700R4 not shifting out of first.

The first two times I tok my car out for a 1/2 mile test run it shifted ok. Now I have things buttoned up for a better shake down and it won't shift out of 2nd! WTF!?

 

The adjustment of the TV cable is critical. On a 700 that is the first thing to check. Unfortunately an improperly adjusted TV cable could burn up the trans right quick.

I hope it's something else!

 

Go to Bow Tie Overdrives and take a look at the info on how to properly adjust the TV cable and how it functions
http://www.tvmadeez.com/article/

 

Are the dip sticks from Jegs accurate? It looks like it's supposed to take 11-12 quarts and my dip sticks reads full with 10.

 

11-12 quarts is the normal capacity for a 700R4 and depending on if you have an aftermarket deep pan or a remote cooler it could be more .

 

I had a 700 in my old Silverado. Trans shit itself and went into limp home mode. First or second gear only (don't remember). Full rebuild. Hope that's not it but could be likely

 

You sure aint got nothing to lose now by adding extra oil to see if it improves.
I got caught with a new tranny and not enough oil, dipstick was reading wrong.

Added about a quart to get it right.

Second gear and heat where my issues,
Tele cable is critical but not so hard to do.
Check out a couple of Youtube posts on how it is best setup.

As for Bowtie, they have great stuff but confusing info IMHO.
Seems they try to scare you about the tele cable stuff.

Check out a few other 700R4 posts...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=659269

 

^^^^what he said^^^^

 

I am little confused your description says it will not shift out of first, and your message says it will not shift out of second. If it will not shift out of first at up to 25 mph I would suspect that the governor gear is cored out like an apple core (teeth gone) if it shifts to second and won't shift to third I would suspect the TV cable broke, is out of adjustment or the Overrun clutches burnt up (week point in 700R4).

PS. you can tell a lot with a pressure gauge

Regards,

Brian

 

Whoops,I meant into second.

 

I figured out that I only put in 10 qts. in 'cause that's all I bought. The dip stick from Jegs reads full. I put another 1.5 qts in and it shifts great! Happy f'n camper!

 

Thanks for posting the fix....!!!

 

The rear seal was leaking and I lost quite a bit of fluid while it was jacked up waiting for me to have time to fix it. I replaced the seal and added fluid,first ride it shifted great,second ride it won't shift out of first again.I added more fluid,still no luck. This car is driving me NUTS!

 

Bttt

 

I googled my problem and someone said to yank the TV cable several times to free up any possible crap causing the valve to stick.It worked,now it shifts fine again!

 

There's a few things that work just like they are supposed to after you yank on them.

 

Another happy ending here on the HAMB...

 

If it happens again I would recommend a bottle of Lube guard it is in a red bottle available from NAPA; The problem you are encountering is the throttle valve is sticking, I borrowed this picture from Sunnex , some shift improvement kits put a spring behind this valve labeled "oversize throttle valve". Lube guard will normally correct this problem without pulling the valve body IMOP.

 

Good tips there guys I'm still sorting mine out its sometimes sluggish on light throttle, but if you mash it it shifts really good and will leave tire on the 2-3rd shift. I'm going to top off the fluid..

 

I'll have to try that!

 

Can I assume that weight of the car has a lot to do with where the governed shift points will be. Trans came out of a 4400# car and is now in a 3000# car. Trans works great and shifts fine ( TV cable is correct ) but it shifts into 2nd and 3rd at 2500 rpm's if your driving like a human. I'd like to up that with governor weights and springs but want to know if I'm the right path with my thinking.

 

If it is one of the first generation 700R4 -JUNK IT

 

Nothing wrong with the early ones if you do the upgrades.

 

Mine is a 1985 out of an Impala I owned since it had 40,000 miles. The trans is not the 1987 and newer that I know is better but behind a mild 283 I think it'll do just fine. Now if some one could actually answer my question that I asked it would be much more helpful.

 

Not the actual weight, but a heavier car will or should have Lower rear gear ratio which changes the Rpm at given Mph. should be roughly 15-20 mph for the 1-2, 25-30 for the 2-3, and 35-45 for the 3-4shift. when it comes to governor calibration, the springs will affect light throttle shifts (the lighter the springs, the later the shifts), and the weights on the governor will control the WOT shifts.

 

Thanks , my 1-2 shift is like at 10-12 MPH. I've got a 3.50 gear but a 31 inch tall tire so I thought that would make it shift at a higher mph because I'm killing the rpm's with the tall tire. I'm in OD by 35-40 mph also. So if I follow you correctly , lighter springs should do the trick. I'm also putting in a Corvette Servo to help out the firmness.