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Transmission Replacement - 1st timer

fear_nothing

fear_nothing

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So I've come to accept the fact my transmission is dieing. Its missing shift points, and its latest trick is no reverse on occasion :doah: As a someone who is mechanically inclined, on a scale of 1-10 how hard is a transmission swap? As side from the logistics of hoisting the transmission out/into a lifted truck. How long to you reckon this would take with a buddies assistance? I'm going the route of a junkyard/Craigslist trans, what should I be looking for?

Here's what I have in my 1st gen K5 at the moment, I'm guessing its a th350?
Not to complicate the question, but can I find a transmission that will bolt in that comes with overdrive?

Thanks in Advance!

1RMoKl.jpg
 
That looks like a 700R4 and should have overdrive. I swapped mine in my 89 blazer and it took me two days. Could have done it in one, but I went slow so I didn't mess anything up. It was my first bigger swap and I have to say looking back on it was easy. Not to sure that to look for, but be sure to set the TV cable that one's really important. The TV cable is a cable that goes from the transmission to the throttle linkage(is the name?) and it controls shift points and such.
 
there not bad with good tools and jack that will lift that high . also if removable floor pan hump wrap a strap around it and use a engine hoist threw the hole.

and LONG extension with ball swival flexy for the bell housing bolts inless removable floor pan hump. then its easy .

700r4 pan there.

th350 is square with 1 45* corner cut off.

th400 is TEXAS shape pan.

if me DO NOT use craigslsit or swap sheet or junk yard 700r4 . :doah::whistle::angry1:

get a quality reman unit local or www.bowtieoverdrives.com

then set the t.v ( NOT a kick down cable in these trannys ) corectly . if not set correct = DEATH REAL FAST of 700r4 . also run good cooler and trans temp gauge.

oh ya get a can of cooler flush also to clean out the old crap before you pump it in to the new tranny.

and read this for good info http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3020914#post3020914
 
I'm a thrifty bastard so I might go the used route. Pardon the noob question, will any ole 700 r4 work? Or does it need to be from a 4x4 truck?
 
fear_nothing said:
I'm a thrifty bastard so I might go the used route. Pardon the noob question, will any ole 700 r4 work? Or does it need to be from a 4x4 truck?
Click to expand...

99% chance the 700 you get used will fail in short order. I would just rebuild what you have
 
Thanks for making this thread im interested as well :)

Mine shifts nice, but when putting into reverse it takes about 3 seconds.

Not good im thinking.
 
I spent 2200 for a built 700 good for 750 HP (so it says), a tranny cooler, a tv cable and synthetic fluid for it. Looking back probably would have swaped in a SM465 Manual.
 
Your able to do it for way cheaper for me I don't want to deal with it again *knocks on wood*. I suggest a SM465 if you want cheaper and simpler. Some may disagree with me, but that's my opinion
 
fear_nothing said:
I'm a thrifty bastard so I might go the used route. Pardon the noob question, will any ole 700 r4 work? Or does it need to be from a 4x4 truck?
Click to expand...

I believe the tailshafts are different from 2WD to 4WD.

Call around your local, non-chain transmission shops. If you do the R&R, you may find someone willing to rebuild it for relatively cheap.

-- A
 
dremu said:
I believe the tailshafts are different from 2WD to 4WD.

Call around your local, non-chain transmission shops. If you do the R&R, you may find someone willing to rebuild it for relatively cheap.

-- A
Click to expand...
Yeah my local guy quoted me $850 out the door with heavy duty parts. I didn't think that was to bad:dunno:.
 
Autozone had the 350 trans for about 1500 but you get 500 back when you bring the old one back.Not sure what prices youve found. At the time i did mine used ones at the junkyards nearby were just as expensive but had 100k miles.
 
Kocher93 said:
Your able to do it for way cheaper for me I don't want to deal with it again *knocks on wood*. I suggest a SM465 if you want cheaper and simpler. Some may disagree with me, but that's my opinion
Click to expand...

Funny enough my truck used to be an manual. The clutch pedal is still in place, It also has the phantom shifter on the colum that the PO never removed, so I'm guessing it came with three on the tree?

Am I ratching up the difficulty factor by making the switch to a manual? After reviewing the replies I'm pretty confident I could drop and replace the 700 r4. Dealing with a clutch and manual trans how much does that complicate things?

I'm making an honest effort to keep costs down, this endevor was not planned. I had the money ear marked for a full roll cage :doah:
 
todays fuel prices = overdrive for the win for me.

and prob going to need driveshafts for length diffrences. also need tcase to match the stick shift tranny. the one you got now is 27 spline input. you would need 10 or 32 spline dep on tranny year you get.

lots of choices but for simple easy win on many levels and not fall in to the endless pit of mods redo one you got for now and enjoy it. :waytogo:
 
Well the trans finally died, I dropped it off at a local transmission shop today. I shopped around extensively the place I'm using quoted me 1200 out the door.

works for me.
 
Local shop did all the work dropped it rebuilt it and replaced out the door for 1495. Beast sun shell kolene blue clutches trans go 2-3 reprogrammer , HD sprague amsoil fluid corvette servo
 
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