Tq converter for 5.3 ls swap in a 700r4

[tjw82c10]

I am in the process of putting a 5.3 in my 82 c10 and am just planning ahead. Im keeping the 700r4 and just gonna get it rebuild and put a slight shift kit in it. This is going to be a long distance truck for fishing / camping trips. I dont know much about what the stall means and I was curious for what kind of converter / rear end gear ratio you are running for a good medium between mpg and acceleration. Im thinking of doing 3.73 in the rear cause what I have read that is a good medium but was curious about the converter still. Thank you in advance.

 

[Bextreme04]

I am in the process of putting a 5.3 in my 82 c10 and am just planning ahead. Im keeping the 700r4 and just gonna get it rebuild and put a slight shift kit in it. This is going to be a long distance truck for fishing / camping trips. I dont know much about what the stall means and I was curious for what kind of converter / rear end gear ratio you are running for a good medium between mpg and acceleration. Im thinking of doing 3.73 in the rear cause what I have read that is a good medium but was curious about the converter still. Thank you in advance.

If you can get one, it will be faster and easier to just get a full 5.3/4l60 combo from the donor. A 4L60 is identical to your existing 700R4 externally, but you won't have to worry about a TV cable and you can adjust your shift points and pressures from the computer at the same time you are tuning your engine. 3.73 or 3.55 would be a great cruising ratio while still giving you some low end grunt.

 

[tjw82c10]

If you can get one, it will be faster and easier to just get a full 5.3/4l60 combo from the donor. A 4L60 is identical to your existing 700R4 externally, but you won't have to worry about a TV cable and you can adjust your shift points and pressures from the computer at the same time you are tuning your engine. 3.73 or 3.55 would be a great cruising ratio while still giving you some low end grunt.

Well the whole reason im wanting to keep the 700r4 is due to it just being easier to work with (to an extent) and to eliminate alot of the wiring, im fine with the tv cable adjustment its not that big of an issue. I was thinking of keeping just the stock converter but thought id dip my toes in the water and see what your guys thoughts were. Also side note I just got a call back from the trans shop about rebuilding it for 400 hsp which its mainly just for a cushion, they are asking between 2500-3500 depending on parts so i think imma just go buy a new one cause its practically the same price on summit. What aftermarket transmission companies should i stay away from?

 

[Bextreme04]

Well the whole reason im wanting to keep the 700r4 is due to it just being easier to work with (to an extent) and to eliminate alot of the wiring, im fine with the tv cable adjustment its not that big of an issue. I was thinking of keeping just the stock converter but thought id dip my toes in the water and see what your guys thoughts were. Also side note I just got a call back from the trans shop about rebuilding it for 400 hsp which its mainly just for a cushion, they are asking between 2500-3500 depending on parts so i think imma just go buy a new one cause its practically the same price on summit. What aftermarket transmission companies should i stay away from?

Nobody sells a new anything. If you buy one from summit it is going to be rebuilt. I'd take the one rebuilt by a reputable local company over a mail order trans every day of the week.

The factory 4l60e that is going to come with your swap engine is already "built" for the power and would likely last many years just as you got it. All of the "built" parts that the rebuild shop would be putting in are the improved parts that are stock in a 4L60e because they have found all of the weak points over the last decades. There is only ~6 wires going to the 4L60 from the PCM... its way simpler to just use the stock PCM, stock engine/trans, stock converter, stock wiring harness, etc... than it is to try to find a way to properly control that TV cable from the LS throttle body, dial it in right, and try to beef up and rebuild that junky 700R4.

 

[Ricko1966]

If I were looking for a performance upgrade,on a factory converter,I'd use this chart. The factory converters have a 4 digit code 1st digit is transmission type,second digit is stall speed. I don't remember the second 2 because they weren't important to me. First digit D 700r4/4l60 2nd digit is stall speed so a DB?? Would be 700r4 2025 stall speed. DBLF is a 1995 S10 700r4 2025 stall speed so still a reasonable choice for a daily driver by GM standards. Do not use parts store parts book torque converters by application,unless they can verify stall speed. They consolidate the applications,so they can reduce costs, you may order a converter for an S10 that factory was 2025 but may get a converter for an Impala with a1397 stall speed. Because most car owners will not notice the difference.

 

[TotalyHucked]

Nobody sells a new anything. If you buy one from summit it is going to be rebuilt. I'd take the one rebuilt by a reputable local company over a mail order trans every day of the week.

The factory 4l60e that is going to come with your swap engine is already "built" for the power and would likely last many years just as you got it. All of the "built" parts that the rebuild shop would be putting in are the improved parts that are stock in a 4L60e because they have found all of the weak points over the last decades. There is only ~6 wires going to the 4L60 from the PCM... its way simpler to just use the stock PCM, stock engine/trans, stock converter, stock wiring harness, etc... than it is to try to find a way to properly control that TV cable from the LS throttle body, dial it in right, and try to beef up and rebuild that junky 700R4.

This. OP, I know you don't want to hear it but the 4L60 really is the way to go. Guys online fight doing the 4L60 all the time when in reality, it's far harder to keep the 700R4 and make the TV cable operate correctly (there's no truly good way to get it to work with a throttle body). You already have to buy a harness, so just get one that has the control capability for the 4L60 built in and you're good to go. Just make sure to grab the TCM out of the donor as well.

As for the torque converter, that depends on what you're doing to the motor. Keeping it bone stock? Keep the stock converter. Stock in an NBS truck (99-07) is something like 1400 stall speed (stall speed is where the truck actually begins to move once the revs come up). That with a 3.73 rear gear will cruise like a stock truck and still have a little pep when you step on it. If you're gonna slip a cam in it, then you need to match your converter to the cam choice.

Here's a good video of how a torque converter works:

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For example, when I first built my truck I grabbed an LH6 5.3 out of an '06 GMC Envoy Denali and slipped a BTR Stage 4 V2 truck cam in it for some chop and performance gains. I decided a Circle D 2800-3000 stall would be about right. I also wanted a little more oomph than my friends with 3.73s so I went 3.90 gears. That was a PERFECT combo. Put 27.5k miles on it before I swapped in a stick shift and never wanted for more or less gear or cam. It cruised at 2250 at 70mph and got 18-22mpg on the highway. The stall converter honestly could've been a touch looser, it would surge at stop lights if I didn't have my foot on the brake enough (with that particular cam, with a milder cam it would not have done that). In hindsight I would go with a 3400-3600 stall with that cam.

 

[tjw82c10]

Nobody sells a new anything. If you buy one from summit it is going to be rebuilt. I'd take the one rebuilt by a reputable local company over a mail order trans every day of the week.

The factory 4l60e that is going to come with your swap engine is already "built" for the power and would likely last many years just as you got it. All of the "built" parts that the rebuild shop would be putting in are the improved parts that are stock in a 4L60e because they have found all of the weak points over the last decades. There is only ~6 wires going to the 4L60 from the PCM... its way simpler to just use the stock PCM, stock engine/trans, stock converter, stock wiring harness, etc... than it is to try to find a way to properly control that TV cable from the LS throttle body, dial it in right, and try to beef up and rebuild that junky 700R4.

I guess i should also mention that the LS is gonna be carb.... to me it makes sense to keep the 700 at least until i can get like a 6l80e which is waaaaaay down the line of things and then do the electronic one. I guess I could always just get a reman 4l60e which i work for a shop so i get a slight discount and spend the extra money on a stand alone. Good

This. OP, I know you don't want to hear it but the 4L60 really is the way to go. Guys online fight doing the 4L60 all the time when in reality, it's far harder to keep the 700R4 and make the TV cable operate correctly (there's no truly good way to get it to work with a throttle body). You already have to buy a harness, so just get one that has the control capability for the 4L60 built in and you're good to go. Just make sure to grab the TCM out of the donor as well.

As for the torque converter, that depends on what you're doing to the motor. Keeping it bone stock? Keep the stock converter. Stock in an NBS truck (99-07) is something like 1400 stall speed (stall speed is where the truck actually begins to move once the revs come up). That with a 3.73 rear gear will cruise like a stock truck and still have a little pep when you step on it. If you're gonna slip a cam in it, then you need to match your converter to the cam choice.

Here's a good video of how a torque converter works:

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

For example, when I first built my truck I grabbed an LH6 5.3 out of an '06 GMC Envoy Denali and slipped a BTR Stage 4 V2 truck cam in it for some chop and performance gains. I decided a Circle D 2800-3000 stall would be about right. I also wanted a little more oomph than my friends with 3.73s so I went 3.90 gears. That was a PERFECT combo. Put 27.5k miles on it before I swapped in a stick shift and never wanted for more or less gear or cam. It cruised at 2250 at 70mph and got 18-22mpg on the highway. The stall converter honestly could've been a touch looser, it would surge at stop lights if I didn't have my foot on the brake enough (with that particular cam, with a milder cam it would not have done that). In hindsight I would go with a 3400-3600 stall with that cam.

Yeah i think im gonna just go with the 4l60e. Was looking at ete and its slightly cheaper to just get a reman with my discount than to rebuild the 700r4 plus an aditional 600 for the stand alone. Also my set up is for a carb. im gonna keep the 700r4 for now until i can get 3k for a trans lol. Now i gotta worry about getting the damn thing in first. Any recommendations for motor mounts and the 700r4 to start?

 

[TotalyHucked]

Wait, why go LS and convert to carb? You'll have more money tied up in the carb conversion than you will to just keep the fuel injection.

For mounts, Tejas Steelworks are the best and easiest around. Got them in my truck and they're awesome. Motor mounts, trans mounts and fan shroud for dual 13" Spal electric fans.