interceptor help

[technocoy]

has anyone installed the interceptor from tones site? sorry to keep bugging you guys, but i just got my baby and i'm not in "the know" with alot of things VX, all help is appreciated... also, is it normal for the VX to sometime have a pretty heavy shift into gear? sometime it seems to shift pretty hard. (i've only ever owned five speeds) thanks again guys. I was just wondering if the interceptor makes a big improvement in the transmission shifts...

technocoy

[Moncha]

Can you better define "Shifts Hard"? Up or down shifts? Which gears? How many miles?

The Interceptor helps smooth out the shifts depending on your settings. One will allow you to increase line pressure making your tranny shift more quickly and with less clutch slippage. To me, it makes the shift feel smoother and less noticable.
The other adjustment allows you to increase the time delay before the torque converter locks up. Albeit, it's not a very long delay increase but it does just the same.

I love mine only for the fact that a appreciate the crisper shifting that it allows.

There'll be more to come as the others chime in...

[technocoy]

it has 32,000 mi on it, it seems to be more on the downshifts than anything, but it does do it on occasion on the upshift... i've been told that it just a really beefy tranny, but i just wanted to get the opinions of fellow VX drivers, since this vehicle is so unique and only a fellow owner can know about these things!

i like the idea of quicker and more seamless shifts.

thanks guys,
technocoy

[AlaskaVX]

Spazz what did you set yours at? just curious since I set mine to around 20-25% and I am getting hard shifts if driving slow/in traffic.

[Hotsauce]

I am also at 20-25%. On initial installation I was at 45-50%, which is what I had read that others were using. On my tranny this was way too hard. I eventualy tweaked it down to this level. Occationally it does clunk a little on the 1-2 shift, especially downshifting at slow speeds. I think everyone has agreed that delay is best at max.

John C.

[technocoy]

i guess my inititial post was a bit misleading... i have not installed the interceptor yet. i was mostly wondering if you guys were really enjoying the difference in your VX, and if it seemed to smooth out some of the shifts.

thanks,
technocoy

[paultvx]

Originally posted by Moncha
Can you better define "Shifts Hard"? Up or down shifts? Which gears? How many miles?

The Interceptor helps smooth out the shifts depending on your settings. One will allow you to increase line pressure making your tranny shift more quickly and with less clutch slippage. To me, it makes the shift feel smoother and less noticable.
The other adjustment allows you to increase the time delay before the torque converter locks up. Albeit, it's not a very long delay increase but it does just the same.

I love mine only for the fact that a appreciate the crisper shifting that it allows.

There'll be more to come as the others chime in...

I don't know about it "smoothing" the shifts. I've got mine in for about a month now... while shifts are smoother at highway and normal speeds... low speed shifts are extremely harsh. Almost to the point of being annoying. For example, making a left hand turn at 15 mph and then heading up a steep hill after the turn... if I am not careful to apply gas very slowly the tranny will shift with a loud clunk and then pick up speed up the hill. It's almost as if the delay is too long and the tranny is carrying too much force as it shifts into the next gear. On steep inclines, the truck is still a pig... unless I apply more gas to force a downshift... which is almost always harsh and then it ends up accelerating too fast but as soon as I let off the gas slightly, it goes back up a gear and lugs along. I can't say I'm 100% satisfied. Might end up ripping it out. Settings are set as recommended. Full delay and 25% pressure increase. Might be better off manually shifting the auto.

The only thing the Interceptor has made more apparent is that the VX should have come with an SC or with at least 40 HP more. As is, it's grossly underpowered for hilly terrain. I'm hoping the Interceptor will behave with the additon of a SC... assuming the power increase will keep the tranny from hunting gears at low speeds since there's more power to keep the vehicle's speed constant.

[Moncha]

Paul, maybe you still need to back off the adjustment on the Interceptor a little. You shouldn't get any slamming of gears on shifts..
On the shifting on hilly terrain, are you talking paved or off road?
I notice no problems on either. I also don't have the hunting for gears problem.. Actually, just yesterday I was up in the mountains scoping "Jeep Trails" and never had it looking for a gear it would downshift to a good gear then stay put unless I gave it more input with out bogging. I never once had to put it into 4-low as TOD handled everything very well.

[paultvx]

Paved. Which adjustment should I work on? Line pressure or delay?

[Moncha]

Line pressure.. When the last time you had the tranny serviced and how many miles??
I have mine set about 40-50% according to the dashpot and mine doesn't do any of the things you mention and does not shift hard at all. Just firm which I like.

[paultvx]

The tranny has never been serviced. Only 13k miles on the odometer. Right now the interceptor is set at full delay, 25% line pressure. According to Tone 20% to 30% is what the 2001 VXs can take for line pressure because stock pressure is higher than the '00 and '99. The harsh shifts are only occur at low speeds on steep hills where there is a lot of load on the drivetrain... or transition from level to steep at low speeds and with slightly more accelerator input... like heading up hill, add gas, kabam, shift and off we go.

[AlaskaVX]

Hey paultvx, I'm in the same boat as you. I know excactly what you are talking about and I think the both of us need to back the line preasure down to maybe 15% It just gets more and more annoying, I have had mine on for about a month and a half now. I just haven't had it cool enough to adjust when I think of it.

Sorry Technocoy, I really don't know if it would help or not, maybe have someone that has the interceptor installed, drive your car to see if it would help in your case.

[paultvx]

Sigh... I guess. What a pain. I'll be lucky if I can even fit a couple fingers in there. Gotta fix the power windows too before the motors burn. Ugh!

[Dallas4u]

OTT (Off This Topic): Paul, I thought you had a '99 Silver VX?

[paultvx]

Nope. '01 Dragon Green.