Those of you who have done a swap to a 2004R, what did you use as a TCC controller?

I'm just in the wrapping-up stages of my install, and went for a setup I've been calling the "three switch" kit. I used a kit from Painless that has a pressure switch, a vacuum switch and a brake switch.

I've also seen everything from a manual switch on the shifter, to an aftermarket computer controller. I asked around on some of the other boards I'm on, and couldn't really find any personal experiences with any of the various options. Just curious to know what you used, and how you like it.

Doc.

 

I need to make a good diagram to explain how I did my 81 GMC. I’ll try to explain.

You will need a normally closed brake switch, a 10 second time delay relay, a normally open 4th gear pressure switch and some 18 gauge wire.

I installed a later steering column in my truck that has the headlight dimmer on the turn signal lever. That left the original floor mounted dimmer unused. That became my manual override switch. I ran an ignition power source thru the dimmer switch, to a normally closed brake switch, to pin 85 of the relay AND the positive wire of the TCC solenoid. The 4th gear pressure switch will need to go to pin 86. The ground wire of the solenoid need to go to pin 30, pin 87 to ground.

The way the circuit works is as long as the ignition on, the dimmer switch is switched on, and the brake is released, the solenoid and relay coil is powered. When the transmission makes the shift into 4th gear, the normally open 4th gear pressure switch will close and provide a ground for the relay coil. After 10 seconds, the relay contacts will close, and the TCC solenoid will get a ground path thru pins 30 and 87. Hit the brakes, the brake switch will open, removing power from the solenoid and the relay. Release the brakes, assuming the trans is in 4th gear 10 seconds later the TCC will lock automatically. Hit the dimmer switch button will shut off everything. Crowd the throttle enough to cause a downshift, the 4tg gear pressure switch will open and shut off TCC.

This setup works really well. It’s about as close to a factory feeling as you can get without a computer.

I tried using a vacuum switch, I found it entirely too touchy. If you’re determined to use it, I’d set it up to disengage the converter instead of trying to use it to enable. Set it to open around 10 inches of vacuum, put it inline with pin 86 and as long as engine vacuum is above 10 inches the converter will lock.

 

That sounds like an interesting setup. I like the idea of the time-delay relay, one of the other write ups I read said something about a 5 second, but it was an old thread and the link to the relay he used was dead.

On my kit, the vac switch goes on ported vacuum, and only enables at, I think, 7 in? The brake switch has a normally-closed pair, and the pressure switch closes with 4th gear pressure.

So the lockup is only enabled if it's in 4th gear, the throttle is open enough to have 7 in or more of vacuum, and you're not touching the brakes. Some of the write-ups I read apparently didn't like the almost-simultaneous shift to 4th and then lockup and so talked about a delay like you suggest.

Not sure I want as long as a 10sec delay- a lot of my driving is in-town, stop-and-go. I found a 12V adjustable relay that I think will work, zero to 10 sec, and may give that a try.

Doc.

 

I had the transmission builder wire a 4th gear pressure switch to lock the convertor when shifting into OD. I powered the convertor through the brake switch and a vacuum switch; the vacuum switch will unlock the convertor whenever vacuum drops, like when you stomp the gas pedal. It works pretty when for me.

 

Do a search here, there’s about 47 threads on the subject, some rather comprehensive.

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In your browser you can type site:classicoldsmobile.com "search term" site:classicoldsmobile.com 2004R TCC lockup to search the entire site in addition to the web sites search.
I like the search results better most of the time

 

Um, yeah, thanks. This isn't exactly my first time on the internet. I've been searching since asking Jeeves was a thing.

I've been looking up options on running the lockup since I started on the trans swap back in February. The two problems were first, a lot of what I found was a decade or more old, and I wanted to know if there was a newer, better way. (And there is, a $700 programmable controller, that was a touch more than I wanted to spend. )

And second, of what I did find, there was very little by way of follow up. A bunch of people described the method, but almost no one gives an after-action report. IE, how does it drive?

I found a ton of articles where the driver just used a manual switch in line with the pressure switch. Including Matt, I found maybe three guys that did the two-switch (brake/pressure) or 3-switch (brake/pressure/vacuum) and only two of those mentioned a timer/delay.

I found no articles on the B&M speedometer-cable controller, and none of anyone using the programmable controller. Looking here, I found several useful postings, but again, hardly anything about how it drives. A couple mentions of adjusting a vac switch to change when it locks, but that's about it.

I just finished setting up my 3-switch kit from Painless- with my limited knowledge, that one sounded the all around best- and have a 0-10 sec 12V delay relay on the way. From what I've read, that should give me the best streetable action. Yeah, it's a bit late to be asking, but I was still interested in hearing opinions- especially from anyone that may have tried more than one option. Whether in different cars or the same car.

Doc.

 

My 200-4R came with the internal 4th gear switch wired in series with the TCC lockup solenoid, preventing lockup in any gear except 4th. I used a relay kit (I want to say it was from BTO, but it could've been elsewhere), that connects to the brake light wire (from the brake switch) and its contacts are wired in series between a (fused) +12V source and the input to the transmission. It is the most basic and simple setup that I think works pretty good (with one exception......see below):

1) When accelerating, the lock-up does not (cannot) occur until you are in 4th gear.
2) If you desire to kick-it down to a lower gear for passing, as soon as the trans downshifts from 4th the TCC unlocks.
3) When hitting the brakes, the TCC immediately unlocks.

I've been driving the car for 10 years with this setup and it has been completely transparent to the driving experience.

The only shortcoming with this system is that when "leaning" on the throttle for mild acceleration in 4th, the TCC remains locked. Normally on a low-compression 2bbl 350 (like I currently have) that's not a problem since no huge amount of torque is being transferred through the TCC clutch, but on a high-performance engine this could result in slip (the TCC clutch is rather small and not designed to carry the full TQ capability of a powerful engine). So an improvement would be to install a vacuum switch that opens below a certain vacuum level, that would cause the TCC to unlock when you "lean" on the throttle (resuling in a drop of vacuum and opening the switch). After my SBO rebuild, I'll need to add that vacuum switch.

Beyond that, you really don't need anything more complicated. True, there is no significant delay between upshifting to 4th and the TCC locking, but who cares? If you are at WOT (or even just any agressive application of throttle), a vacuum switch is going to be open and will prevent the TCC from locking when shifting into 4th until you lift and vacuum climbs again (there's your delay). If you want to add manual control of the TCC lockup, simply add a switch in series with all the other switches.