700R4 Information Thread

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

SirRobyn0

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2019
Posts
6,755
Reaction score
11,402
Location
In the woods in Western Washington
First Name
Rob
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
C20
Engine Size
305
Sad face... my 84 has no lockup and I was hoping just to rebuild what I have not source another.
My unit was an 84' that had not had any upgrades when my builder took it apart, though he thought it might have been rebuilt once early on. I sat down with him and we went over how I would be using the transmission and what upgrades he could do. I told him my budget he worked with in that to build a transmission that should last for years to come even with me doing occasional towing and hauling. And a lot of the upgrades he talked about doing we the same stuff I'd heard over and over again to do on the older units. I think my total was $2,200, I did the R&R so he just had the tranny but he does have the facilities to do the R&R for you. I can give you his info if you'd like to call him.
 

HotRodPC

Administrator
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Posts
47,128
Reaction score
9,299
Location
OKC, OK
First Name
HotRod
Truck Year
85 K20 LWB
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
The no wire lock up is the only reason I've held on to 2 of the 84-86 cores I have. My other cores are 88-93. Yep, 93. Must have been some very early 93s but I have 2 I got from the same guy. He assured me they were 93 700r4 and I didn't believe him, but they are.
 

NickTransmissions

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2023
Posts
412
Reaction score
849
Location
Las Vegas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R10
Engine Size
350
The no wire lock up is the only reason I've held on to 2 of the 84-86 cores I have. My other cores are 88-93. Yep, 93. Must have been some very early 93s but I have 2 I got from the same guy. He assured me they were 93 700r4 and I didn't believe him, but they are.
Yep, there were 1993 model year 700R4s installed into Corvettes, Camaros, Firebirds / Trans Ams as well as Caprice and perhaps one or two other passenger car lines...The 1993 valve body takes 3 check balls - a third was added for reverse input. Those vehicles switched over to the 4L60Es starting in 1994.
 

Royal Sierra 454

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2022
Posts
268
Reaction score
654
Location
Goodyear, AZ.
First Name
Scott
Truck Year
1976
Truck Model
15 GMC Royal Sierra
Engine Size
454
Hello Nick. Happy New Year to you all! I plan on getting my core to you after Super Bowl. Let me know what works for you. How can I tell what year 700R4 core I have? Is one year better than another to build? Scott in Goodyear.
 

NickTransmissions

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2023
Posts
412
Reaction score
849
Location
Las Vegas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R10
Engine Size
350
Hello Nick. Happy New Year to you all! I plan on getting my core to you after Super Bowl. Let me know what works for you. How can I tell what year 700R4 core I have? Is one year better than another to build? Scott in Goodyear.
Happy New Year, @Royal Sierra 454! Sounds great.

For year, look at the case above the servo bore for a large upside down 'U' shaped crease. That indicates a 1988-1993 700R4. 82-87 Lack that crease. Then look at the passenger side rear of the transmission, just above the pan for a multi-character alpha-numeric code. The first digit is the year of production. So a 700R4 with a large U shaped crease and a '1' as the first digit would indicate a 1991 unit.
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,693
Reaction score
6,869
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
Yep, there were 1993 model year 700R4s installed into Corvettes, Camaros, Firebirds / Trans Ams as well as Caprice and perhaps one or two other passenger car lines...The 1993 valve body takes 3 check balls - a third was added for reverse input. Those vehicles switched over to the 4L60Es starting in 1994.
thats gay
or was late model 700r4 better than early model 4l60e?
 

NickTransmissions

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2023
Posts
412
Reaction score
849
Location
Las Vegas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R10
Engine Size
350
thats gay
or was late model 700r4 better than early model 4l60e?
Lol!

Any 4L60E is going to be better simply owing to the fact you don't have to deal with the throttle valve system found in the 700R4s. But as far as case internals are concerned, the 1988+ 700R4s and 93-96 4L60Es are identical.

You don't see any daylight between them until 1997 when GM started to install the bonded steel/rubber forward and coast clutch pistons in the forward drum of the 4L60E...In 2003, they changed the reaction shaft design to accept a Torrington bearing and eliminated the bronze thrust washer between the shaft and front of the sun shell and in 2005 they moved to a wedge-seal design for the pump-case which, in my experience, resulted in a more consistently round pump body casting that drops effortlessly into the pump bore assuming both halves are aligned correctly upon assembly.

In 2001, GM introduced the 4L65E and it had numerous improvements over the 4L60E - you can check out my 4L60E vs 4L65E video if you'd like all the details.
xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

It's worth noting that all of the updated parts like 5-pinion front and rear planets, upgraded reaction shaft w/bearing, 7-clutch 3-4 pack, Corvette servo (GTO/Vette 4L65Es only) can be retro'ed back to the 700R4, making it a much stronger transmission.

Your last name isn't 'Swift' by chance, is it?
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,693
Reaction score
6,869
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
Lol!

Any 4L60E is going to be better simply owing to the fact you don't have to deal with the throttle valve system found in the 700R4s. But as far as case internals are concerned, the 1988+ 700R4s and 93-96 4L60Es are identical.

You don't see any daylight between them until 1997 when GM started to install the bonded steel/rubber forward and coast clutch pistons in the forward drum of the 4L60E...In 2003, they changed the reaction shaft design to accept a Torrington bearing and eliminated the bronze thrust washer between the shaft and front of the sun shell and in 2005 they moved to a wedge-seal design for the pump-case which, in my experience, resulted in a more consistently round pump body casting that drops effortlessly into the pump bore assuming both halves are aligned correctly upon assembly.

In 2001, GM introduced the 4L65E and it had numerous improvements over the 4L60E - you can check out my 4L60E vs 4L65E video if you'd like all the details.
xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

It's worth noting that all of the updated parts like 5-pinion front and rear planets, upgraded reaction shaft w/bearing, 7-clutch 3-4 pack, Corvette servo (GTO/Vette 4L65Es only) can be retro'ed back to the 700R4, making it a much stronger transmission.

Your last name isn't 'Swift' by chance, is it?
you should rebuild my 4l60e (for free :D)
Jk lol. I have a used 4l60e also from a pwm 1996 truck to swap it out. Not sure how long it will work but it might work for a while
 

Royal Sierra 454

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2022
Posts
268
Reaction score
654
Location
Goodyear, AZ.
First Name
Scott
Truck Year
1976
Truck Model
15 GMC Royal Sierra
Engine Size
454
Nick, the core I picked was a 4 (1984). Can you build a strong 700R4 with this year core? It isn't a K case either. Thoughts.
 

NickTransmissions

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2023
Posts
412
Reaction score
849
Location
Las Vegas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R10
Engine Size
350
Nick, the core I picked was a 4 (1984). Can you build a strong 700R4 with this year core? It isn't a K case either. Thoughts.
I can but if it has the 27-spline small-diameter input shaft (82-E84), you have to pay for a later (L84-87) pump and input drum. Both of those parts together are very expensive and hard to find.

Count the splines on the input shaft to comfirm/deny...

I thought you picked up a 90 or 91 core...
 

Royal Sierra 454

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2022
Posts
268
Reaction score
654
Location
Goodyear, AZ.
First Name
Scott
Truck Year
1976
Truck Model
15 GMC Royal Sierra
Engine Size
454
Looks like i bought a $75 anchor. The search is back on.
 

NickTransmissions

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2023
Posts
412
Reaction score
849
Location
Las Vegas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R10
Engine Size
350
Looks like i bought a $75 anchor. The search is back on.
Keep the anchor aside, there's a few valuable parts from it that i can use so can give you a little bit of credit for it towards your build when you're ready..ill let you know if i come into an 88-92 core as well.
 

Bloodhound1981

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Posts
202
Reaction score
455
Location
MA
First Name
Rusty
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
C-10
Engine Size
5.7
@NickTransmissions Question for you. I have a 700R4 that is out of a 1989 Corvette. It is stock. What kind of HP/torque do you think it can safely handle? It looks like vettes that year were rated at 245HP and 340 lb/ft. The motor I have in front of mine is at about 360HP and 400lb/ft.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
44,147
Posts
950,317
Members
36,259
Latest member
GearheadzMech
Top