My T.R.E. Stage II... EDIT: PICS now up in last post

[turboglenn]

Well, in about 3 hours a friend and I got My stage II T.R.E. tranny + quaife LSD diff put in my car. I had to drive clear across town to get the gear oil Jon @ TRE specified, but after getting it, i filled the trans, warmed the car and set out for a test drive. The shifting was VERY VERY notchy at best, almost impossible to get it into 1st and 2nd when i first left the driveway. I went about 3 miles on it and the shifting was quite a bit better by the end of the drive. I really can't whomp on it yet (due to break in procedure to keep the warranty) but the little bit i did get into it i didn't feel like the Quaife was doing it's job ( or i was spinning both tires REALLY easily)

The shifting will take some getting used to, and I'm sure it will break in with a few hundred miles on it. The hard part is going to be keeping from really hitting the gears at full boost to see what it feels like when both tires hook up. I did lay into it in 3rd once to see what it felt like,and with the LSD it almost seemed slower. IT tried to torque steer once , then the diff locked and it just pulled evenly and straight. Again it felt slower than was actually going but, I'm sure it was because i wasn't fighting torque steer.

As soon as i get 4-500 miles on this beast I'll be sure to finish my testing of alcohol and no FMIC after seeing how much i can push on pump + meth alone.

Now that she's back together, expect lots of data logs (especially since the wideband is hooked to the haltech for logging now)

Anyone else have problems with their new built trans shifting when first installed? I trust Jon's work, but still have to wonder why it's SO notchy.

Anyway, just thought I'd update how the car is coming

 

[gsxtasy]

Hey man, my jacks trans was pretty "notchy" at first. I have probably not even 500 miles on it and its MUCH more smooth now. So i wouldn't be too worried about it. What oil did they recommend? I have the mitsu gear oil in mine.

-Aaron

 

[turboglenn]

Mitsu oil was recomended, but he said any oil that was Gl-4 (and not GL-5) would be perfect. I drove to the furthest away NAPA there is to get some. Everyone had GL-5, but i wanted to put in exactly what Jon said to, so i did. IT was shifting quite better on the way home from teh test drive, but with the roads being so cold and traction so scarce, i couldn't tell if i was getting LSD locking up or not. I really want to fell it like we can in our road race cars when we swap them. I hope it;s the same on a FWD as a RWD as far as feel of the "posi-locking" action

We'll see. It was a rough nite getting it all together after having it apart over a week and it being 17 degrees out when we started and it kept getting colder. Overall i'm happy so far, i just want to get ahold of jon to see if it's only high RPM shifting i have to keep away from, or if i can't lay into it WOT in any gear yet.

How long was it before you started beating on yours? Jon told me 500 miles of city driving so i'm going EVERYWHERE this weekend and taking the non-interstate routes

 

[gsxtasy]

I took it easy for 3-400 miles or so. I was just getting the rest of my stuff situated so it wasn't a big deal. I still haven't really beat on it too bad, I've gone WOT a few times, but it definitely shifts better than when i first received it. I remember thinking the same thing...I spent thousands on this?!? But it's worth it in the end, works great now, and will probably just get better.

Dude, i am putting off working on mine, because of this damn weather. Hopefully it will be decent this weekend so i can get to it again. I think I'm gonna run up there to Omaha soon to pick up a new laptop, but not sure when. Spring can't come soon enough!!


-Aaron

 

[turboglenn]

I fell ya bro, we put this trans in outside tonight! It was cold as hell out there. Wires and anything that was rubber or plastic was breaking if you bent it and everything. I ahd to replace 3 wires and one connector (soldering no less) outside in this SH!T. I got my NLTS hooked up, widebnd hooked to teh ECU for logging, alcohol going and everything, NOW i gotta wait on the trans to be able to take it again . My friend has the same transas me but in an AWD, Jon looked his up and except for 5th gear and a center diff we got teh same tranny.. His shifts like a dream at 9 grnd, i can only hope miune breaks in to be as good as his is!

The only thing that's pissed me off is the 0-1v output of my wideband doen't seem to be working, and i'm using it to display the widebands reading on teh J&S knock sensor remote viewing module. but oh well, it could be worse, i just hope this trnany loosens up and teh Quaife starts feeling like a real LSD here some time soon. I know Jon would not rip me or anyone off, so i knwo its got to be a Quaife, i just couldn't get it to really work in 1st or 2nd gear when i would lay into it 1/2 throttle and start spinning one wheel. Any dea on that?

 

[JWoodley]

I installed my TRE II + a few other goodies in the Fall. I now have about 1/2 a tank of gas left to run through the car to get to 1200 miles on the transmission. It shifts like butter. I absolutely love it. Jon does great work. A few 100 more miles and I'll go with some Mitsubishi Diaqueen and be happy. I highly recommend TRE for any tranny work done.

 

[turboglenn]

JWoodley, was yours hard o even get into 1st and 5th and Reverse when you got it? All gears are tough to get into, but those are the worst. Also not feeling the Quaife lock like i'm use to feeling a KAAZ lock. I'm not too impressed with tht yet either, btu i have to wait till i can really put it to the test before i make judgements based on some initial one wheel tire spin at mid throttle

 

[turboglenn]

I guess it does say right on their page "street drivers will have trouble telling it's there until pushing the car's limits." on the page about Diffs, right by the picture of it cut away. So maybe i just have to wait. this is going to be worse than the shipping wait, because now it's at my hands, not out of them I'll play nice for 500 miles i guess. Anyone need me to get them groceries in the nebraska iowa area on saturday morning?

 

[Mikael SS]

I installed my TRE II + a few other goodies in the Fall. I now have about 1/2 a tank of gas left to run through the car to get to 1200 miles on the transmission. It shifts like butter. I absolutely love it. Jon does great work. A few 100 more miles and I'll go with some Mitsubishi Diaqueen and be happy. I highly recommend TRE for any tranny work done.

I've never shifted a butter built transmission. Did shift a porsche turbo trans, they are very smooth and easy.

 

[Module Unknown]

My TRE transmission was very notchy as well when first installed. It made me double, even triple check all my work, but in the end it just took time. The more I drove it, the better it got. I still don't know if that's the way it's supposed to be, especially after hearing everyone's rave reviews on how it should "shift like butter". As I said though, all is well now; feels pretty good, no problems shifting or downshifting, even all the way down to 1st while still moving. Every once in a while I have trouble getting into reverse where I'll need to inch the car forward before I can get into reverse. But really, no big deal.

I also got the Quaife. I'd have to say that thing really shines when turning, not straight line driving. Don't get me wrong, it helps, but the improvement I felt in the turns was so much greater than what I noticed in straight line grip.

 

[slowgsr]

I also got the Quaife. I'd have to say that thing really shines when turning, not straight line driving. Don't get me wrong, it helps, but the improvement I felt in the turns was so much greater than what I noticed in straight line grip.

Bingo!, Thats where you will notice the biggest gain, as well as axle life, with straight line traction.. The LSD helps, but not as much as you would Think it does however help out with axle life tons!

 

[JWoodley]

JWoodley, was yours hard o even get into 1st and 5th and Reverse when you got it? All gears are tough to get into, but those are the worst. Also not feeling the Quaife lock like i'm use to feeling a KAAZ lock. I'm not too impressed with tht yet either, btu i have to wait till i can really put it to the test before i make judgements based on some initial one wheel tire spin at mid throttle

Did you get a new first gear/input shaft? If so the new gears/synchros will need to wear in. I went with the EVO3 first and it was a bit notchy as well as the taller 5th. I've got 1100 or so miles on it now and I'm about to see what she's made of. I had a local shop bleed my clutch and adjust the pedal(i messed it up) and the transmission is the best shifting tranny I've driven. I also have the B&M short throw FWIW.

Were you as fortunate as me to break the speed sensor while installing the tranny? Doh...

 

[turboglenn]

I got the stage II rebuild + some extras for free in trade for things i've done for Jon's father. I've got a slightly taller first ( not GVR4 though) and a stock fifh (with a spare 8% taller on hand to swap if i want)

Things were starting to let me down and then...

I just adjusted the pedal and things got 100times better. I can actually get it into all gears some what easily now. But let me tell you,On a FWD ..T.R.E. + Quaiffe Diff = very good times! I can't beat on it in high RPM yet, so i've taken a few 90* right hand turns onto side streets wide open at low RPM's and the diff locks good enough to chirp the inside tire because it's doing the same speed as the outside tire and the diff's locked. I also did a very low RPMlaunch in my driveway (2300 RPM) but it was just enough to break the tires loose and leave someblack marks for about 2-3 feet and they were perfectly even and the car seemed to launch better even at the low RPM, it just started moving instead of smoking 1 tire, i'm loving it. Oneof the best parts is that teh normal understeering 2g DSM greatly imprioved on throttle turning with nothign other than a diff. I can't wait to put my struts and springs on! I mena it goes where you point it if you're on the gas, "it's a very nice" ( in my best Borat voice)

I recommend Jon's trannys to anyone, and not just because of mine, but i've driven a few that are broken in and they have all been top notch. The stage II is really nice, but even the state I is a great tranny, leaps and bouds ahead of a stocker. I've just never broke in a new trans that's perfectly built for my application none the less, the shifting sucks at first but things start gettign fun fast, even when you can't rev it out

I'm So impressed with all the other TRE trannies i've driven, and now mine is slowly becoming as easy to shift as theirs are and i'm lovin it. I'm getting better traction on cold and wet streets than i ever got on dry pavement with the same tires I just can't say enough good things about this setup on a FWD

 

[absolute_DSM]

( in my best Borat voice)

"I like sex, its nice."

Good to see you FINALLY got that trans in, took you long enough

I dont think the weather likes your car! Looks like youre gonna get some more tonight!

BTW, how bout some pics of this engine bay and the clean tranny? Some DSM porn, if you will.

 

[turboglenn]

i got pics of the trans in, my IC pipingis ugly because the ones i sent to chrome never came back and the shop is out of business. buti got pleny of pics to come. I'll upload late tonight or tomorrow

 

[JayRolla]

Jack has a machine he installs his trannys on and he breaks them in before you even get them. He shifts the tranny hard and at high rpms to make sure its in good shape and shifts smoothly when you get it. Mine is pretty close to butter smooth shifting.

 

[turboglenn]

Jack has a machine he installs his trannys on and he breaks them in before you even get them. He shifts the tranny hard and at high rpms to make sure its in good shape and shifts smoothly when you get it. Mine is pretty close to butter smooth shifting.

Well, mine defeinatley doesn't shift like butter. But then after some investigation last night i found that the bushings through the X and Y axi on the B&M shifter are worn after years of abuse and causing a lot more slop in my shifting than i want. I Will venture to ACE and see if they have the proper shoulder bushings to fix it, If not I'll mill it out for ball bearings for the win! But, all that aside the shifting is still notchy as hell. AS long as it breaks in i don't care for now most have said theres was tight when they got it.

Some one had asked for pics, my engine bay isn't the prettiest, but here's some pics of mainly the trans

The box to prove it's TRE in case of any haters

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In and mounted up ready to roll

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The ultimate form of knock sensing and control J&S safeguard FTMFW!!!!!! If you don't have a factory knock sensor and are on a stand alone, this can be your best friend..Even if you want to get rid of your factory one by unscrewing it and zip tie it in your engine bay or something. This will take over and do a much better job, allow you to dial out noises that could be picked up as "phantom knock" and more... If you're serious about your ride's motor's life, these are almost a must when you're pushing limits. It even pulls cylinders timing individually to let the rest keep making power while one retards!

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This is where my alky injects

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Bottom view of trans installed

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