Another Torque converter engagement question

[tahiti350]

I just bought a '92 L Wagon that turned out to have a bad pinion shaft bearing, so I only drove it once before swapping the trans out, but was watching th eshifts,a nd thing the problem I'm having was there then.

To give the background: Bought car minus TPS, IAC, MAP sensor, and O2 sensor, along with brakes half shafts, etc. I put everything back using used parts, and for the TPS matched the paint marks on the TPS and the TPS mount (I know that's only good for the original TPS). Car seems to run really well, new trans shifts good, but 3 to 4 seems to be higher (later) than it should, and the TCC doesn't lock in right away. After driving about 6-7 miles it locked in at 60 mph and stays locked with minor throttle adjustments, but if it downshifts it takes a while before it locks back in. There is no CEL or power light flashing, and everything else seems normal.

Could this be due to the TPS being off or do I have other issues? If so does anyone have the TPS adjustment procedure link available?

Thanks guys,
Gary

[Legacy777]

Gary,

You can adjust/calibrate the TPS with these instructions

http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/s ... sting3.jpg

That may or may not do anything. From your description that sounds pretty normal.

[skid542]

FWIW, I went on a 200 mi. road trip this weekend, one way in my AT SS. There is a 70 mi. stretch that winds it's way along a river on relatively flat ground. Speed limit is 55 and I cruise around 60. It takes a little throttle modulation to maintain speed but I'm never really getting into it. Rarely was I even spooling the turbo down this stretch.

A couple of times I'd notice a change in exhaust note and see that the RPM's rose a little and the TC wasn't locked. It wasn't in third but it wasn't locked into fourth. It'd stay that way for 5 min. or so and then lock back up. I couldn't notice any particular pattern to this as I wasn't consistently getting into the throttle hard so I'm not 100% sure why it felt the need to unlock the TC.

That said, I did notice that I could usually trick the TC into locking back up by dropping the car into Nuetral and letting it cost a 100yd or so and then drop the car back into D. This usually worked, occasionally it wouldn't. However, nothing seemed to really be affected by this behavior.

On a side note, maybe related or may not be, I know I need to adjust my brake band as the 2-3 shift is slower than it should be. I am not looking forward to monkeying with this and am not sure if this would have any effect on the TC lockup.

[tahiti350]

Thanks for the replies, I'm just basing my info off of what I know from the 2 '90's we've had for a while and how they lock and unlock. One reason I wondered about the TPS adjustment is that if I get to just the edge of cruising before it decell's it seems to lock in better. I'll set the TPS early next week, this week is already to busy...

If it turns out to be "normal" for this car then I'll live with it, but I'm putting it together for my 19 y.o. daughter (in Texas) and want to make sure everything is as right as it can be.

[Buffman]

From what I noticed now in the cold it takes a few minutes to go into D. I thought I read on here the trans has to reach a certain temp for Lockup to happen. I know on my LT1 it's at least 70 degrees for lockup to happen.

I know on the subie mine doesn't lock up for almost 15 minutes because it's all highway driving once I leave work, as I don't have time to let it sit and warm up.

[tahiti350]

That could cause the initial delay I'm seeing, but the not locking back up after an unlock (unlees I'm very light on the throttle) is what I'm really trying to deal with. Thanks again.