1990 cavalier 2.2 3 speed auto but custom boosted t3-super 60 pushing around 200whp or so....

thinking about re-building the trans into something stronger, as right now when it sees boost, between 1st and 2nd.. or heck whatever gear "changing" it does it seems sluggish.. basicly like the new nissans between 1st and 2nd its seamless and you can't feel any gear shifting but on the same coin the rpm doesn't change all teh way from I'd say 25-50.. wierd so I'm thinking on rebuilding it, Question is this, can I build this thing to support more power than what I currently have? I do not want anymore shift kids as they are @!#$ty and do not work, I want to be able to feel the shifting and suport the power.. the trans itself I'd say it has about 135K on it but has been very well taken care of.

any help would be peachy. thanks


**changes are here**

Yea you can have it built. I had a built one laying in my garage for awhile before someone offered me an offer I couldn't refuse and sold it. These three speeds are strong little slush boxes. When you tear into the tranny you need to also look at it this way, not only doe sit control your power to the ground but with the right gearing you can speed up the rpms with a more advantageous gear ratio since this tranny was made for fuel mileage and not brute force.

Just building an auto tranny the right way isn't for the faint of heart it's tedious and expensive whether you do it yourself or you pay a good tranny shop.

well thats good news.. at least there is hope right?


**changes are here**

There is hope. You just have to be patient.

The TH125C/3T40s are very durable and can be built to be much quicker. This fist link to Event's 3 Speed Auto, Finally Done and Finally Installed give quite a bit of good information, even though the pictures are no longer available. Stock Torque Converters, 3 Speed Gears and More will link you to a listing for parts available for these transmissions. The type of fluid you use can have an effect on how the tranny shifts also. I tried synthetics, but they caused more slippage, though they are supposed to be better for wear resistance. I tried B&M's Original TrickShift and have had no complants with it. TrickShift reduces wear, by reducing the amount of slipage, which also firms up and slighty quickens the shift. It firmed up the shifts considerably over the synthetics. Being your boosted, I would recommend you rebuild with the Alto/Red Eagle Master Kit for best results.

^^sweet info^^ I've read a few articles from your past post by doing a search, to purchase the alto/red egle mast kit I did a google search and came up with one of these. http://www.transmissioncenter.net/alto_red_eagle_power_packs.htm now, keep in mind I didn't find anything on the website regarding our 3 speeds.

possibly scratch that.. I found this http://www.altousa.com/friction.htm

obviously I'm not transmission savy so I probebly would have someone do this for me. what type of kit should I ask for just a high performance rebuild master kit from them? and tell them my application and exactly what my goals are.. then I would take it to a transmission shop and have them install this correct? I will NOT take it to aamco those places are like jiffy lube for transmissions in my opinion.


**changes are here**

1985-ON TH-125C Alto Part # 048903HP This is a full rebuild kit that comes with the Red Eagle Frictions and the Kolene Steels. The shift kits available anymore aren't "performance" shift kits, but rather a shift improver or correction package. When I had the kit installed in mine, it did significantly firm up the 1-2 shift. It did this by reducing the band gap around the 2nd gear drum.The kits also have better valves for quicker shifts. Now if there was a kit that has the assortment of governor springs, so we could adjust the shift points (note: not sure, but the TH200 might use the same springs).

Can anybody direct me to a good video or source for rebuilding my '96 3 spd. auto trans.?

Do I need any special tools? I'd really like to learn how to rebuild one of these.

This is a good start:Haynes General Motors Automatic Transmission Overhaul Techbook . I found it at my local autoparts store. Autos aren't as easy as a manual, but it can be done with hand tools, thoughthere are a couple of specialty tools that make it easier.