2001 Chevy Monte Carlo SS

[Merrillspontiac]

I recently bought an 01 Monte Carlo for wich I thought was a good deal only to discover that it has the lovely pcs issue. What shift kit would be best to cover this up?

[Bing]

You could buy a kit, but why not make it yourself? I followed the instruction in the link for a homemade shift kit. It details all the parts necessary so that you end up with basically the same kit you could buy from a vendor, just a lot cheaper.

This is the one I followed and few other members here have done the same, verses the Trans go shift kit.
http://www.midwest3800.com/forum/kb.php ... icle&k=187

This is my experience with the homemade shift kit.
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 26996.html

[1tinindian]

Why cover it up instead of fixing it correctly?

[bs009]

Why cover it up instead of fixing it correctly?

This.

I'm extremely doubtful that a shift kit will help out at all. It may help it shift firmer, but that's really only during the shifts. Soon enough all of your clutches will burn up because there's not enough line pressure to properly apply them. I would definitely bite the bullet and fix it right the first time. I would also drop the pan and replace the filter as long as your working on it.

It's a pretty involved process of replacing the solenoid but you'll thank yourself for not having to rebuild the transmission in a few thousand miles. Hopefully it hasn't been an issue for too long already.

Just to confirm, what symptoms have you been noticing?

[CMNTMXR57]

I was just gonna say. Fix it first then add a shift kit. Jamming more pressure through isn't gonna help matters any!

[Merrillspontiac]

After driving for awhile on the highway then in stop and go traffic, the trans will whine and shift hard, also shudders when it shifts under wot.

[Hotwheels]

After driving for awhile on the highway then in stop and go traffic, the trans will whine and shift hard, also shudders when it shifts under wot.

Classic symptoms of a PCS failure, and transmission failure if you don't fix it soon. I had a 3.8 Monte Carlo that did the same exact thing...I sat on it for a month or two and before I knew it, the tranny was toast. Clutches burnt up and it would slip bad enough from a start that it would barely move under its own power.

Get it fixed asap, then you can think about a shift kit while you've got it apart.

[Merrillspontiac]

Should I keep or sell it then?

[Bing]

Well, unless you bought the car really cheap, you probably should just fix it. Otherwise the hit you'll have to take to get rid of it might be to great and painful.
It just depends on a few factors, its all up to you.
At this point if the car is in pretty good condition I'd fix the tranny and drive it for a bit.

[CMNTMXR57]

I'd fix it! Seriously. It's a 3800 powered car, spend a little on a trans/trans repair now, drive another 200k on it and get your $$$ out of it.

[94SilverSSEi]

Dump it! You know you'd rather have another Regal and you can still make some money on it. Regal drivetrain (L27 & 4T60) is MORE bulletproof than the Monte.

[Hotwheels]

Don't know what kind of miles or price to give a suggestion one way or the other, but if you're into it cheap (say, $2000?), worst case scenario, you have the tranny rebuilt at the average $1800 that most shops charge, and you've got a little under $4k into a car that's worth $4k.

[Merrillspontiac]

Has 123k on it.

[Hotwheels]

Exactly the mileage my Monte's tranny went, coincidently. At least up here in MN, a nice clean Monte SS of that year/mileage books for $4600-5000, which is on par with what I see on craigslist. If you can afford to swap a salvage yard tranny or get it rebuilt and your total investment in the car comes in at that or less, you're doing well, and it should serve you well for quite a while. As is, I don't see getting much more than $2500, possibly $3k on a good day, selling it with tranny issues.

[Merrillspontiac]

Ive decided to get it rebuilt. Does anyone know if I can use tail light from an 06?

[CMNTMXR57]

I got $5k for our 2003 last May with 130k on the clock.