Hey, thanks for following up Brian. My 85 setup is slightly different apparently from yours. I think that although I have a 722.416 transmission, that my vac setup is like this one: www.ultrahot.com/vacuum/722_vacuum_func.jpg

Per your questions ...

I am talking about the VA (Amplifier, big blue thing). I disconnected the vac supply line (the one on the top NOT going to the tranny). I attached a Mityvac to the line; no T. It was sucking really inconsistently, sometimes no more than 10", then sometimes it would trickle up over time to 20"ish. Weird part is if I slightly pulled on the throttle, the needle on my Mityvac would jerk down to 10". I think I have read somewhere that the VA should be getting full vac at that point. Also maybe weird: with the vac supply line disconnected, there was vacuum on the VA vac inlet too (where the disconnected hose would attach on top). I wish I knew is this was normal.

As we have discussed, I am getting late shifts. My thinking is that the constant pressure to the tranny is ok, but that my VA isnt working right due to either bad boost signal or bad supply vac. The problem is I have an incomplete understanding of vacuum specs on this system. So ...

1) What should the supply vac be to VA? And should it tick down with throttle rev?
2) What is proper boost pressure while underway? (yet to test this; I have to get a T of some sort)
3) And how the heck does my VCV send a signal to the VA in my system. There's a switch over valve of some sort (see jpg).

Never ending problem. I am going send KingCake (and cash!!!!??) to whoever solves it, and I'm not even from New Orleans.