Level 10 or Stage 1 Shift Kit

[Weebitob]

I currently do not own an SVX but I hope to get one soon (there is one on sale about 1-2 miles away from me and some more from me within a 75 mile radius, Autotrader).

Now there are two choices from what I have seen in order to improve the performance of the existing automatic. One is from Level 10 and the other is from Small Car Performance. Now what Level 10 does, at least from what I have read, is pretty much reengineer the whole thing using Hydrosystems Recalibration, whatever that is if you can help me fill in, I can imagine with technology with the name Hydro in it there should not be.
Now from what they explained it pretty much flattens out all the flaws of the transmission, which they are apparently some for the SVX . And then there is the Shift Kit from Small Car Performance. Now that seems to be basically a computer/ ECU thingy that overrides the transmission in order for faster shifting, I know that I am not exact but I have the gist of it. Now with even though, the site claims its product will solve the whole overheating issue, it still wouldn't hurt to buy a transmission cooler with it. Now I personally like the Level 10 idea of fully modifying it and the fact that their facility is about 45 minutes away from me sounds quite nice too. Then there is the Small Car Performance kit which if their advertisement is correct delivers the same performance as the Hydromajig but at a price tag at about $558.05 less.

From your experience and technical knowhow, which one do you think is the better or much better bang for your buck product?

Forgot here are the links for the two mods if you do not know them already.

Level 10:

info: http://www.levelten.com/hydrosystem_import.htm

price: http://www.levelten.com/store/import...ges/subaru.htm

Small Car Performance:

price/info: http://www.smallcar.com/svx/tsk.htm

[lee]

the level 10 mod you're talking about is a opening up of the passages inside the valve body to flow more fluid (inherently allows a change to shift characteristics - and claims of cooler running).

the small car mod is effectively a change to the voltage seen by the transmission control unit (based on manifold vacuum), which in turn controls the pressure coming from the pump - for crisper shifting.

I personally have no experience with either, but I would think the level 10 solution to be the more elegant.

IMHO it would be even more interesting if Level 10 offered a manual valve body conversion (like I had on my MOPAR 727B Torqueflight some 30+ years ago) yielding positive control over gear selection regardless of speed/throttle position.

[Weebitob]

So you are saying that it is still a good idea to buy the Transmission Cooler for the Level 10 tweaked tranny as well?

[lee]

It's just my opinion, but I think a transmission fluid cooler is recommended for any automatic - on the ones less stressed a thermostatically controlled cooler can be used.

[cbx-man]

I have had the Level 10 valve body modifications done to mine. It is on my second tranny ( 1st was replaced @32K) and around 50K, I could no longer use the "Power" mode without overheating the tranny. When it overheated, the seals would expand and allow fluid to slip past and give the "slipping" action: car wouldn't move until revs reached 1000 RPM+ and then it would start moving with a *clunk* and lurch.

After babying it for a year or so, I sent the valve body off to be re-worked and the tranny has been great ever since (120K and counting). No overheating, and no slipping!

So... $700ish vs $50 only you can decide.

But isn't it like taking a pain pill? Are you only treating the symptom or fixing the problem?