After experiencing the rough shifts going from 1>2 and 2>3 I took my 02 SSEi to a couple tranny places to get estimates on repairs. The first guy hooked up a scanner and we took it for a long ride and he told me it needed a rebuild which would be $1500. I am located in NE South Dakota and my tranny shop options are very limited, but I did get recommendations from a couple motorheads I know about a guy 45 miles away. I took it to him and he drove it and said it would be $900 or so for him to rebuild it. I have read a considerable amount on this forum since the rebuild, unfortunately I obviously had not read enough before the rebuild. I also did not know what codes were getting generated, but I do know now that it is the infamous p1811. Trying to keep this long story short, I had him do the rebuild. This problem had always been somewhat intermittant, so when the rough shifts didn't happen after the first couple trips I was hopeful but not convinced. Sure enough it has come back (although the rough shifts are now MUCH smoother. Part of the reason I went with this guy'* work was of course the price, the recommendations but also he said he'd warranty it for 12 months unlimited mileage, the first shop said 12,000. I drive 28 - 35k a year so the unlimited was a big thing to me. Anyway, problem is back and I stopped in there and he says bring it back in and I mentioned the Pressure Control Solenoid and Rebuild kit I've since read so much about on this forum. He kinda heehawed that and when I mentioned the shift kit for the accumulator he perked up and said he thought that was probably where the problem was. Then he mentioned putting in pinless pistons rather than the shift kit. I have read a lot of stuff on here, but never seen any mention of the pinless piston for this tranny. My question to you guys is - is my tranny guy on something or onto something? Is this an option for the 4T65E?
Also, want to say THANKS to all the great contibuters for all the super info available on this forum. I may get 300k out of this Bonnie yet.

I'm far from a expert on trannys, but I have never heard of a pinless pistons. Personally I feel cleaning up the cylinder walls, replacing the O rings and adding the spacers from a shift kit will correct your problem. We have a gearhead here, spg358, he'* our site transmission expert.

Thanks, hopefully he'll chime in here at some point. I am hoping to bring it back to the guy next week.
Dan, I've seen your write-up on making your own spacers. What would be an application where a person would use that pipe/tube that you showed? I've seen someone say they got it at Lowe'* - that'* 200 miles for me. I've checked a couple places here and my neighbor who'* a machinist suggested getting it made at an aluminum shop. Seems like you guys are using something much more common than that.

Do you have like a home depot or menards, farm and fleet, something like that. just ask for a seamless tube with the detentions I have listed.

I've never heard of pinless pistons either. Nor do I understand what they'd accomplish. If you don't hear from our expert soon, look up TripleEdgePerformance.com and give Dave a call. Great guy, been building transmissions his whole life. If it'* available for the 4T65E, he'* heard of it.

I agree with Dan and as of yet, I haven't heard of pinless pistons. I understand why someone would want them as the pin bore in the piston usually wears and allows a loss of accumulator oil. So when you have the accumulator pistons out, make sure that the pin does not wobble in the bore of the piston.

I just checked and Sonnax does offer pinless pistons for a 700R/4L60/4L60E, but I didn't see anything listed for 4T65E.

Thanks for all the feedback. I talked to the tranny guy this morning and he said he did not find pinless pistons for the 4T65E either, so at least we all on the same page there. I am bringing it back to him Monday and will bring the shift kit spacers I made along, he'* already said he will take care of getting this fixed at no additional charge. He did tell me they the were in the accumulator and replaced the o-rings when he did the refurb, so, by all the other tranny strings I've read here this could end up being the PCS when it'* all said and done. We'll try the spacers first.