I have a 96 2wd auto truck everything works great truck has 190k on it shifts great etc and is 100% stock ..

my question is I tow our camper and or atv's around 5000#'s or less I'm sure. The truck is kinda doggy in the mountains where we ride going thru towns and what not, seems that the converter stall is just a little to high for my liking when towing??

I am thinking of putting a converter in it but don't want to put a super high dollar one made for big hp and tq seems like a waste of money to me?? I also would like to mod the valve body with what ever parts are needed/recommended for my type of driving or power.

possibly I will rebuild the trans but not sure if this is necessary beings it works great and does not seem to slip.
when I got the truck at 170K from the original owner (relative) he had never as much as changed the trans fluid even once or adj the bands
so I did that and the bands did not seem to need much at all I was surprised..

my honest plans are with the truck is to keep the oem air box and a stock exhaust or atleast something quiet so it is nice when the family and I use it, I would like to possible bump the power a touch maybe a #12 plate or just slide the stock one forward?? a 3k spring or adjust the stock one? and do the timing.

I don't want a loud truck or one that smokes just a good truck for towing and using for family vacations I think the truck makes 420 ft lbs tq stock? I would think 500 ft lbs tq and a better converter would be a awesome all around truck?

I'm not sure if I'm on the right track here? any advise would be appreciated

basically I'm looking for what is actually needed not looking to build a drag truck I also drive extremely conservative hence probably why the trans is still running

ok sorry for the long book here if you guys can steer me in the right direction that would be great.. mainly looking to beef up the tranny before I do anything, to the truck it might not need more power once the converter puts the power to the wheels?? but want to build it to accept a extra 80 ft lbs of tq if im going to buy a converter

thanks Mike

 

It always starts out this way ... a lil here a lil there ...LOL....

get a tripple disc converter with a low stall and you will be happy .... they can stall from 1350 to 1500 and they are real nice to drive ... usually we upgrade the Valve Body also to complement the new TC .... and help it to shift better than the stock POS VB ....

 

would the transgo shift kit work? that seems way cheaper than the valve body

 

The issue with a shift kit .... Not everything in the factory valve body is able to take the increased pressures and operating stress that the shift kit has to offer .... And the factory valve body stock is really inadequate to begin with ...

I bought a valve body from suncoast ... Extreme diesel has them for sale around 295 and then A 200 dollar core .... Cheep , easy and its a simple bolt I.