Ok, I am a pretty capable shadetree here. Having some serious issues though. Here are my symptoms:

Hard shifts, I mean blood curdling bangs.
Downshifts at wrong times. (takes to long)
Surging idle. I mean 2000 rpm in park.

What is known:
Trans has never been serviced.
Intake manifold gasket leaking.
New battery and no known chargin issues.
No recent electrical work done before onslaught of gremlins.

I do not believe the IM gasket is causing the idle issues. It would just flop around as it has in the past between 800 and 1200. Not a really bad leak. Fixed it once. used cheap gaskets. wont do that agin.

I have the stuff for the trans service. Why would that cause the 2000 rpm idle? This all happened at once.

Your brains are appreciated.

Thanks