I have run 700R4's before that had a single wire electrical connection, the converter lockup and OD engaged at the same time. I'm now looking at a performance-built 700R4 that claims to work with no electricity. Has anybody here run such a unit? I'm curious as to how it performs, and how the shifts/lockup occur. Will it part throttle and/or full throttle kickdown with cable input alone? Any other comments on the wireless 700R4 would be appreciated.
dont think they have it for the 700r4 its an electric tranny if you dont want it that way go for a 350 or 400
There are some kits out there that can/will lock the unit up with a 4th gear psi switch, this is the same set up i have in my OT weekend race car. Keith
Don't worry!On the TH700 only the lock up is electric(simple 12V hookup). Get a 4 wire brake switch and connect it to it.So lock up disengages on a standstill. But you can do good and harm nothing if you just run without. OD is contolled via the TV cable and most of all by the governer.It only comes in at a certain minimal speed.Mostly out of town,if cable is setup right. I would'nt go for a totally cable-less 700.Since those are full manual shift only and thats a PITA in traffic.Normal ones can be built super tough! Only the later 4L60E and stuff is electronic!Not the 700.. Ollie
I have a 700R4, and I'll admit I don't know much about it, but I believe it is in a year group where there was no electronic lockup (1987??). The TVI cable is completely different on the 700R4. There's articles on here and on the web on how to set it up. The bad part being that if you don't set it up right, it could cause premature wear and tear. I had a friend build me an aluminum piece for my edelbrock carb, so the cable was pulled straight out. I then pulled the cable to just barely make contact with the plunger in the tranny (zero lash), and then locked the wire down at that point (lokar cable).
Yeah theres a little plug on the side where you can connect a pressure meter. You shuold set the cable to a minimum of 35psi.Hot tranny in Drive. The 700 really can die on a simple test drive if the cable is too loose! Thats a good one.I did the same on my Edelbrock.Made a little extension to pull the TV cable more.Exactly to get the geometry right.The idea is to pull the cable faster,mor agrressive rather then linear to throttle! If i remember right having the cable 1/3 inch out(from zero lash) in idle was a good starting point. I have one in my sig car and the "tank" cruises at 90mls all day long.Gotta love OD! Ollie
The 700-R4 was first introduced in the '82 Corvette. On paper, its specs looked pretty good: The trans had lower First and Second gears (3.06 and 1.63, respectively) than other automatics, its lockup torque converter offered potential fuel-mileage gains, and the 0.7 overdrive decreased the overall drive ratio by 30 percent. But the original design was not considered a strong transmission, with failures behind even a mild 350 not uncommon. The trans was so weak that in its original setup, GM deliberately calibrated it to kick out of lockup and high gear under full-throttle, top-end conditions to avoid burning it up. The original versions had only downsized, 27-spline input shafts, one of many possible and common failure points. By 1984, 700-R4s intended for use behind small-block Chevy V-8s began to receive beefy, 30-spline input shafts similar to those found on classic TH350 and TH400 transmissions. From 1984 to 1987, the most failure-prone internal parts, from the ring-gear to the oil-pump housing, were upgraded. An auxiliary valvebody was added in October 1986. Finally, on performance cars like the Corvette, additional internal lubrication improvements permitted the trans to survive in high-gear, full-throttle, top-end conditions. Many of the improvements can be retrofitted into the earlier, weak transmissions, but the 27-spline versions need so many new parts that it's more cost-effective to swap in a later core. However, it is worthwhile to upgrade the later 30-spline versions to Corvette/IROC-level internals, if they're not already so equipped.
and heres a link for alot of info also.... http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/113_0704_700_r4_transmission/photo_01.html
Check out the tv cables from bowtie overdrives. If you get the see the demo, it is a "Duh!" and you will buy. http://www.tvmadeez.com/
lock up the converter ,,, excessive heat will build ... and you can kill the trans a bit sooner http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/drivetrain/lockup.htm
OK guys, like I said in the OP, I've run a 700R4 before with electrical hookup so I don't need a tutorial on how to wire it or how it works; I'm only interested to hear about experiences with the lockup 700R4 with no electrical hookup.
I had what you're talking about in a rod in the early 90's. There is an early valve body that can be modified to lock up the converter clutch. A local trans shop built it for me. Of course that builder/shop is long gone.The electric hookup sold by Street & Performance & others that uses a GM cruise control brake light & vaccum switch is better IMO because it unlocks the converter as soon as you step on the brake.
Call these guys - they can give you all the skinny you'll ever need to know. They build a bulletproof 700R with a real gaurantee. I put one behind a blower motor and it really brought the car to life. http://www.phoenixtrans.com/
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