what transmission is best for me

[HotRodPC]

What are your thoughts on me swapping a built 700r4 in my burb
It has a th400 now
A buddy of mine... His dad had been building transmissions for 30yrs and can build me one for what I could sell my th400 for
Any changes I would have to make to my drive line??


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I'll call ******** on that v2500. And not to say your buddy don't know what he's doing, but to say, 700r4's are weak, and even if you're just mild on the thing, it'll need some upgrades and the upgrades alone are going to cost more in parts than what you can sell the Th400 for. This is why I haven't built my 700r4's yet. They're expensive to build in comparison to a Th350 or Th400. Sure you can do a basic 700r4 rebuild, and be sure to use an 88-92 (93) core.
What gear ratio and what size tire are you running on this Burb? Are you towing with it?
I'm hoping to build a 700r4 someday that I will tow with, and also tow in OD behind an OEM 454. I will have 4.10 gears and stock 31 in tall skinny tires on a 2wd C20 when I do it. And I won't expect it to last 80,000 miles.

 

[HotRodPC]

I think i would end up trying to shift and try to jam the trans into park on the hwy with that thing...

i like the thought of being able to reuse everything. (dshafts, tcase etc) so i will probably stick with a th350. is installing and properly setting a new gear set something i should attempt? any special tools i would need? and while i'm doing this, any inexpensive lsd units for a d44 front axle? ive never even had rear posi till the g80 in my current truck but my dad is still surprised i even try to go where i do. may as well make this thing a go-anywhere-mobile.

I think that's a wise decision. The Th350 isn't as strong as Th400 but it can sure hold it's own unlike the 700r4. I'd upgrade the intermediate sprag outter race gear, and run a Stage 1 Shift Improver kit and add an auxillary trans cooler and call it good. You don't need alot of special tools to do a Th350. If you're handy, you can make them with some bent metal and all thread. Sure it'll be the slow way to compress your clutches but you're only building one trans so I don't suggest spending $300 or so on the speical tools. As far as bushing drivers, you can get by being careful and using big sockets, or even make the drivers with a hole drillbit saw and 3/4 in plywood. Those drivers won't last long either, but they'll work to build 1 or 2 transmissions.

Here's a thread on Th350 teardown,
http://www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread.php?t=911

And here's a thread on Th350 Build. Take a look and see if it's something you think you can handle before you get into it.
http://www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1045

 

[canadianboy]

thanks for the links. i read all the posts, i think i will attempt it once my dad is back from vacation. can you recommend a good rebuild kit and shift kit?

 

[HotRodPC]

thanks for the links. i read all the posts, i think i will attempt it once my dad is back from vacation. can you recommend a good rebuild kit and shift kit?

Last kits I've bought were from transmisisonpartsusa.com . Cheapest on price, shipping is UPS ground out of FL. First time I ordered from them I only got 2 kits cuz of cheap price figuring it would be cheap ass ****. It wasn't **** to my surprise so I ordered 4 more kits and they too were good kits. Not the best kits, but were good kits with famous name brand clutches and seal kits.

You can get by with a B&M or LIKE ship improver kit for a Stage 1 or Stage 2 kit. Stage 1 Being a firm RV/Towing shift. Fairly mild shift at slow or low take offs, and fairly firm if you're getting on it a bit. Stage 2 will be quite firm at slow to low take offs, and tire chirping neck snapping shifts at 3/4 to full throttle take offs.

You can go this route for $41 total and get the B&M name brand kit,
http://www.ebay.com/itm/B-M-PERFORM...Parts_Accessories&hash=item5af8259b13&vxp=mtr

Or go this route and get and get the off name brand for $24 total and it's going to do the same thing. Personally, I'd go this route. It's going to be the same kit without the big name and in cheaper packaging.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Turbo-350-T...Parts_Accessories&hash=item27dd9ad1f9&vxp=mtr

 

[canadianboy]

... I'd upgrade the intermediate sprag outter race gear, and run a Stage 1 Shift Improver kit and add an auxillary trans cooler and call it good...]

What does it mean to upgrade the "intermediate sprag outer race gear"? What is needed for a trans cooler? I've never worked on an automatic before.

 

[HotRodPC]

What does it mean to upgrade the "intermediate sprag outer race gear"? What is needed for a trans cooler? I've never worked on an automatic before.

For moderate to heavy abuse, the #1 failure of a Th350 is the roller sprag and outter race failing. You can get a hardened race and add some strength in this area.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TH350-Outer...Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e5323dad2&vxp=mtr

 

[canadianboy]

For moderate to heavy abuse, the #1 failure of a Th350 is the roller sprag and outter race failing. You can get a hardened race and add some strength in this area.

what other upgrades would be smart to add while the trans is apart? im not easy on vehicles haha

 

[HotRodPC]

what other upgrades would be smart to add while the trans is apart? im not easy on vehicles haha

On the cheap, that's all a Th350 really needs for moderate abuse along with the other suggested added trans cooler and shift improver kit.

Now if you want to get into some severe abuse or 600hp and above, you'd want to replace that intermediate drum with dogbone sprag type drum and race. That's about $450-$550 for that drum set. Next would be a hardened input shaft of 300m (IIRC) steel and that's close to $400.

 

[canadianboy]

ok. thats a little too much improving

the trans now has only 1st gear and reverse, and slips out at low rpm. does this sound like a possibility for a newbie rebuild? it drives fine when it stays in gear but only has first. i drove it about 5km (3mi??) home when i bought it and it would "slip out of gear" until i got the revs up and it would grab like it was shifting.

which kit will be required? http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com...tm?searching=Y&sort=1&cat=4641&show=30&page=1

 

[HotRodPC]

Yes, but you might need to find another drum with that intermediate race I'm talking about. Sounds like that trans may have lost that #1 failure I'm talking about. You need that for 2nd gear and when it fails you lose 2nd gear. It just depends on how bad it got tore up. It could also be a wore out Direct or Forward clutch pack. But yes, if you can do a trans, you can do this one.

 

[canadianboy]

Alright. I appreciate all the tips and advice. I'm excited to get the truck finished and start driving it.


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[foamypirate]

On the cheap, that's all a Th350 really needs for moderate abuse along with the other suggested added trans cooler and shift improver kit.

Now if you want to get into some severe abuse or 600hp and above, you'd want to replace that intermediate drum with dogbone sprag type drum and race. That's about $450-$550 for that drum set. Next would be a hardened input shaft of 300m (IIRC) steel and that's close to $400.

Don't forget about dual feeding. That can help the trans last longer. My TH350 is dual fed. Not that my 305 would ever kill it, anyway, but I had it built to handle something a little hotter down the road.

 

[HotRodPC]

Don't forget about dual feeding. That can help the trans last longer. My TH350 is dual fed. Not that my 305 would ever kill it, anyway, but I had it built to handle something a little hotter down the road.

Already ahead of you on the dual feeding foamy. This is why I suggested the shift improver kit. The shift improver DOES dual feeding, just in a different way with the seperator plate. See the one with the river cut in it? That does the dual feeding with all the other explanation, and the kit improves pressure to the accumulator feeds too. So it's easier for a newb to use the kit rather than explain all the other details. Kinda like KISS.

 

[canadianboy]

I decided I should get a few quotes for a rebuild incase I get in over my head. The best price was 6hrs at $85/hr so $510. This is just for labour. I would but the kits and any other parts. A full rebuild with torque converter, shift kit (stage 2) an such was quoted at $1163.
I also have someone else to call tomorrow. He owned a trans shop for years and was recommended by 2 people. He isn't in the business anymore but my dad has done work for him and knows him so he might be willing to do it for me at a reasonable price.

Are these prices reasonable?


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[HotRodPC]

FAK, I'm in the wrong business. the last one I built was a Turbo 400 and I did that one for $250 labor + parts at MY COST, not marked up, so it was $425 out the door with a new converter TOTAL, parts and labor. Now I didn't do any upgrades on it, cuz the 400 is pretty strong already and it was a stocker anyway so it didn't need any and drilled a couple holes in the spacer plate to firm up the shift and avoided the need for a shift kit. Now, a Th350, to get the dual feeding, I always suggest the shift kit. There is other ways to get dual feeding, plugging this off, leaving this seal out blah blah blah, but I don't like that. Reason being, I've put in some shift kits before and it was to much and getting tickets for chirpping tires, they wanted it taken out. Well I was jacked, cuz I had charged for the shift kit due to the added labor but didn't buy the kit. So to remove the harsh shift, required me to pull the trans and tear it all down. With the shift improver removal, you just drop the pan, pull the separator plate, put an OEM plate back in, pan back on and your done.

And OHHHHHHH MY GAWWD !!! $1163. And that doesn't even include the Upgraded Race either. SHIIIT !!!

What a bitch. I assume your in Canada huh???