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need real life feedback on a 700r4

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The thing I keep seeing is that all of you are running a $1500 REBUILT tranny's. I'm talking stock stuff here. No race shop tranny shop top of the line

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And I think that is the point. A 700 is an OK transmission, but it takes lots of work/money to make it a durable, reliable transmission. I like the 700 very much, but I realize that I am going to have to pay some money to have it built right. I expect a stock 700 to fail under towing/high torque applications.
 
I have had no problems with my 700r4. I've always been told to drive around in 3rd unless you were going to be doing above 55 for a long period of time, but around town, stay in 3rd. This keeps the tranny from shifting in and out of OD and locking and unlocking the torque converter, which creates heat, which leads to unnecessary wear. I'm going to add a cooler to mine, and the previous owner put on a B&amp;M pan, that sits a little deeper and has the added bonus of a drain plug!! I've read discussions here about people who had their 700's rebuilt with Corvette internals, but I don't know if that really helps or not. Other than that, just check the fluid, make sure it smells good, and go nuts. My 6.2 can do 70 if I want it to, but I rarely push it past 65. At 65 it's not even screaming, so the OD is definitely worth it in my opinion.

as usual, the folks here who have more experience than I would know better, but that's my .02 based on what I've read and the short time in which I've had my truck.
 
My 700 is the original. Has around 160k miles on it. Has spent years pulling a 5,000# boat. Has spent the past year and a half towing a 5,000# boat and a 3,000# camper (not at the same time! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif) with 35" tires and a 300HP motor. With the 420Hp motor I have in it now, I feel some slipping between the gears if I hold the pedal to the floor.

All in all I have been very pleased. The OD is absolutely essential if you see much highway time (non-towing). I am anxious to see how mine will hold up still pulling the camper condifering the addition of the 42" TSLs. It will have to work for a few more months til I get the 2500HD. If it will hold up to that, I am confident it will hold up to most things.

And mine is an '85 which is not necessarily considered one of the better models! But then again, I may just be a rare situation. I also ran locked 10-bolts for quite some time and never broke! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
I wouldn't be scared onf the tranny. Pull the dipstick and check the fluid and see if it smells burnt or is discolored. We have had a few(5+) with them and they have all held up great!!! Only one had a problem.. THe pump failed on it and took out most everything.. But the rest took alot of abuse(towing every weekend) and held up great!
 
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I expect a stock 700 to fail under towing/high torque applications.

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My 700 has been pulling boats, travel trailers, and anything else i hook it up to for Over 12 years now and its still alive and well. Its still stock and orginal
I have a friend that pulls a 27 foot 5th wheel with his 91 K2500 with a stock 700r4/4l60 it is still fine after all these years also.
When maintained properly they will last a long time. The problem with them is most people dont maintain their trannys. They buy a truck drive the hell out of it never change the oil then trade it in.
Then someone comes along buys it, The tranny goes out, costs them a bunch of money then they call the tranny a POS. I have blown up a couple of TH 400s in my life. I have yet (knock on wood) to loose a 700r4.
 
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I have yet (knock on wood) to loose a 700r4.

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And good luck to you. I have been witness, personally, to lots of 700's puking and dying. My family tows lots of heavy equipment/farm implements, meticulously maintains the trucks, and the early to about 88 700's never last. Before you question the maintenance/towing habits, I assure you, the transmissions have the fluid/filter changed on a regular basis (3 times a year), and are set up to tow. They just don't last as stockers. My uncle just smoked a 4l60E in a Chevy truck pulling a hay baler. Go figure. I will continue to use the 700, as I feel they are excellent transmissions, it has just been my personal experience they need some work to do well. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
If you use it for towing just do all the towing in 3rd gear and it will survive anything a stock TH350 will. By 1987 GM had most of the upgrades coming out of the factory.
 
If you have to run an auto the 700R-4 is the one to get I love the one in my K10 It's not stock buy any means but the th350 it replaced wasn't either and the 700R-4 has taken much more abuse and is still livin' and shifting hard as hell /forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif
 
I just wanted to qualify what I was saying with this; we use the 700 rather than the 4L80 because of the lower first gear. The inital grunt for pulling stuff with stock diesels and small blocks is beneficial. It also is nicer to get the RPM's up initially in nasty mud. Sorry if that makes no sense, but for those of you wondering "WTF is this clown doing pulling farm equipment with a 700?". /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif At least we all agree the 700 is a good, if not much-maligned, transmission. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
no mean to steal your post, but gotta question or so, gotta stock 700 and will be runnin 33s, gettin a cooler, what do u suggest, is there a such thing as overkill when it comes to coolers, and what about shift kits, are they a bad thing for them?? thanks
 
i doubt you could over-kill on a cooler. there is a temp range that is preferable for auto trannys, but unless you live in alaska or some other REALLY cold environment, I doubt overkill would be a problem. overheating a tranny on the other hand....

j
 
Personly I dont like shift kits on a 700. They should be built from the inside out. Not with a bolt on "kit". I have seen 700s fail after puting in a shift kit. Stock 700s, espically the earlier models dont like hard shifts they tend to break things inside when made to shift firmer with a bolt on kit. If you have a Stock 700 with a lot of miles I dont recomend installing a kit.( rember Murphy's laws)
Just put on a good cooler. It should be fine with 33" tires. Thats the size I run with no problems. I have a 18000 GVW cooler. But there is no reason you cant go larger.

Beings this is a 700 post here's a link that will help people Id their trans so you know what is in your truck.
<a href="http://www.highperformancecars.com/crosley/700id.htm
" target="_blank">http://www.highperformancecars.com/crosley/700id.htm
</a>

I'm not trying to say in my posts that the 700 is the best tranny built. If you are going to tow a lot of heavy things all over the place. I gotta agree with Tim ! You should get one built for it! And the eariler pre 87(you have to check the 87 model trucks sone of the ones built eariler in the model year still had the weak 700 in them) were junk They are what gave the 700 a bad name.
But the later model 700 are a good tranny and hold up well for general all around use.
 
I had my 700R4 built by a Tranny guy called the Hammer...Hard hittin trannys are his specialty and my transmission has worked fine ever since with a B&amp;M shift kit and corvette servo. I had him tone down the 1st to 2nd as it was crazy the front end would come up and it was like a train hit the back of my truck kept breakin the tires loose and i dont need anymore laying drag tickets. So now the 2n to 3rd to 4th hits pretty good. I dont have a cooler on it but id like to get one but Ive heard ppl on here say that they got a cooler and the trans. blew up not to long after so Im thinkin mabey i dont need one.... /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif /forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif www.zombieoffroading.8m.net
 
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