700R4 winter project

[Learpilot]

We don't have much winter here in Georgia, but we still have winter projects.
It is 75 right now !
My project is to upgrade my TH 350 Trans to a 700R4. I have found a 700R4 that has just been rebuilt and am getting all the parts that I need to put it in.  
So far the hardest part was to figure out how the locking converter works. I am going to put a self grounging switch( normally open) on the 4th gear pressure port and hook up the ground side of the lock-up seloniod to it. Run a 12 volt wire hot only with the ignition switch through a normal closed relay that will open when I step on the brake plus a on-off switch. I have to cut the drive shaft 3" and move my rear transmission mount back 2".
I hope to get started after Christmas, after we get back from Grandma's.
You all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Projects year !!!
Rick Harris

[1FATGMC]

We don't have much winter here in Georgia, but we still have winter projects.
It is 75 right now !
My project is to upgrade my TH 350 Trans to a 700R4. I have found a 700R4 that has just been rebuilt and am getting all the parts that I need to put it in.  
So far the hardest part was to figure out how the locking converter works. I am going to put a self grounging switch( normally open) on the 4th gear pressure port and hook up the ground side of the lock-up seloniod to it. Run a 12 volt wire hot only with the ignition switch through a normal closed relay that will open when I step on the brake plus a on-off switch. I have to cut the drive shaft 3" and move my rear transmission mount back 2".
I hope to get started after Christmas, after we get back from Grandma's.
You all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Projects year !!!
Rick Harris

Personally I would get the TCI kit for $75 from Summit and get the pressure switch inside the transmission. I used that kit on the 700R4 in my pickup and just got two more of the kits to put in the Buick with the 200R4 and in Julie's truck that is getting a 700R4.

I think the brake option is not necessary.  I've never used it.  I did use the option for a while where when the vacuum would go low it would also unlock the converter, but quit using it also.

You are probably aware that the most critical thing to do is get the TV cable hookup correct.  If it isn't the transmission might not work for long.

Info ( HERE ) on how to do that along with wiring ideas.

You will love the transmission.

c ya,

Sum

[Learpilot]

We don't have much winter here in Georgia, but we still have winter projects.
It is 75 right now !
My project is to upgrade my TH 350 Trans to a 700R4. I have found a 700R4 that has just been rebuilt and am getting all the parts that I need to put it in.  
So far the hardest part was to figure out how the locking converter works. I am going to put a self grounging switch( normally open) on the 4th gear pressure port and hook up the ground side of the lock-up seloniod to it. Run a 12 volt wire hot only with the ignition switch through a normal closed relay that will open when I step on the brake plus a on-off switch. I have to cut the drive shaft 3" and move my rear transmission mount back 2".
I hope to get started after Christmas, after we get back from Grandma's.
You all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Projects year !!!
Rick Harris

Personally I would get the TCI kit for $75 from Summit and get the pressure switch inside the transmission. I used that kit on the 700R4 in my pickup and just got two more of the kits to put in the Buick with the 200R4 and in Julie's truck that is getting a 700R4.

I think the brake option is not necessary.  I've never used it.  I did use the option for a while where when the vacuum would go low it would also unlock the converter, but quit using it also.

You are probably aware that the most critical thing to do is get the TV cable hookup correct.  If it isn't the transmission might not work for long.

Info ( HERE ) on how to do that along with wiring ideas.

You will love the transmission.

Thanks for the info. I have a pressure inside the transmission.  You don't use the brake light switch ? I thought that was for safety.  What vacuum switch are you using, or is it in the kit you bough ?
I have read all about the TV cable. I am not sure how hard it is to set ,but I will follow your guide lines to a tee. I hope I will love the transmission. My Wife and I took about a 90 mile ride in my Dodge yesterday and I sure wished I already had the 700 R$ in just to lower the noise so we could talk. We did have fun, and that was the reason for going in the first place.  
I have owned this 36 Dodge sence I was 16 (seems like only yeasterday) in 1965. My wife dated in it also.
Thanks for the info again.
Rick Harris

[1FATGMC]

[........... I have a pressure inside the transmission.  You don't use the brake light switch ? I thought that was for safety.  What vacuum switch are you using, or is it in the kit you bough ? ...........

..........I have owned this 36 Dodge since I was 16 (seems like only yesterday) in 1965. My wife dated in it also.
Thanks for the info again.
Rick Harris

First that is pretty neat that you have owned that car all this time .  There are a number of us that wish we would have done the same.

I feel the brake light switch is probably for safety, but I personally don't see it doing much.  Say the throttle sticks wide open and you put on the brakes.  The converter unlocks, but the transmission is still in gear so the rpms just go higher as the converter flashes up about 300 rpm and you are still trying to stop the car with it in gear.  Kick it out of gear.  Also the 700 can't lock in 1st, so even if you do slow down and it downshifts when it gets to 1st it will unlock.  Maybe someone else has a thought on this.

The TCI kit also includes a vacuum switch that you put in the line that provides power to the lockup or in the line that grounds it.  I think the OEM's do something like this to help a little on fuel mileage.  You are in 4th and coasting or slowing down.  With the converter locked the motor follows the rpm of the road speed like it would in a standard.  If the converter unlocks, low vacuum if it is hooked to "ported vacuum", then the motor is disengaged to some degree from the transmission due to the converter slipping, so now the motor can idle down 300 rpm or so under road speed and maybe save gas.

The other way it works is let's say you are climbing a moderate hill.  You step on the gas the vacuum goes down to the point where the converter unlocks due to the vacuum switch.  Now the converter flashes 300 rpm or so and "maybe" that gets you up in the torque curve enough that the motor will pull the hill without the transmission downshifting into 3rd.  I found these situations so rare that I took it out of the circuit as I felt it was one more thing that could malfunction, but it is there if you want to use it.

The TCI kit comes with a pressure switch that goes inside the transmission, just need to drop the pan, and it also has a wiring harness to use with connectors that snap onto the pressure switch and instructions that cover different 700R4's, so there is no confusion on what to do.  It also included the weather pack plug that plugs into the transmission on the outside with wires off of it.

The kit can be wired like on my pages so with a double throw/center off toggle switch you can flip the switch up and it will be in the auto mode, locks and unlocks as it goes in and out of 4th.  Put the switch in the center off and it won't lock in any gear, or flip the switch down and be able to lock the converter in 2nd or 3rd.  I have locked it in 3rd a couple times hauling a trailer heavier than my teardrop and since the converter is not slipping the temps stay lower.  I just think the kit has the parts you need and also the instructions to take any guess work out of it.  This kit controls the lockup by the negative side of the pressure switch which gives you more options.

c ya,

Sum

[Learpilot]

........... I have a pressure inside the transmission.  You don't use the brake light switch ? I thought that was for safety.  What vacuum switch are you using, or is it in the kit you bough ? ...........

..........I have owned this 36 Dodge since I was 16 (seems like only yesterday) in 1965. My wife dated in it also.
Thanks for the info again.
Rick Harris

First that is pretty neat that you have owned that car all this time .  There are a number of us that wish we would have done the same.

I feel the brake light switch is probably for safety, but I personally don't see it doing much.  Say the throttle sticks wide open and you put on the brakes.  The converter unlocks, but the transmission is still in gear so the rpms just go higher as the converter flashes up about 300 rpm and you are still trying to stop the car with it in gear.  Kick it out of gear.  Also the 700 can't lock in 1st, so even if you do slow down and it downshifts when it gets to 1st it will unlock.  Maybe someone else has a thought on this.

The TCI kit also includes a vacuum switch that you put in the line that provides power to the lockup or in the line that grounds it.  I think the OEM's do something like this to help a little on fuel mileage.  You are in 4th and coasting or slowing down.  With the converter locked the motor follows the rpm of the road speed like it would in a standard.  If the converter unlocks, low vacuum if it is hooked to "ported vacuum", then the motor is disengaged to some degree from the transmission due to the converter slipping, so now the motor can idle down 300 rpm or so under road speed and maybe save gas.

The other way it works is let's say you are climbing a moderate hill.  You step on the gas the vacuum goes down to the point where the converter unlocks due to the vacuum switch.  Now the converter flashes 300 rpm or so and "maybe" that gets you up in the torque curve enough that the motor will pull the hill without the transmission downshifting into 3rd.  I found these situations so rare that I took it out of the circuit as I felt it was one more thing that could malfunction, but it is there if you want to use it.

The TCI kit comes with a pressure switch that goes inside the transmission, just need to drop the pan, and it also has a wiring harness to use with connectors that snap onto the pressure switch and instructions that cover different 700R4's, so there is no confusion on what to do.  It also included the weather pack plug that plugs into the transmission on the outside with wires off of it.

The kit can be wired like on my pages so with a double throw/center off toggle switch you can flip the switch up and it will be in the auto mode, locks and unlocks as it goes in and out of 4th.  Put the switch in the center off and it won't lock in any gear, or flip the switch down and be able to lock the converter in 2nd or 3rd.  I have locked it in 3rd a couple times hauling a trailer heavier than my teardrop and since the converter is not slipping the temps stay lower.  I just think the kit has the parts you need and also the instructions to take any guess work out of it.  This kit controls the lockup by the negative side of the pressure switch which gives you more options.

c ya,

I love your Truck. Have you seen the New Truck that is being built in Liberty, SC www.southernmotorcompany.com . It look a lot like yours, but yours is not a check book rod, It is a REAL Hot Rod. I think you know what I mean.
Tahnks again, Rick Harris

[Crosley.In.AZ]

I feel the brake light switch is probably for safety, but I personally don't see it doing much.  Say the throttle sticks wide open and you put on the brakes.  The converter unlocks, but the transmission is still in gear so the rpms just go higher as the converter flashes up about 300 rpm and you are still trying to stop the car with it in gear.  Kick it out of gear.  Also the 700 can't lock in 1st, so even if you do slow down and it downshifts when it gets to 1st it will unlock.  Maybe someone else has a thought on this.


c ya,

Sum

Yes..... turn the ignition key "off".

[1FATGMC]

I love your Truck. Have you seen the New Truck that is being built in Liberty, SC www.southernmotorcompany.com . It look a lot like yours, but yours is not a check book rod, It is a REAL Hot Rod. I think you know what I mean.
Thanks again, Rick Harris

Thanks, I hate to take anything away from them and don't you Ford guys get mad, but why did they stick a Ford in that truck???

If they produce 900 then you won't have anything very unique and that is what I think drives most of us.  The Prowler was neat, but anyone could buy one and they all looked the same.  The same could be said for some of the other efforts out of Detroit.  It works with say a new Mustang, because you are buying it for what it looks like and what it is and not because it looks like a hot rod.  I'm probably not making myself clear.

I can also tell they are only appealing to people with big checkbooks and not poor guys like me on dial-up since it take about 10 minutes for the site to load for me .

Now you have a car that you aren't going to run into too many times on the road  and pretty soon it is going to get better gas mileage and you will be able to talk to your wife while driving .

c ya,

Sum

P.S. Tony you are so smart .  Just make sure when you turn the key off that the steering wheel still turns and doesn't lock or that you are on a straight road   ,  Sum

[Crosley.In.AZ]

P.S. Tony you are so smart .  Just make sure when you turn the key off that the steering wheel still turns and doesn't lock or that you are on a straight road   ,  Sum

I do not use locking steering columns in my hot rod stuff for many years.  

I am lucky if the key does not fall out of the worn out ignition switch in my current junk I mess with.

[Fat Cat]

I love your Truck. Have you seen the New Truck that is being built in Liberty, SC www.southernmotorcompany.com . It look a lot like yours, but yours is not a check book rod, It is a REAL Hot Rod. I think you know what I mean.
Tahnks again, Rick Harris

Actually it was discussed here http://www.roddingroundtable.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5448 and has been featured on the homepage at http://www.roddingroundtable.com/ since September.

[Fat Cat]

Thanks, I hate to take anything away from them and don't you Ford guys get mad, but why did they stick a Ford in that truck???

c ya,

Sum

Something must have changed in the last couple of months. When I posted about this on the front page http://www.roddingroundtable.com/ in September http://www.roddingroundtable.com/newslog/index.php?permalink=5458 it listed an LT Chevy motor as the powerplant. They were also listing a 408 as well as the 358 and were doing 1200 of them.

[1FATGMC]

Thanks, I hate to take anything away from them and don't you Ford guys get mad, but why did they stick a Ford in that truck???

c ya,

Sum

Something must have changed in the last couple of months. When I posted about this on the front page http://www.roddingroundtable.com/ in September http://www.roddingroundtable.com/newslog/index.php?permalink=5458 it listed an LT Chevy motor as the powerplant. They were also listing a 408 as well as the 358 and were doing 1200 of them.

And in a couple weeks the motor will probably change from the Ford to a Rambler ,  just kidding Fat Cat, don't kick me off .

I saw the post back then, but gave up trying to get their site to load.

c ya,

Sum

[Carnut]

Thanks, I hate to take anything away from them and don't you Ford guys get mad, but why did they stick a Ford in that truck???

c ya,

Sum

Something must have changed in the last couple of months. When I posted about this on the front page http://www.roddingroundtable.com/ in September http://www.roddingroundtable.com/newslog/index.php?permalink=5458 it listed an LT Chevy motor as the powerplant. They were also listing a 408 as well as the 358 and were doing 1200 of them.

And in a couple weeks the motor will probably change from the Ford to a Rambler ,  just kidding Fat Cat, don't kick me off .

I saw the post back then, but gave up trying to get their site to load.

c ya,

Sum

Unoh, I used to be real concerned about making pages on my site optimized for low bandwidth access, but lately I've been creating pages that are a little more substantial. Kinda considering that more folks are getting faster access.

Sure hope my site is still accessible to you without too much waiting, other than just the speed on my end.