200-4R Transmission Problems (Any 700R4 gurus?)

[ixfn]

Hello all, I haven’t posted in a while but am stumped with the problem I am having with a 200-4R retrofit installation. Rather than draw it out I’ll lay out the nitty gritty.



Setup: 200-4R with retrofit TV cable hook-up to Rochester 4BBL made to pretty exacting measurements to duplicate stock angles/pull/etc.

Symptom: Irregular shift between first and second with lots of slip (free revving), won’t engage third until about 55mph in second, and WILL NOT go into fourth (OD). Also, if the shifter is in third, it won’t leave second, and will only reach third if shifter is in fourth.

Could it be that the fluid level is too low? I’ve added what seems like plenty, changed the filter, and added a bottle of Lucas – I can’t drive it as-is long enough to get it hot enough to check. Stuck governor? Or does this sound like TV cable misalignment? I have triple checked and adjusted my TV cable, and even did a drive with it disconnected in frustration with the same results. Also, the lockup is not wired at this point but didn’t think it would be responsible at this point.

I really appreciate the help, and thanks to all.

BC

[megaladon6]

if you had the same results with it disconnected, i'd first make sure that it's actually connected to the valve in the trans. and make sure that the valve moves and returns freely.
if the fluid level on the dipstick is close to the proper range you should have enough fluid. how old is the trans? has it been sitting around for awhile?

[ixfn]

if you had the same results with it disconnected, i'd first make sure that it's actually connected to the valve in the trans. and make sure that the valve moves and returns freely.
if the fluid level on the dipstick is close to the proper range you should have enough fluid. how old is the trans? has it been sitting around for awhile?

I can double check the cable but it hasn't been disconnected from the transmission since it was removed from a vehicle that was my daily driver that had no such problems - the thing is the tranny sat for a couple years in between with most of the fluid out of it. When I had the pan off it still looked "good as new" as far as I could tell (just meaning it wasn't full of dirt, sludge, rust, etc.). Thanks for the reply, megaladon.

[vp23271]

I am not a tranny guru, but came across some good reading material 2 weeks ago. I ordered a 700r4 from BowTie Overdrives last week and their website had some good info. Maybe do a pressure check? Hope the links below help?

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/eprints/cc_eprint.pdf

http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/03...nal/index.html

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/eprints/rc_eprint.pdf

[vp23271]

Here is the literature BowTie Overdrives sent me with my invoice/receipt. Very detailed step by step instructions.

[megaladon6]

one possibility is that the torque converter has drained and is taking awhile to fill back up, therefore no pressure. did the fluid level drop alot after the first startup? do you have to rev the engine to get the car to start off? one method i've used is to start the engine and let it run for a minute, then pull forward at idle as far as you can in the driveway, then reverse. i'd do this a few times then check the fluid and top it off. i had a truck need this 3 or 4 times before i could drive it. and that was just from a filter change!
unfortunately i'm not a trans guru either and can only go by what i've seen/done, but it's definately worth a shot.

[ixfn]

i'm not a trans guru either and can only go by what i've seen/done, but it's definately worth a shot.

Sounds good to me at this point

I believe I should heed the advice of getting a gauge hooked up since it is a modified cable setup - thanks for all the tutorial links everyone!

[83hurstguy]

ever get this fixed? Sounds just like the TV cable is way out of adjustment...