700r4 old vs. new questiion

[imwalkin]

Hi I been a lurker for a long time now so I finally had to registar to ask a question..

I am having a friend rebiuld a 700r4 for me and he found a core but it is the earlier tranny(not sure of the year.) He said that the problem with those trannys can be fixed in the rebuild. Is he right? What were those problems?

This trans will be going in a Model A sedan with a mild 327 if that helps.

Thanks for your help. Matt


WOW SPELL CHECK IS GREAT THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[1FATGMC]

I had bought an 85 chevy wagon that had a 700 and a 305.  My transmission guy said for normal conditions he could rebuild it to work fine.  For additional money hard parts could also be bought to up-grade it to 87 and better parts.  I decided I didn't want to go that way and sold the wagon.  He is now building a later core he came across for me and it will be about $700 - $800 for the core/rebuild and converter.  It will go in my wife's ford pickup.

He built the one I have in 1FATGMC, an 87, about 100,000 miles ago and it is going strong.

With the 327 you have and the light car you will probably be fine, but since it isn't all that hard to find an 87 up, why not maybe do that.

Tony will probably have some better thoughts on this.

c ya,

Sum

[imwalkin]

he has been looking for a later 700r4 but has not come across one. He found this early one. I just want to be sure It will be Ok. Iam ok with upgrading it to fix it as long as it is do able reasonably.  Matt

[Crosley.In.AZ]

matt,

people put many miles on the early 700 tranny. Internal hard parts are swappable from early to late .... a person MUST know what parts to use where......... to mix and match

I would upgrade the input sprag, input drum & shaft to 30 spline unit.  Actually the later shaft can be pressed into the early drum... either way.


The low - reverse sprag & center support can be upgraded to later / wider sprag.  MUST be careful here since there are several thickness of center support.  Low/ rev clutch pack clearance must be checked and set.

7 or 10 vane pump will pump all the fluid needed.  i build 10 & 13 vane pumps for units I build.

Early 700 will uphift to 2nd gear while the shifter is still in 1st....... that can be delay'd or changed so the trans stays in 1st gear longer or forever when the shifter is in manual 1st gear.

[imwalkin]

thanks, that helps alot.

[1FATGMC]

Tony thanks for the info.  Can you tell me approximately what it would cost for the hard parts to put into the older one to make it about the same as a later one?

In my case I had gotten that car for $350 and though about using the trans. and motor maybe in that Desoto, but then thought I really wanted a 350 or 383 in the desoto and then found out that my trans. guy found a later 700 and I could get the core cheap and get the whole thing done for less than $800, so I sold the car for $400 and will put that money into the trans. rebuild.

I have another later 700 that came out of a pontiac and it has a GM rebuild sticker on it, but other than that I don't know if it is good or not.  I paid $100 for it.  The one in my truck is the later vette/HO camaro one and I paid $200 for it and ran it 40,000 miles before having it rebuilt and it was running fine then, I just decided to do it before I had problems.

You can find them out there cheap if you are patient.  If I find one cheap I buy it and stock pile it.  Right now there is a '89 caprice that I could get for probably $600 and I think it has the 700 in it and also an injected 350.  This might be a good option for the Desoto.  I have to drive it though.

But back to my first question, if I find an early 700 and can get it cheap what am I going to have to spend to upgrade the hard parts for a 350-400 hp motor in something heavy like the desoto??

c ya,

Sum