Thanks I think your right about the manual swap I just kind of wanted to gather a little more info on it. I thought about going to the TH400 at one point and also the TH350. Other than the TH350 is the same length as the 700R4 there aren't really any benefits that I can see. Although I know guys will debate the the gear ratios in the 350 & 400 are closer together and that can be a good thing, but I've come to like the lower 1st ratio in the 700, and I'd like it more with a lower rear end ratio. The benefit in the TH400 is the added strength, but the driveline length has to be changed, or am I wrong about that? If the 700 & the 400 are the same length I'd give it some consideration.
I am not tuned into values in the slightest. I don't watch Bringatrailer, and I do not like modern drive train in an old truck. To me that ruins them, I do like original, or factoryish. Hence the reason why when the 305 dies, I'll likely be putting in a 350, possibly mildly built, of course with hauling and towing in mind. (I will tell the builder the future plan when I get the 700R4 rebuilt). My point is from that prospective I do place some personal value on keeping a truck born an automatic and automatic. The big plus to the SM465 really is control and durability. I've already written off the SM465 idea really.
I haven't hauled a load in pickup with a SM465 in it in probably 25 years, but I get to drive customer rigs at the shop with them, and not this year but the prior several years a medium duty truck one of the valley farms owns during harvest, but as you'd expect it has a 2 speed rear end, which kind of changes things since there is 8 forward gears instead of 4. I also remember the amount of time it takes to change gears with an SM465 can be problematic when loaded or towing.
In the end it's all a trade off one way or another. I don't wanna rebuild the 700R4 and kill it in a couple years, I can hardly afford that, but on the other hand it made it all these years, and I've got a huge cooler and temp gauge. I've never overheated this one and I'll be sure not to do that to the rebuild. I do value the low first gear, and the over drive for the added economy when empty. When I eventually get around to changing the rear end gearing (currently 3.41 (Yikes)), keeping the 700R4 makes 4.10 or even 4.56 gears reasonable, even on the highway at moderate speeds (I did a lot of the RPM calculations a year or more ago)
Yea, she's a good work truck for me for sure and I'm sure I'll still be using it for work for a LONG time to come.
So if I have the local guy overhaul my 700R4, maybe while it's out I should be swapping that semi-float 3.41 ratio for that FF 4.10 or 4.56 I've been wanting for years now. I gotta get on my bicycle and find me a rear end and installation parts if that's going to happen.
