Paul,

Remember this: The governor is the "speedometer" to the valve body. It generates about 1 psi per MPH of road speed. So, if you're at a stop sign standing still, you should have 0 psi governor pressure. If you are doing 30 mph, you should have about 30 psi governor pressure.

All transmissions aren't EXACTLY 1 psi per 1 mph, but the idea to remember is that they are ALL proportional to road speed. If you have a governor with a pressure curve that's made for a low rear end gear, say a 4:11 or 4:56 and you're running a 3:08, you will have to go awfully fast to get a 1-2 shift.

Assuming the governor pressure curve is somewhere near close to being right, throttle pressure OPPOSES governor pressure. If you have too much throttle (TV) valve pressure, you will have to create a lot of governor pressure to overcome it and make the shift valve move.

This is really hard to describe in words, but think of it this way" The 1-2 shift valve has a 15 lb. spring on it. On the spring end of the shift valve is TV pressure. On the opposite end of the shift valve is governor pressure. In an oil schematic, governor pressure is blue and TV pressure is yellow.

With ZERO TV pressure, it will take 15 psi of governor pressure to overcome the 15 lb spring and stroke the 1-2 shift valve to make a 1-2 shift. Make sense? -HOWEVER- If the driver gives the vehicle a little throttle, say 15 psi of TV pressure, now the governor pressure has to rise to overcome the 15 pound spring PLUS an additional 15 psi of TV pressure for a total of 30 pounds, or 30 psi of governor pressure to make the 1-2 shift valve move. (actually 31 psi)

This is why a transmission shifts later and later as you give it more and more throttle. It's the TV pressure going up. There's no other way the transmission can know what the driver is doing. It's all in the TV cable, it's adjustment, and having the proper geometry at the carb/throttle body.

I hope it's clear as mud now. :-) Good luck!

Larry Bloodworth
Technical Information Specialist/Technician
Tanner Transmissions
Draper, Utah, USA