5 700r4 transmissions killed in 50 mi. how can this happen?

If I'm not mistaken I think lokar make a tv cable set up for the 700r4. It's a bracket that bolts up by the carb to make the right angle leading up to the carb. It should correct the tv cable problem. That and you can't have a big enough trans cooler. I've used a 700r4 couple times and they are super finicky to set up. I ended up using a 5speed out mid 90s Chevy pick up. Just my 2 cents

 

No kidding the gauge setup is cheap. I use it on my 700r4 installs before I ever drive the car just to make sure pressures are where they should be. Line pressure has to jump immediately with throttle movement, no pressure clutches no worky.

 

Art Carr site good info. http.www.cpttransmission.com/tech_tvcable.htm

 

Performing the same job over and over and expecting different results, isn't that the definition of crazy.
Find a new trans guy.

 

X3 on the Bowtie Overdrives.
Believe me I am a dumb*** and have never worked on a transmission before. At the urging of fellow HAMB'rs I frequented the Bowtie Overdrives website, reading every bit of information I could to insure I got it right before toasting the damn thing. Granted, I spent a few extra bucks ordering the parts that Bowtie Overdrives recommended, including brackets for the Edelbrock 1405 carb as well as the throttle adapter, TV cable, lockup kit etc. and I even performed the pressure gauge test too before I reinstalled my floor pan. I have 15,000-20,000 miles on it now and no problems. The only glitch I couldn't solve was when it shifts into overdrive at about 40 MPH during city driving it tends to want to delay in shifting UNLESS I simply let up on the throttle ever so slightly and it shifts. When I am pulling onto a highway and rather hard on the throttle to get up to speed while blending into traffic it shifts normally. I love the ****** and so does the coupe, the gearing is spot-on and with my 3:73's I am turning about 1900 RPM's at 65-70 MPH in overdrive.

 

The best, and IMO, the only T.V. cable to use that was designed and guaranteed to work properly in a GM overdrive for 1000's of miles is a T.V. cable from GM. I have seen my fair share of smoked overdrives because guys wanted "pretty" over what works. Then when they burn up 2 or 3 ******s the first words out of their mouths are "those 700's are ****"!

Hummm.... Did GM use and aftermarket T.V. cable on their production cars, like taxi's and cop cars, that got 2-300,000 miles on them???

Remember, before blaming the equipment look at how it was placed into service.

 

i never really was to keen on gm od trans.this is just one of the reasons why. i quess im just old. i still prefer powerglides and the 350s.i drive all my cars and i know that od would help me alot but just cant seem to get used to the idea. im sure ill wish i had put on in my wifes ot 67 impala when we head out this fall for our trip down parts of 66. built 283 with a powerglide.just gonna set back and watch the gas hand dissappear.

 

Trust me, it's nowhere near as complicated as some make it seem to be and there are plenty of benefits.

 

Agreed. The factory GM cable isn't pretty, but it works and is very easy to adjust. The TV cable adjustment is the life-blood of a 700r4. The 700r4 is a great transmission if set up properly. Too many guys think that the TV cable is similar in principle to a kickdown cable, and that's when the problems arise. With the rising price of gasoline, using a non-OD transmission is nuts. A 700r4 with the lock-up feature enabled will pay for itself faster than you think, and it's easier on the engine.

 

good advice for not so perfect throttle linkage aftermarket setups

 

Yes, that'd be my first though.
If they guy is blaming TV cable geometry, then not fixing it himself before the second rebuild left his shop is bad enough, 3 more times .... well I can't help but picture the "Sure we do transmissions" Television commercial.

The TV cable adjustment and geometry is critical not complicated

 

Apparently people just post on threads and don't actually read the thread itself.

Read posts 11 and 21.

This is old news!

 

Great job there. Majority of threads have the same issue.
No go get 'em tiger. Lol

Few folks read what's been discussed, if its repeated 47 thousand times maybe a few more might see it.

We can hope right ?

 

Ha Ha!

Yeeeeah right!

 

Does the govenor require any attention during setup since I note it runs springs and counter weights that can not be suited to every setup???

 

For the majority of the applications out there only a Corvette servo and a good shift improver kit is necessary. If you want more than that have the red friction discs installed. Any more than that really isn't necessary unless you're racing. Then it's a whole new ball game and a whole lotta money.

 

There has been a lot of discussion about weather a stock of after market cable is best.Remember that the cable only has one job to do and that is to move the throttle valve to control TV pressure relative to throttle angle.As long as the cable moves freely and the initial pressure is set correctly at closed throttle then it doesn't matter what cable you use. The key is to pull the cable at the correct rate as the throttle goes through its rotation. If you are using a carburetor that was not designed to be used with the 700r4 then you need to make sure you have some sort of provision to correctly move the throttle valve at the right rate.That's where the geometry comes into play. You need to take into account the length of the throttle arm and the distance that it moves in order to duplicate the correct rate that GM engineered into the system. Usually that involves modifying the linkage at the carburetor or taking the easy way and using an after market setup that has already done the work for you. This usually involves some sort of cam with ramps that bring everything into the correct geometry and alignment. You then can do the fine tuning with your pressure gauge.

 

I got a 700R4 in my daily driver and like moose said you have to have it pull at the correct rate. However I got a quadrajunk carb that was not sopposed to go with the 700R4 so I just disconnected the TV cable. Ive put over 70k miles on it like that but without the TV cable connected it shifts late.. I dont reccomend disconnecting the TV cable but it worked for me. I predict a destroyed 700R4 in my future but its the only way I could get the dang thing to work..

 

The wording in posts 11 and 21 come to about 10 words total! That's a real fine explanation my point and the link I posted was to show actual fact information.

 

Well pat yerself on 'da back, you deserve an atta' boy!

 

I got a pickup truck just sitting in the yard, much work has been done on it including adding a T700R4, I've had two kits from Bowtie who were unhelpful to say the least.
I dont remember all the stuff we have tried now, but much effort had been put into trying to get that ****** shifting right.
Ive done everything but the pressure gauge test and pulling the whole thing out.
For now I've walked away from it.
Been just sitting there for 3 months now!!!

I am using a Quadrajet carby and up until receiving the oof the HAMB what I ***ume are the correct lever meaurements for the carby I was going nowhere fast.
It seem Bowtie would'nt even tell me the lever distance from center even aftger I'd had 2 kits from them.

There are a lot of diagrams that look great but again dont show the center of carb to cable connect distance.

Any way for what it is worth I am still nowhere with this ******.
I envy all the good luck stories in this thread, I'd just one of them to be mine.
Nobody should need to be throwing good money after bad on a ****** that dates back to the 1980's, things should be much simplier than what I have been experiencing.

 

There is an easier way for those that can't master the T.V. cable.

PerformaBuilt builds a 4L60e with no electronics. They use a vacuum control valve inside the ****** to regulate line pressure. Therefore no electronics, no T.V. cable, just 1 small vacuum line to the carb.

For the record... a 700R4 and a 4L60 are the same ******. A 4L60e is basically a 700R4 with electronics.

 

I've sent them an email, here is hoping!!!

 

I confess to not reading the whole thread but you can buy a valve body that will eliminate the criticalness (is that a word?) of the TV cable. The valve body is set up to not depend on the TV cable to set pressures.

 

That would be a manual valve body. It's strickly manual.

 

oops
Run AFOUL OF THE FORUM COP
thanks roscoe

 

Two things come to mind, a bad ground or a broken TV cable.
5 times........mmmmm.........time to do something else.........sell shoes......

 

Do you let you have more than one bullet?

 

You are incorrect. They are constant pressure valve bodies and they keep a constant 200psi line pressure. It's still a fully automatic valve body.