A friend of mine wants a full manual valve body in his '85 dedicated track car. Someone told him he can't retain OD with such a set-up but that sounds like bullshit to me. What's the story?

I agree with how that sounds. When I had my million dollar rebuild, I was asked if I wanted manual shift or not. I said "No" and they looked at me like I had two heads. I can't imagine they were asking me to give up the OD. As it is, my trans shifts when I move the lever if the revs are above the stock shift points, but it shifts for itself if left in 3rd or OD. That's the best of both worlds, for me. For the technical and definitive answer, I have to refer you to the expert. I'll be interested in PeteK's reply.

RACE ON!!!

We're running a CPT 700R4 with a Full Manual Valve body in our 72 (fathers vette.) He still retains Overdrive AND is also running a lockup converter; no problems at all. A builder who knows what hes doing should have no problem making the conversion.

Beware: Dear old dad loves his manual valve body, but the few times i drove the car I found it to be a PITA.

DG

The trans shop owner that installed my converter asked me if I were going to do a manual valve body. I told him no, I liked my shift kit and would play with the governor after my intake swap to change automatic shift points. I asked him all about it tho, and he told me all gears are still usable, and that you can get a "normal" or "reverse" pattern valve body. He said with the reverse pattern that first gear is right below neutral, then 2nd, etc. Sounds cool but I want mine to shift automatically at 6200 or so at wot, I don't want to do the shifting.

Hey CFI, what wattage is that avatar? Every time you post my light bill goes up. Have you considered fluorescent?

Quote:THAT IS FUNNY!!! I'll see of I can find a CFL to fit in there. Here goes another kilowatt.

RACE ON!!!

Biggest disadvantage for full manual VB is that all of them (at least what
I know of) will delete TV cable and you'll have full pressure all the time.
That is good for shifting, but not so good for seals.

That is why I decided to use stock VB modified to work as a full manual.
That way I keep TV system. This way however, you don't get reverse
pattern which is more logical to use with manual shifting, especially
with ratchet shifter.

Another good point,

I would not advise this mod without a ratchet shifter. You could potentially damage the car, or worse, crash. My friend has an LS1 GTO he insists on doing this mod to with the stock shifter. I tried to tell him of the dangers; refuses to listen. Hopefully he won't get shifter happy and pull the stick a little to hard.

DG