87 k5 (what will break next?) suggestions for trans build

[destro360]

im finally getting around to putting together a build thread for my truck since i seem to spend more time working on it then i do driving it.

i bought the truck cheap a few years ago for $600.00 because it had a bad valve.. when i had the top end apart you could see it had been beat to death the entire top end was packed full of carbon. i litterally broke it out in handfulls.. anyway after i had the head work done i put it back together got the timing set and running right and then on the way to the gas station it spun the #2 rod bearing so i took it home dropped the pan gauged it cleaned up the crank some and replaced that bearing just to buy me some time before pulling the motor. well i drove it that way for around two years on mor then a few offroad trips haha till it finally gave up.

so here is a pic of basically what it looked like when i bought it all i had done was the head job and tires

then i shaved all the trim, emblems etc, primed it with high quality auto primer and put a top coat of a product called "rust coat" in semi-gloss black.

and here it is all done with the top off

 

[destro360]

next phase find a motor!

because im cheap and resourceful i decided to be patient and find a deal on another good running motor.
(i have more time and ability then i do money) so i bought a 78 k5 for $300.00 that had a fresh crate motor in it complete running with good interior and some extras i was able to sell the axles, the trans and t- case plus interior bumpers etc and make my $300.00 back plus some... so now i had a new motor that actually made me some money plus my donor truck had warn locking hubs that were nice and shiny so i could ditch my factory auto locking hubs

here's some pics of the parts truck and the motor getting pulled.

and for whatever reasons (dumb luck i think) i always end up working in the dark! haha

 

[magik235]

I like it. What is the next project?

 

[destro360]

I like it. What is the next project?

thanks man, stay tuned! im still uploading photos and trying to piece it all together haha LOTS more to document!

 

[destro360]

phase #2 lock front axle and swap out hubs

next i pulled the front axle to weld up my spider gears turn my rotors, do my brakes, bearings and install my warn locking hubs etc. here's a few pics.

of course this all took place at night again lol

this is a pic of the jack stands i had to make at midnight to support the truck high enough, which included removing the tired from some old junk rims with cave man methods and finally welding them up.

DID I SAY "CAVEMAN?" I THINK I MEANT TO SAY HILLBILLY METHODS LOL

im not gonna say much about this pic i think it speaks for itself haha

welded the spider gears at all corners with a good 220 snap on welder and the heat cranked up high.

next was a suggestion made by a friend of mine who has been a life long rock crawler. to box in everything with some 1/4 steel for added strength and "oh **** i need help" factor if my welds or the gears ever gave up.

after that i decided to get nerdy and camo my diff cover (wasnt sure if i liked it)

 

[destro360]

the front axle is all back together

so here is the front axle back in

and although my #2 rod bearing was getting really noisy i decided to take it for a drive and see what i thought and play around a bit down the street from my house.

i had not ever really flexed the front end and realized on this log that my brake lines were way too short but i wasnt suprised and knew i had a lot of work to do before i was gonna be happy or confident going off road with it.

 

[destro360]

next step was to pull my motor and make a few upgrades.

i pulled my engine out (during the day) pressure washed my engine bay and ordered up a new crossmember from ORD along with extended brake lines and their heavy duty greaseable shackle kits.

next i rolled the front axle back out to change all the bushings and shackles etc.

 

[destro360]

next up was getting the new engine ready and back in the truck

i didnt get any pics of the crossmember install.. wish i had though cuz it was a lot of fun and im sure a few people would have liked to see how it turned out etc ill update this section soon.

here is my engine cleaned up, painted with a new timing set all new sensors etc and was playing around with mor cammo on the valve covers.

i got the engine installed and running great no problems at all... it was actually kinda scary how smooth things went i went out wheeling at la grange and made a trip to culterville and was very pleased with everything! i still had work to do but it was fully functioning and most of the work i had left was minor...

crossmember from ord

so a friend asked me if i'd help him out and tow a toyota pickup truck on a couple hour drive to hi house for him. someone had given it to him for free. so i said "sure why not?"....

this is was the scene when we arrived.

needles to say i was not very happy that there was a GI-NORMOUS freaking camper on the truck that was only held on but some rope etc but we were past the point of no return....

i towed the truck an hour and a half home (in drive not over drive) without any troubles but when we unhooked the trailer and i left my trans was banging gears very hard. when i got home i dropped my pan changed all the trans fluid flushed the lines and radiator, changed the filter etc. a few days later i took it out to the grocery store.. well on the way home i lost all forward gears but still had reverse so i drove it home backwards as of today the engine runs great but the trans has been pulled and is sitting in my garage waiting for my trans guy to grab it and build it up for me...

right now i'd like to pick some of you guys brains as far as suggestions for preventive upgrades for the trans or and modifications etc that might be useful for off roading and extending the trans life. i plan to do a mild shift kit when he builds it up for me.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

How does that welded front handle for you? And what size tires are those?

Lemme know if you wanna wheel sometime.... im up in sac/rancho area

 

[destro360]

How does that welded front handle for you? And what size tires are those?

Lemme know if you wanna wheel sometime.... im up in sac/rancho area

HELL YA im down to go wheelin man i dont know anybody around here that even has a 4x4 let alone interest in going out. im always down i prefer the rain and snow but im always up for it. right now im just running 33x13.50x15 because i didnt wanna mess with changing gears yet and am not sure exactly what i wanna do. 35's would be optimum but id have to trim panels or do a body lift and im trying to avoid both. i would like to keep my heighth to a minimum because i like small trails and hills better then just having a mudder but im not sure right now exactly what i wanna do... the front end has been great, yes you lose turn radius and it will stress out your power steering etc if you r real hard on the throttle with both sides locked but i only lock the drivers side up front unles i absolutely have to lock up both sides. so far it has not gottens stuck and i have been through some pretty gnarly mud, quick sand creeks etc.

 

[destro360]

anyone?

will be having the trans built here in a week or so was hoping to get some feed back from some folks on here before its in the shop. thanks in advance.

 

[76zimmer]

what are you looking to have done?

what is your intended usage?

is it a 700R4?

It can be made strong, but not too cheaply. Many parts should be upgraded for high perf use.

Look up Monster trans or similar.

 

[destro360]

what are you looking to have done?

what is your intended usage?

is it a 700R4?

It can be made strong, but not too cheaply. Many parts should be upgraded for high perf use.

Look up Monster trans or similar.

#1 have the trans rebuilt as of right now it has no forward gears (as stated)

#2 my intended use is mild offroading and towing (as shown)

#3 yes it is the factory 700r4 i am aware that these transmissions are not the strongest but it has a great low range and is my only smog legal option.. i am very familiar with "monster transmissions" but the opinion i have gotten from most of the technicians and fellow wrenches is that its best to have you trans rebuilt rather then replace.

my local trans guy has a great reputation and aparently does a lot of work for circle track etc. i was quoted just under $1,000 with some upgrades and a torque converter. my question basically is, is there any upgrades or things that can be done to it now while its out that i will regret not doing later on down the road? common upgrades or wear issues? this will not be a "rock crawler" but i want it to be strong and last many years to come. all i do is work on this pig i'd like to start driving it.

 

[destro360]

what is the majority opinion of monster transmissions on ck5? ive seen some folks talk about em but not that much. i do know their pricing is good and last i checked there was no core charge.

 

[magik235]

Install a transmission cooler. Make sure you flush the cooler lines. NAPA carries an aerosol product that does a good job. I used 2 cans when I flushed mine.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Install a transmission cooler. Make sure you flush the cooler lines. NAPA carries an aerosol product that does a good job. I used 2 cans when I flushed mine.

Aftermarket tranny cooler is a MUST....
ESPECIALLY here in Sac.

 

[destro360]

Install a transmission cooler. Make sure you flush the cooler lines. NAPA carries an aerosol product that does a good job. I used 2 cans when I flushed mine.

yeah i was planning to do a cooler and maybe even a trans temp gauge... basically i just like to do things right the first time and im not rich so i like to spend my money wisely and in the right areas.

 

[Greg Ducato]

If your trans is not a 1987 or later unit then it would be a good idea, darn near mandatory, to replace the input sprag with the 87-up 29 element dual cage and the low reverse sprag with the 87-up long roller style, both are a big improvement. Next add an extra friction (two if possible) to the 3-4 clutch pack. A better reaction sun shell is a good idea, as is a Corvette style servo piston. Make sure the reverse input drum is machined where the band rides, these are quite bad about warping and you will want maximum contact area for your band. Speaking of which, the stock width Borg Warner band is very reliable and has shot peened ends, stay away from some of the off-shore "performance" bands, they have a habit of delaminating and end failures. Use a larger reverse boost valve and tv boost valve in the pump, a good pressure regulator spring, hardened pump rortor rings and vanes (10 vane rotor if you don't already have one) and double pump slide springs. There are many "shift kits" on the market, don't get carried away with aggressive shifts, they will beat up your drivetrain. If your builder is experienced with the 700R4 he probably already has some thoughts of his own on this subject, but these are some things I would consider the minimum for a decent 4x4 build.

 

[destro360]

If your trans is not a 1987 or later unit then it would be a good idea, darn near mandatory, to replace the input sprag with the 87-up 29 element dual cage and the low reverse sprag with the 87-up long roller style, both are a big improvement. Next add an extra friction (two if possible) to the 3-4 clutch pack. A better reaction sun shell is a good idea, as is a Corvette style servo piston. Make sure the reverse input drum is machined where the band rides, these are quite bad about warping and you will want maximum contact area for your band. Speaking of which, the stock width Borg Warner band is very reliable and has shot peened ends, stay away from some of the off-shore "performance" bands, they have a habit of delaminating and end failures. Use a larger reverse boost valve and tv boost valve in the pump, a good pressure regulator spring, hardened pump rortor rings and vanes (10 vane rotor if you don't already have one) and double pump slide springs. There are many "shift kits" on the market, don't get carried away with aggressive shifts, they will beat up your drivetrain. If your builder is experienced with the 700R4 he probably already has some thoughts of his own on this subject, but these are some things I would consider the minimum for a decent 4x4 build.

thanks for the response, great info! "monster transmissions" talks up their trannys very well but i really wonder what goes into them? they are very cheap (price) with almost zero core charge and free shipping plus other marketing stuff like stickers etc. who knows maybe they have great transmissions but i wish i could know first hand... i wanna build this thing right and forget about it.

 

[76zimmer]

If your trans is not a 1987 or later unit then it would be a good idea, darn near mandatory, to replace the input sprag with the 87-up 29 element dual cage and the low reverse sprag with the 87-up long roller style, both are a big improvement. Next add an extra friction (two if possible) to the 3-4 clutch pack. A better reaction sun shell is a good idea, as is a Corvette style servo piston. Make sure the reverse input drum is machined where the band rides, these are quite bad about warping and you will want maximum contact area for your band. Speaking of which, the stock width Borg Warner band is very reliable and has shot peened ends, stay away from some of the off-shore "performance" bands, they have a habit of delaminating and end failures. Use a larger reverse boost valve and tv boost valve in the pump, a good pressure regulator spring, hardened pump rortor rings and vanes (10 vane rotor if you don't already have one) and double pump slide springs. There are many "shift kits" on the market, don't get carried away with aggressive shifts, they will beat up your drivetrain. If your builder is experienced with the 700R4 he probably already has some thoughts of his own on this subject, but these are some things I would consider the minimum for a decent 4x4 build.

I figured someone would chime in with experience with the 700/4L60's. There is a lot of required upgrades I would do (as mentioned) before I would run one again. They just aren't a strong trans stock. Although I've run one for as much as 230K (85 C20), I've also seen em smoke parts in less than 60K in stock form (96 K1500).
I've really only worked on 400's, so there lies my faith in GM tranny's.