The gauge I ordered should arrive tomorrow or so. What I have done is tried more road testing and here is where I'm at. If I have the engine off, I can open the throttle wot and side step it to let the spring fling it back and when I start it up it will start shifting perfectly. If I give it say 50% throttle and get up to speed it shifts as expected, but when I come to a stop and go again it will not upshift until rpms are at the same point it was the previous run. I can repeat this, each time increasing my throttle/acceleration and it will shift as expected until I then try and accelerate slower than the fastest I accelerated where it will not upshift.
I am thinking that something is stuck to where the tv can be pulled but will not release. I can reset it by turning the engine off and flinging the throttle back. I've looked up tv valve sticking and there is not much info out there on its cause or definitive solution. The only fix I have seen is a little spring that goes in the tv piston assembly in the valve body.
To remove the valve body, should I remove the transmission, or can I do it with the trans in position? And Nick, with your Transgo shift kit recommondation, can I install part of it to cure this without the rest of the kit? I am not looking for harsh shifts on a stock truck that I drive everyday.