Don't worry about the trans cooler for now. You need to get it to shift right first. Cooling or not is not your problem. You can install a trans cooler anytime, it's not your problem right now.
I went through the same hell as you are now. Edlebrock "air gap" manifold with Edlebrock carb. Previous owner jerry-rigged everything, it was all way off, and he had brake and delay switch disconnected and plugged into nothing.
You need to get the correct "Edlebrock" Throttle valve adapter that bolt's onto the carb linkage first of all, I tried making my own to save $15 and I got close but not correct, just spend the $15 and get the Edlebrock one, most all O'riellies and Autozones have them in their "performance" sections, or order it on ebay.
Once you have the TV adapter, you have to get your throttle cable bracket that is bolted to the manifold right as well. You can get aftermarket throttle cable / TV cable bracketts from several different manufacturers, but you can use your factory bracket as long as you mount it as close a possible to where the factory bracket used to be. The factory bracket is actually better, because it does NOT have all the stupid adjustments that will just make things more confusing.
Follow what I am saying here. The carb cable (not the TV cable) does not care where the bracket is, as long as it has enough play to let it rest on the idle stop, and enough play to pull it wide open. The TV cable is adjustable in the bracket, or at least it should be on most ALL 700R4 factory brackets. You MUST learn / know how to adjust the TV cable in the bracket.
Once you snap in the TV cable into the square hole in the factory bracket, you can push up on the bottom of the plastic square dilly and pull it back to put tension on the cable...this tension is critical for the converter to lock up!
Do a search, there are thousands of posts, with diagrams, and pictures on how to adjust the TV cable. YouTube is the best, just look it up. Your factory throttle cable bracket is fine because the intake manifold bolts are still in the factory place, but they may be a bit higher or lower, but that wont matter, the carb does not care where the bracket is, as long as the pull on the throttle is from idle to WOT (wide open throttle). But the trans cable geometry MUST be PERFECT to go into lock up. Go to YouTube and search "700R4 TV cable adjustment".
NEXT! You must have your BRAKE PEDAL release switch hooked up properly. On a 700R4, once you are in Torque Converter Lockup, the torque converter stays locked up until you press on the brake pedal. Some GM cars/truck have TWO switches behind the brake pedal in the cab, (one for the brake lights and one for the TCC) and some just use the brake light switch to DIS-engage the TCC (torque converter clutch). You must make sure that all the VERY simple wiring is hooked up correctly for this to happen, it's not hard, it's just a single wire from the brake light switch to the TCC that makes it happen, and most ALL 700's have this.
It seems complicated at first, but it's really not. There is also a delay switch that will not allow the TCC to lock up until the engine temp comes up, it is wired into the temp gauge, and again VERY simple.
If the previous owner had dicked around with the wiring, or if you have changed stuff not knowing what gets plugged into where, it's not hard to fix, just a few wiring splices and you got it. It is not computer/module stuff, just basic wiring, and bending and adjusting the factory cable bracket to get it RIGHT.
I had to bend my factory throttle/TV bracket quite a bit, and then fabricate a brace out of aluminum. The factory bracket bolted to the inside of the "Edelbrock" manifold vacuum port, and my custom aluminum brace bolted to the 3rd intake bolt from the rear (on the left side of course). I may have had to dremel off part of the factory bracket as I don't remember if this was on my k1500 or my Camaro.
Just do yourself a favor and watch a bunch of youtube videos, it's all there, and I seriously doubt you have a "NON" lock-up converter on your 700R4. Just make sure that you have a tiny bit of play on the TV cable at idle, and that it's nice and tight at full WOT.
