Hey guys, after doing lots of reading on the Patrol forums I went to Jaycar today and bought a couple of different resistors. 860 ohm 10W x 2 and a 4700 ohm in 5 W, pcb and various other bits for my adjustable shift quality project. Resistors were around 85c each I undid the splash guard on the front passenger side by the mudflap and located the stepping resistor plug from the auto loom. I unplugged it from the standard OEM resistor approx 12 ohm and plugged in my two 860 OHM resistors in series giving me a total of 1720 ohms with 20w total. Taped them up with electrical tape so and stowed them securely back in the guard, Did everything up and went for a drive Well, just got back home and cant stop smiling . The difference in shifting quality is awesome. The shift points are pretty much the same and dependent on the throttle position but man , the car changes gears almost instantly now , almost like my mums dsg audi. In a straight line it goes through the gears very quick at 14-15 psi on the ebc. Kickdown is quicker too and also when you manually shift the gears it is nearly instant response with no delay. :br: compared to stock where it takes nearly a second to change gear sometimes. And this is on the low resistor value of 1720 ohms. I have bought a blank pcb so I can run a switch inside which will switch from 1720 ohms (excellent quality shift for normal driving) to 4700 ohms ( super quick but harsh shift for straight line drag runs - upcoming) Installed a trans cooler tonight too and getting the auto trans shop to plumb it tomorrow with the trans service it is booked in for. Getting tuned on Sunday by Toshi, 14psi on low and hopefully 17psi on high. All good in Zed world, love cheap mods :zlove:
Yea, yea, I have a manual but still, massive kudos for taking such an initiative. Two questions, faster shifts and increased line pressure... means things are working harder, possibly more then they were designed for, any idea on long term effects? Second, could this mod be applied to any Auto? (to a car around the same age ofcourse, I doubt a more modern car would be so easy to mod like this) MoulaZX
I read the patrol forum link that was put up a few days ago. looked interesting. Thanks for taking the initiative and trying it out.
Basically the resistor is altering the signal to the line pressure solenoid in the box. The higher the resistance the more line pressure in the box - very similar effect to a shift kit stage 2. Factory resistance is around 12 ohms. 100 - 500 ohms is tightening up the factory shift, 1000 ohms plus makes it punch through gears like a shift kit. Running no resistor is running an open circuit and would be the max line pressure possible. The trans cooler is also cheap insurance. Re the longevity of the box, running more line pressure is not a bad thing and if you read posts on shift kits etc, can actually be good for the box. Reading the patrol forums ( they run a similar if not the same box as us) has opened my eyes to this, they need constant drive offroad and this mod is infinitely tuneable with near unlimited resistor values available. I will be getting a replacement set of solenoids for the box from the states soon, need to see what the auto shop says tomorrow when they test the line pressures. Then I will work on a dash or console mounted rotary dial which will let me dial in the pressure in say 4 settings, stock shift, good shift, excellent and light speed . This weekend will be making a two setting switch, street and drag . The car tonight would have been punching through the gears around 0.5 sec quicker then normal. Looking forward to trying the 4700 ohm resistor which is a popular choice for patrols - hard but instant shifting. Perfect for a straight line.:br: This would apply to most nissan boxes that use a stepping resistor on the box (180sx, skylines, patrols lots of em) I read about a 180sx running an open circuit (no resistor) and it was very loose haha. Will put some pics up when I have made more progress
Hi mate, same effect as a shift kit , increased line pressure can be a good thing for them And yes, a similar method is used for XR6 turbos, and other nissans.. Patrols upto the 2004? used this method for line pressure, after that it was controlled by a PCM frequency (which the enthusiasts have nearly cracked too lol) In the states for late 80's chevys too (read about a camaro that had it today) Still reading to see about other brands, and how I can best make a rotary dial on the dash to dial in the pressure as needed stock to street to track to drag
Subaru guy's are into this aswell i simply disconected the resister to test this out , and while it did give a little more line pressue than the power button , it doesn't address shift timing at all , a proper shift kit will yeild considerably more line pressure aswell as reducing overlap on the changes.
Here you go , first post by Chaz, he is the brains http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/nissan-patrol-gu-gr-10/line-pressure-solenoid-dropping-resistor-35866/ The zed is lighter then a patrol so its a matter of trying out different resistors Tonight I tried 1720 OHM , and it felt like a tight sports car shift, not a limo smooth shift. This weekend I will try the 4700 ohm resistor as in the link, thats the highest i will go By the way, this took me 15 mins to plug in, cheap and quick :zlove:
Totally, Mike at MV autos is on holiday till next monday then I am ordering a stage 2 cant wait - but need to check my solenoids too.
Quiker shifts should increase band and clutch pack life in a auto, due to less time slipping (wear) between gears. The masses like there autos silky smooth so thats how manufactures make them.
Any one be able to provide either a link to the resistors required from Jaycar/. Or if anhyone in Adelaide has a spare minute and couple of dollars could I please send you the money for the resistors and shipping as I live in Ceduna? Please PM cheers!
stepping resistor This was an interesting thread. I noticed that some Auto Transmission Z32 have a small switch on the T-Bar faceplate centre console. Hi-Lo shift. My Auspec NA does not have this. Is this a J-spec feature? I have a button on Celica which switches from Normal Mode (slower shift at slower rev points) to Sport Mode (quicker shift at higher rev points). I always kept it on Sport because the Auto seemed to hunt around and hesitate when in Normal mode. If not a Jspec option, I am wondering whether you are adding a feature that was present in later models of Z32 Auto Transmission. I know about the HKS line controller to improve shift speed and I have also heard about the shift kit mods. There is another one that isn't talked about. http://ess-racing.com/home.htm
Hi there, Since taking the car to the drags at Willowbank in May I have just been running it with the resistor unplugged so full line pressure. I have gotten used to the shifting, it shifts hard and instantly into each gear. Great on a power run through the gears. Warning though - I do run a LARGE Aftermarket trans cooler and have double hose clamps on all my trans cooler lines. Not that that makes a difference to this mod, just helps the trans with longevity and on the drags.
Sounds like removing the resistor doesn't do any immediate damage, so testing a wire wound potentiometer across the resistor contact points will provide a solution that can allow adjustment wired into the cabin. Have you considered this as a convenient and cheap way to transition from lazy road use to race shifting? It would be variable, like turning a knob.
