Anybody running a Gear Vendors OD?

The 4L60 IS the 700. Same transmission, new naming scheme. The 4L60E is the electronic version.

 

I helped put a 350/700R4 in my buddies 56 Nomad. Just added a transmission crossmember (and side motor mounts). I presume you’ve already done that. No clearance problems. I also put a 2004R in an OT 67 Camaro in place of a powerglide. Slid right in, just dealt with the crossmember for the transmission mount.

Just out of curiosity, what you got for rear gears and tire height?

 

Between the 200 and 700 in my personal experience the 200 is a bit more forgiving on tv cable adjustment if you don't quite get it right as long as long as you aren't doing holeshot digs or hauling a gooseneck camper lol. One thing to note is that if you decide to go 2004r make for sure that it is a 2004r as I've seen people unknowingly (and occasionally knowingly) sell 200c's as 2004r

 

Correct, but line pressure in a 700R4 or 4L60 can't be controlled with a vacuum modulator kit. You will need the keep the TV cable with these earlier transmissions.

 

the switch pitch converter has a stator with moving blades, the angle changes when hydraulic pressure is applied to a piston in the center of the stator. The piston is controlled by a solenoid mounted to the pump. So when you apply 12v to the wire on the side of the transmission, the stator angle changes, and stall speed increases. Stock was about 400-500 rpm increase, but aftermarket ones with modified stators can get more than that.

The TH400 used in Buick, Cadillac, and Olds used this setup through 1967. Chevy and Pontiac did not get it.

It was also used in the two speed SuperTurbine 300, same year era.

The ST300 converter was a inch smaller than the ST400, so the trick is to get the smaller converter from a Buick 2 speed, and the pump, drum, input shaft, from a Buick 400, and install it all in a Chevy TH400. I started doing this in 1980 in my old truck, and the truck still has this setup. I used one in my Chevy II that ran as quick as 9.86, and put 33k miles on it street driving. Pretty neat setup. But also it's very old technology.

 

They are like a poor man's overdrive, but actually more like an underdrive. It was designed to get 5000 lb barges up to speed with only 3 speed trans. I ran one in my Studebaker with a Gear Vendors like Squirrel which together provided lots of RPM adaptability. The Buick GS guys got into them a lot. I used a 13" PAE converter, 1300/3500 stall, or stahl if you're inbred! Anyways I built a dual purpose street/landspeed car and needed the ranges. I used 3.23:1 to have good stoplight acceleration but also effective 2.52:1 to get me all the way up to 205 MPH at 6,500 RPM. Parts are pretty scarce, and so is know-how. There's not a lot to the conversion if you have an older 400. A modern tech conventional converter can be almost as good though.

 

Thanks again for all the info guys, I appreciate it!
Leaning more and more toward a 700R4 built to task. My buddy has one sitting in his shop I could probably get for a reasonable price, and there's a local trans shop that does great work (they built the TH350 in my car currently).

 

There’s a reason I asked about the rear gears. In the Nomad, the 700 tends to go into o/d a bit early, and the engine tends to lug a bit. Not a big surprise, we knew the transmission had been set up behind a 383LT engine in a light car (62 Vette). So it gets put into Drive (column shifter works for everything but low, never bothered to go beyond that in the linkage). But a good transmission shop will take all that into account when they set it up. The Nomad has only power to the lock up, and except for that works fine. It’s about a 3.5 rear end, and a 3.7 or 3.9 would solve it. 4:11’s would be perfect IMO.