Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Freezing the Slushbox. Torque Converter on-demand lockup switch.

Tygen1 · 09-13-2009, 08:51 PM

I've been down this thought process road before. Trying to figure out a cheap way to make a real shifter for a manualmatic. The conclusion I came to was to program an inexpensive PLC so I could use two momentary switches, one for up and one for down. Aranging mechanical switches to work in a sequenced shift patern is way to difficult for the return on your time and money, the PLC is a quick win, but you gotta know how to program them. For me the better option is the MTX. If that is not an option, as has been mentioned, the PLC is the way to go for ease of programing. BTW, it could also be used to kill the injectors and start up a aux. trans fluid pump then turn them off when the motor is restarted. CLICK PLC by Koyo, from AutomationDirect this is the one I setled on...if I were to go that route. The PLC is quick, elegant and relativily easy and you can do it from your home.
To the issue of neutral. Most ATX's still use some sort of mechanical linkage to force the trans into neautral, there is also a sequence for the shift solenoids to be set in, but that is often secondary to the mechanical linkage, I supose for safety's sake... Again, if you are using the PLC and you wanted to EOC or just coast while using the manual shifter, just kick you auto shifter in neautral, even if you in top gear on the manual shifter and it ought to go into neatral, then switch off your box and let the cars' pcm match up the gear it likes, etc... That reminds me, if you don't use a "ghost" load/resistor for the PCM to think it still has control of your trans while you are manualy shifting it, when you switch you box off you will be in limp mode. Don't want that to happen at a high speed....
Also, remember the risk you are taking by shifting yourshelf. If you acidently shift from 4th to 1st, you could kill your trans, etc... My trans does act a bit funny after I've use the manual shifting box for even a short while. I think becuase there is no slipping between gears (the solenoids when manual shift hit hard between each gear) that may cause some harm, but I really don't know???

Hope this helps...

09-13-2009, 08:51 PM	#53 (permalink)
Tygen1 Master EcoModder Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: South Jersey Posts: 553 Little Blue - '98 Ford Escort ZX2 Cool Team ZX2 90 day: 44.75 mpg (US) Big Red - '00 Ford Excursion XLT 90 day: 15.53 mpg (US) Thanks: 5 Thanked 45 Times in 29 Posts	I've been down this thought process road before. Trying to figure out a cheap way to make a real shifter for a manualmatic. The conclusion I came to was to program an inexpensive PLC so I could use two momentary switches, one for up and one for down. Aranging mechanical switches to work in a sequenced shift patern is way to difficult for the return on your time and money, the PLC is a quick win, but you gotta know how to program them. For me the better option is the MTX. If that is not an option, as has been mentioned, the PLC is the way to go for ease of programing. BTW, it could also be used to kill the injectors and start up a aux. trans fluid pump then turn them off when the motor is restarted. CLICK PLC by Koyo, from AutomationDirect this is the one I setled on...if I were to go that route. The PLC is quick, elegant and relativily easy and you can do it from your home. To the issue of neutral. Most ATX's still use some sort of mechanical linkage to force the trans into neautral, there is also a sequence for the shift solenoids to be set in, but that is often secondary to the mechanical linkage, I supose for safety's sake... Again, if you are using the PLC and you wanted to EOC or just coast while using the manual shifter, just kick you auto shifter in neautral, even if you in top gear on the manual shifter and it ought to go into neatral, then switch off your box and let the cars' pcm match up the gear it likes, etc... That reminds me, if you don't use a "ghost" load/resistor for the PCM to think it still has control of your trans while you are manualy shifting it, when you switch you box off you will be in limp mode. Don't want that to happen at a high speed.... Also, remember the risk you are taking by shifting yourshelf. If you acidently shift from 4th to 1st, you could kill your trans, etc... My trans does act a bit funny after I've use the manual shifting box for even a short while. I think becuase there is no slipping between gears (the solenoids when manual shift hit hard between each gear) that may cause some harm, but I really don't know??? Hope this helps... __________________