To all you 700R4 owners......
 

Have any of you installed the TV (throttle valve) system offered by Bowtie Overdrives ? If you haven't seen this, you should check it out. Their web site states that an aftermarket carb, such as an Edelbrock or Holley doesn't offer enough TV cable "swing" to move the TV in it's full range of travel. They also state that the TV cable needs to be adjusted correctly to prevent premature transmission failure. I read all the info on the web site and it was very informative. I also pulled the pan off my trans to see for myself what they are talking about. It's true, the Edelbrock linkage doesn't operate the TV to it's fullest potential. their system not only fixes this problem, but also allows you to adjust the transmisson’s shift "feel". I talked to the owner of the company this afternoon. He was very friendly and explained why the proper adjustment was necessary. I went ahead and ordered the kit as well as the correct speedo gears and a pressure gauge so I can adjust the cable properly. He also encourage me to call back once I get it installed and they can assist me in the adjustments. I was very impressed with their web site and the over-the-phone assistance. The guy even called me at work on his dime! They also have some cool "tools" on their site. For example, to find the right speedo gears, you just fill in you tire size and rear end gear ratio. It pops up with a table highlighting the gear set(s) that you need! Pretty cool stuff.

I'll post a follow up next week after I get the kit installed and adjusted and let you all know what I think of it.

Slammed67

Great site~

I have their kit in my truck and it works great with no problems.

The kits look good and there's some GREAT info there...

But IMO I didn't need their kit for the original-style Edelbrock #1901 QuadraJet on my truck. I just got a miscellaneous TV bracket and cut most of it off and bent the rest of it until I got the pull numbers I needed...I don't have the links handy but there's some sites that show how the TV needs to be pulled out. Basically, you want a lot of it to pull out initially (so TV pressure and hence tranny pressure rises soon enough to handle increased load from the engine) and there's a certain amount you should have it pulled out at WOT.

So far, I've got 1600mi on mine, no problems at all and running great.

Oh, and one last thing - you really don't need their TCC made EZ kit at all. Wiring lockup is rather simple; figure out what switches/solenoid you have and decide when you want it to be able to lock up (4th gear only while not on the brake or on too much gas, etc), decide what switches you'll need, and wire the whole mess so the solenoid gets 12V and ground when you want it locked.

Update:

I got the Bowtie Overdrive's TV bracket system installed. Installation was pretty simple and straighforward. I think the hardest part of the whole thing was hooking up the pressure gauge! The parts are very high quality and well designed. Did the kit make a difference/improvement you ask? Hell yes it did!! It was like night and day. Before, the trans would only downshift from 4th to 3rd. Now it downshifts in all gears. I'm very impressed with the results and would recommend the kit to anyone. I'm finding it hard to keep my foot out of the pedal :)

thanks for the tip. I am just about to put the 700r4 in my monte. Btw another good site to check out is www.700r4.com

web address
 

Hooter; I think that site is the Bowtie Overdrive site. I would like to add one of these to my NP205 in 3/4 ton 4x4 sub. Anyone have one in 4x4 from Bowtie? It would be real nice in state to state freeway driving.

Would you mind sharing the price? I am having trouble getting my truck shifting right...I think. Thanks

i used the lokar kit. then i took it to where i got the trans built and he adjusted my pressures and whatnot.

cheyenne10, I'm thinking of doing the exact same thing! Mine won't be until May-ish (tax return). If you do it before I do, share notes!

If I do mine, I plan on taking lots of pictures and documenting what I have to do.

nate68: What kind of carburetor are you running? If it’s an aftermarket carb, you may not be getting the full potential of your trans. I also had the Lokar kickdown cable but it doesn’t really solve the problem. I went ahead and used the Lokar cable with the Bowtie Overdrive TV kit.

Low68: the kit minus the cable (since I already had one) was $79.00. They also sell a pressure gauge with 7’ of hose for $29.00