What is so wrong with a 700R4 Tranny????

I run one, it goes 70mph at 3000 rpm with 4:10 gears and 29 inch tall rear tires. My buddies truck with a th350 screams down the highway. I chose not to run a lock-up clutch type converter. Seamed to make things less complicated. I do run the "Bowtie Overdrive" TV cable, it's like $125 and worth every penny. Love the trans alot! Good luck

 

I run a 700 behind a 454 and have over 50,000 mi on it without problems. I use a pressure switch for lock up and I adjusted the TV cable by the way I wanted it to shift. I'm running a Holley carb with a special bracket for the correct geometry. The real plus is the mileage. I've gotten 19+ mpg more than once

 

It should be do-able, if maybe a pain in the ass. I know that you can mod a 4L80E To shift manually, with the stick, and no external electronics. It might be possible with a 4L60E, too.

 

I put one in my wifes 55 pickup with a 350 and 3:38 gear,motors down the road and gets 18 mpg.

 

I have a 4L60E behind a SBC hooked to a Halibrand champ w/ 3;73 gears , and 30.5 in. tall tires . It goes down the road at 2100rpm at 70 mph all day long . Great trans for those who like roadtrips .

 

Putting an R4 behind my '69 small block. Here's the brackets I'm using

Edelbrock - 8036 to hold the stock-style TV cable
Summit - 700203 TV corrector at carb

I contacted Bowtie OD (tvmadeeasy) 3 times over the last month and a half and never heard back! If they won't even respond to a sales contact, they are not going to have good tech after the install!

Already running lockup power through the brake switch and then an override switch (on normal, off to prevent lockup in the city, on for towing in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th). Going to add the vacuum switch just to make things more complicated.

 

I have a few 700's how can I tell what year they are so I do not use an early one?

 

Count input shaft splines... you want 30 splines

Look at passenger side of case - rear. just above pan there is a flat spot, should be numbers - letters there. First number will indicate year, although GM used a 9 in 1981.

Look near servo cover on passenger side.. are there some pressure ports with plugs in them? These were deleted in 1989 running year. Some 1989 have the plugs , some do not

Look at cooler fittins area.. is there a cast in line that looks like a rainbow shape? Rainbow cast line indicates late 1986 and newer... the line was deleted in 1991 or 92... the missing pressure ports indicate newer than 1990 ..

Gets a little confusing

 

With the 700 you get the best of both worlds. Great acceleration/throttle response and great highway mileage. The lockup converter adds highway cruising efficiency and creates less heat. They are larger, more complex, and more expensive than the TH350 and are worth it all of it. That's why GM developed them.
My favorite off topic car runs one from a 93 Z28. It was dubbed the 4L60, essentially it's a 700R4. 93 was the only year that the 4L60 used a TV cable. I had it rebuilt with some performance internals. The rebuilder converted the throttle body to a hydrolic lockup torque converter clutch, this completely eliminated the need for any electric hook ups. The tcc locks up at 50 mph and feels like a 5th gear when driving.
The date code can be deciphered from number near the pan. I used to have a link but can't find it now. The 88 and later units had an auxilary valve body. Get the latest one that you can find and have it built by an experienced 700 builder.

 

no one ,but bowtie overdrive made a carb plate for mine, with a demon carb.
the tv cable is worth every penny!! im happy with the way it works!!!

 

Very good trans, Put one in my 55 chevy , 355sbc and the 700r4 makes highway cruising 70 mph at about 1900 rpm, too sweet, install the proper 700r4 tv cable bracket on the carb linkage , smooth sailing ,,,,,