Very true Jon IIRC the complete 700r4 stock rebuild kit is only like $200. Its the labor they stick you with on rebuilds. I dont know if I would try to rebuild an automatic without someone that KNOWS what they are doing there to help me. Then again I have never seen more than the bottom of the valve body, as far as automatic internals. I have a local transmission guy that although is high priced I trust his work and oppinion.
I consitered the constant pressure valve body(CP-VB) in my 700r4, in fact the trans guy and I had a 2 hour discussion about how to build mine. What we settled on was BEEF for towing and drivability. I never planed on doing much off roading in that burb. That and the fact that it wasnt a high HP application was the determining factor for not going with the CP-VB. We then chose the beefiest parts for longer life and reliability.
I happen to have the paperwork on it right here and its built as follows. It has 2 extra clutches in 1-2 and 1 extra clutch in the 3-4, performance downshift clutches, vented reverse to forward steel clutches all clutches are "raybestos Z-pak" brand. high output 13 vane pump, vette style "super hold" servo, with a wider stronger redline band. A stronger input housing, hardend torrington bearings and o-ring seal. A boost valve for 3-4, servo relese check valve 2nd gear, and vette style TV plunger. Fluid passages have been opened up a little(simular to a performance VB), 4l60e 5 gear planetaries. A mild "trans-go" towing or RV shift kit, and a 1800rpm stall converter. (I was told a stock converter was somewhere around 1200-1400 RPM stall). This is coming from his own typed build sheet. He also personaly promised this trans would hold up to 500HP or 650ftbls of TQ.
It shifts HARD when on the throttle and smooth as silk just cruizing. we added a 40,000lb GVW trans cooler and has plugged fittings for a trans pressure gauge and temp gauge but I never got around to getting the gauges before I sold it to my baby brother(18).
NOTE: I do NOT know much about automatics other than what I am told. I realy dont know what those parts listed above do. He typed it and printed it for me. its somewhat short hand to me, I would like to know what everything does.
