[jeff germano]

I was told that my current tranny a turbo 350 might need a new tranny pump because my torque converter was installed improperly. If i have to pull the whole tranny anyway would it be better to just buy a used 700r4 and put it in rather than fix my turbo 350. I have a 85 silverado with a 342 rear end and a 350 cu.
What would best, is the 700 r4 worth it/? will it be a noticable performance difference?

[roys63]

I think that all 700s are pure JUNK,you might get buy with one with very low HP and not tow anything!! and a 350-400 is a LOT cheaper to rebuild. I have seen 350-400s last for 30 years befor a rebuild, i bet you can't find 1 New or rebuilt 700 that will last 3 years or less. Sorry i just had to get this of my mind! <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" />

[49 T&C]

My recent experience with a 700R4 - cooked it towing a car on a trailer. IF YOU TOW ANYTHING!!!! stick with the 350. You may givee up a little mileage, but you'll have a workiing trans for a good long time.

49 T&C

[trees]

A little late, but I am adding a nickels worth. I Removed a 700R4 from a big 86 Chevy Caprice that had just survived a Fri Nite demolition derby at the local track in 1994. I cleaned it up, drained the torque converter, changed the filter, put in a new tail shaft bushing and seal, and replaced the front seal. I then installed it into my 36 Ford pu that had a mild 300HP 350 Chev. This worked great until I started a complete rework last winter. I took the tranny to a great rebuilder because the 350 is being replaced with a 383 that will put out 400HP and 400ft#s torque. Suprisingly, the tranny, which had over 145,000 miles had never been touched and was still in great shape. It has been built back with some goodies to make it stronger. I also have another 700R4 in my 36 Ford 5W, behind a 300HP 327 Vette motor. It was rebuilt before installation and I have over 23,000 miles trouble free miles. The key is good cooler and a properly adjusted TVR cable. I had to fabricate a few brackets before I could get the touchy rascals to shift up and down properly as well as lock up/unlock. 82-85 models were full of modifications to correct defficiencies and should be avoided. Rebuilders will argue between 86/87 years as the fully evolved tranny. My builder says 86 because the important parts are metal, not plastic/nylon to reduce weight. He does build with the later sprague because it is stronger. By the way, he has been building Trannys since the 50s and at 75 years young still reads the books and keeps up with the latest. He also is an old hot rodder that ran B-Gas way back when and has ETs under 8 sec in a Little Old Camero, beat the Nat champ three time in a row and passed three protests from the same each time!! Untill something better comes along, I'll be crusing in overdrive!!

[deuce_454]

a 700r4 is a very sturdy transmission, the problem is that people dont know that you kave to adjust the pressure with t/v cable tension, ihis is an absolute imperative must, and all the people that cooks transmissions have never heard this. one other thing is that if you install a lock-up switch to loch up th etranny when towing a 700r4 is even sturdier than a 400.

ive installed two 700r4,s in ein my impala, thats right, LS-6 bigblock in a 4000 lb car, and its on its 5th year. the other is on mt buddys 32 hotrod woth a procharger on a 94 corvette lt1, and they both work like clockwork

contact bowtieoverdrives at www.700r4.com and they will hook you up with a 700 that suits your needs.

a guy from the club even drives an 89 diesel. 4x4 suburban with a 700, so no offence but people who says 700,s are junk just have no clue about adjusting line pressure on those things, and have cooked trannys to show for it :-)

[roys63]

[quote]Originally posted by deuce_454:
<strong>a 700r4 is a very sturdy transmission, the
700,s are junk just have no clue about adjusting line pressure on those things, and have cooked trannys to show for it :-)</strong><hr></blockquote>

JUNK JUNK, Trany Shops love this trany,Big Money to rebuild!!And take your money and Run!!!

[spankyway]

I am having a transmission built here in town and we talked about the 700R4 and I told him dissatisfied I was with the one I had. It lasted quite a while but he told me that after they need a rebuild they only last for about 25,000 miles. That is exactly what mine did!!! My transmisssion was in an '86 Suburban. This guy bui;lds racing transmissions and he says the later 700r4 can be built a lot better and you can beef them up where they are stronger. The biggest problem I have with the trans is how expensive they are to buy and build the turbo 350 & 400 are much cheaper. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[deuce_454]

i dont know where you buy your transmissions but a stage 3, 700r4 that will handle 750 hp and 680lbs of tourque is 1300 usd from bowtie overdrives, this is including shiftpionts that are optimized for your ride, shift kit, hardened input and output shafts and so on, and its an overdrive..

now if you want cheap transmissions for god sake buy a powerglide. but dont stay away from 700r4´s just because some local transmission shop are unable to build one that lasts, contact bowtie overdrives and (at www.bowtieoverdrives.com) and make an informed choice

and to answer your question of performance, yes there will be a big difference, first of the first gear is lower in a 700 and will give you better acceleration from stand still, and secondly when you put that baby in overdrive your highway rpm will drop 33%. i am telling you, you will love it, your wife will love it and your car will love it, not to mention that you burn less gas..


just my 2 cents worth.. again

[ October 21, 2002: Message edited by: deuce_454 ]

[ October 21, 2002: Message edited by: deuce_454 ]</p>

[BigBadChevy]

I currently drive a 1982 Chevrolet K20 Silverado with a 350 bored .40 over, and a turbo 350 trans. it gets about 6 mpg on the highway. A buddy of mine mentioned something about a kit that would add overdrive to my trans. if anyone knows anything about it please E-mail me at Mluetk@aol.com
thank you,
Matt

[UnionWrkr]

http://www.gearvendors.com/cg2wd3s.html

You're looking at around $2200-$2500 to add 1 more gear. What a deal.

Here's a quote from their page

At about 2200 dollars (depending on model) the GEAR VENDORS is not the cheapest way for you to get overdrive (a rebuilt wrecking yard 700r4 is probably cheaper)

[crshrmn3]

I put a fresh 350 in front of an 86 700r4 with over 250,000 miles and it does great. Now my 350 is no race motor, but well above a stock motor. I pulled a horse trailer with it and still got nearly 20 mpg on the interstate with the 3.08 rearend in it. As previously stated, it is imperative that the tv cable is adjusted properly. I used the pressure gauge method which is far more accurate then the way most books instruct to set the tv cable. Go to the www.bowtieoverdrives.com site to get more information and a better price.

I almost forgot to mention, the guy that I bought the 86 Suburban from used the Suburban to pull his dirt track car all over WV and KY hills and the 700r4 never had any problems.

[propaniac]

Hey spankyway you should look into finding a different tranny guy. I have a friend with a 12 second(in the 1/4) nova that runs a 700 with a 350. Its his daily driver and he has 60,000+ miles on it with no problem. I have one other friend that has an 11 second monte ss with a big block and has 30,000+ on it. Both trannys were built by the same guy. He has a couple of mods he does to the older trannies that make them hold up and he uses converters from the converter shop in Lake Havasu AZ. I myself have a 700 in my 84 blazer that has 80,000+ on it and it works fine. Thats my two cents

[SirSpeedy]

The three speed automatics are dinosaurs. I wouldn't dream of building a hot rod without O/D.

My '32 roadster has a 350hp GM crate, 700r4 with no shift kit, 3.70 gears....it with break your damn neck on accel with the 12:1 first gear.....and get 20-23 mpg on the freeway with the 2.67 final in O/D.

The number one problem with people and 700/200/4L60/4L80 problems is people are too cheap to do it right.

You must get a new converter with the rebuild.

You must get a shop that will fully rebuild the WHOLE trans...not replace some of the bearings/bushings. ALL of them...even the hard to get to ones

You must get the TV cable geometery correct. Bowtie Overdrives has the "TV Made EZ".....works great.

You cannot just rip one out of some old junker, bolt it up in the front yard, hook up the "kickdown", and go for a ride. It does require some intellegence to dial in.

[burnin57]

My favorite word to describe the 700 is "baby Allison". When there FIXED right , there your best friend. Find a shop in your area that is a student of Transgo. There located in El Monte California, but they teach shops how to "fix them right the first time" all over the US. Honest

[troy-curt]

I have to go with the guys with the 700r4s, I have one in my suburban 3/4 ton, 410 gears. I`ve toured the states and Canada
for 10 years pulling a 12,800 lp trailer, I`ve freshened the trans. and engine two times in 385,000 miles, and it still works good.
I also run one in my 66 Elcamino, It`s the only way to go.HTH

Troy