+ miles on the transmission. Both complained of up/down shift issues within a few hundred miles. Both Transmissions were rebuilt by the same rebuilder. So I drove the Mustang EFI rig with the Owner asking him to share his experiences... He told me that I was driving to conservatively, I needed to get on it! So I did, and from a dead stop when the rig shifted into 2nd, it barked the tires and shook the Bronco. Consultations with the rebuilder and US Shift... I softened the shift points using the controller and that seemed to satisfy the first one.
The Sniper owner commented after 1000 miles that he was having a similar issue with up/down shifts. He wanted to do a more hands on himself, so I shared what I did for the previous conversion and he was going to call US Shift himself... That was almost two months ago and I haven't had any feedback if his concerns were resolved.

My comments would be that it was easy to deal with the Company and with the tech guy. He gets busy, so you may have leave a message for a call back. (Be sure to have the invoice # so they can look up the device/harness they configured) It is concerning to me that I had the same issue on two different Bronco's. My rebuilder has had some experience with US shift and he is not a fan of them. I know some of my local Bronco bud's, with earlier units, have had some issues. But they were able to reconfigure them to satisfy their concerns. I hope others will chime in with their experiences with US shift.
For me, all my personal 4R70W conversions have utilized the Ford EFI ECU...

Doug.

 

[turbotim2]

Thank you Doug,
So you can adjust shift harshness with the controller? That's interesting . I am running a Holley Sniper 4150 V1. Is there another controller that your rebuilder prefers?

 

[Broncobowsher]

The shift firmness is somewhat adjustable. Part throttle, more line pressure makes the shift firmer. Higher or lower line pressure will change firmness of the shift. Full throttle, where you already have full line pressure, won't firm it up anymore. But there shift kit (I used them back in the Baumann days) was really good in each part of the kit stated what it did and gave you choices of how wild to go. Different springs, spacers, hole sizes... As you turn up the hardware for more firmness, it makes it more difficult to tame it with software. At some point you need enough line pressure to actually make the shift and keep the clutches from shifting.

 

[904Bronco]

Thank you Doug,
So you can adjust shift harshness with the controller? That's interesting . I am running a Holley Sniper 4150 V1. Is there another controller that your rebuilder prefers?

A buddy in Oregon likes the Compushift sport controller he has in his Bronco, but I have no personal experience with them.

 

[Qumanchew]

I'm running one in my Broncos on a 4r100, but the process is the same for your 4r70. I couldn't be happier, but....you have to tune it. No ifs, ands or buts about it. If you're not willing to put in the time tuning it then it's probably not the route you want to go. Plug in the laptop, drive it for a while, pull over and adjust, then repeat until you have it dialed in. I kept the laptop in there for a few hundred miles. Every now and then I'd change something and see how I like it. The nice thing is that you can change the tune on the fly without actually saving it to the program. Make a change, drive it for a while, save that change if you like it or not. This is coming from a guy that doesn't do much on a computer, but I still found it very easy.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I'm running one in my Broncos on a 4r100, but the process is the same for your 4r70. I couldn't be happier, but....you have to tune it. No ifs, ands or buts about it. If you're not willing to put in the time tuning it then it's probably not the route you want to go. Plug in the laptop, drive it for a while, pull over and adjust, then repeat until you have it dialed in. I kept the laptop in there for a few hundred miles. Every now and then I'd change something and see how I like it. The nice thing is that you can change the tune on the fly without actually saving it to the program. Make a change, drive it for a while, save that change if you like it or not. This is coming from a guy that doesn't do much on a computer, but I still found it very easy.

I've done a couple. The canned default shift patterns are just a starting point. No better, and probably a little worse, than the shift points in a non-computer transmission.
Laptop and drive. Don't expect to do everything at once. Make it little things. The default gap between upshift and downshift is pretty good. That is the last I dial in. I keep the gap as I change the upshift. For upshift I give a steady throttle and note if the shift is late or early for what I want at that throttle. Adjust the curve at that point, smooth around it and try again. As I do that I decide if the shift is too hard or not and adjust line pressure for that throttle setting.

Later I'll be driving it and note something like "that shift point for 2-3 was at 36 MPH when I really wanted it at 32 MPH" Go back into the tuning, find the 36 MPH shift point, note the throttle, change that throttle point to 32 MPH, smooth around the edges, drive some more. I had one where I wanted a 3-4 shift in traffic, but it held 3rd. I would have to speed up a little and lift to get the 4th gear cruise. A pain to do in traffic. Laptop, drop that idle 3-4 shift point one or two MPH. fixed. Didn't change anything else.

Before I went hydroboost I hated the idle creep at traffic lights in 1st gear. So I set the 1-2 shift point at 0 MPH at idle. The moment I tipped in it would downshift to 1st. It happened before you moved and never could feel it. Idle at a traffic light in 2nd for less driving force and still pull away in 1st gear.

Also for low range. I was geared so low that the 1-2 shift happened at maybe 3 MPH. A 1-2 shift while trying to just cruise in low range was very disruptive. The 2nd gear start worked great. When you really needed the gearing, manual 1st gear. Get the real gearing, and no wonky shift halfway through the technical spot.

The stuff you can do while tuning. Why the person who is going to drive the transmission is the one who really needs to tune it. In the end, it is almost as good as a manual transmission. When you drive a manual, the shift points are are picked by the driver. Tuning an automatic, you get the shift points set just like you set them yourself driving a stick.

 

[turbotim2]

Thank you, I should be ok with tuning, I messed with the Sniper for 2 years (summers) before I got that straightened out! I am going to download the software and mess around with to get familiarity with it prior so maybe I'll be ready when I get it together.

 

[Broncobowsher]

I found transmission tuning to be easier than EFI tuning. And more rewarding.

 

[turbotim2]

I downloaded the software and setup a file with my vehicle specific settings but didn't touch the any of the shift parameters. Seems pretty straight forward.
The controller arrivestomorrow, any advice on the physical install?

 

[tasker]

Tim, ask Kenny in Scarborough, he runs one and has experience with them. need his number?

 

[turbotim2]

Ok, yeah, or you can send him my number if he'd rather. Thanks!