Ratchet's Blazer - 1970 2wd with Original paint

[smbrouss70]

I've done a bunch of research about my 700-R4 woes, and I believe I may have found a kit from Pro Built Automatics that may solve all of my issues. I'll probably be ordering that soon as a last ditch effort to save the automatic.

I had sold the Holley Sniper that I had to a buddy a few months ago since I had decided that I wanted the 4 injector Super Sniper for the additional analog inputs that it offers. I went ahead and ordered that plus the full Hyperspark setup that they didn't even offer when I purchased the first Sniper.

Hopefully, I'll have time to get all of that installed before C10's in the Park at the end of September. I got my registration stickers in the mail today, I can't wait.

[Chulisohombre]

I used a precision seal on mine and a professional install. So far so good. Sucks yours has a issue and couldn’t take it. But with new electronics I’d not want to leave it up to chance it would get ruined either.

[smbrouss70]

I'm about to order a Precision seal. The seal that is in there was there when I bought the Blazer 5 years ago, so who knows how old it is. I'm a little afraid of what I might find under that seal since that is the only area on the Blazer that I have not seen with my own eyes, plus it is leaking. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

[lks dcvn]

I have a new spare Precision windshield gasket - send me your address and I will ship it to you.

It is for no-trim.

[smbrouss70]

Originally Posted by lks dcvn

I have a new spare Precision windshield gasket - send me your address and I will ship it to you.

It is for no-trim.

I appreciate the offer, but I can't take your spare from you. Don't you have a 72 that will need one hopefully soon?

[lks dcvn]

Not soon enough on the 72. I can just order another one when I get that far.
Happy to pay it forward for all the help this board has given me over the years. PM me your info and I can get it out to you.

[C10_ustacould]

Originally Posted by smbrouss70

I've done a bunch of research about my 700-R4 woes, and I believe I may have found a kit from Pro Built Automatics that may solve all of my issues. I'll probably be ordering that soon as a last ditch effort to save the automatic.

I had sold the Holley Sniper that I had to a buddy a few months ago since I had decided that I wanted the 4 injector Super Sniper for the additional analog inputs that it offers. I went ahead and ordered that plus the full Hyperspark setup that they didn't even offer when I purchased the first Sniper.

Hopefully, I'll have time to get all of that installed before C10's in the Park at the end of September. I got my registration stickers in the mail today, I can't wait.

Bowtie Overdrives makes a great kit for TV control with the Sniper, check them out. We use their stuff with the FiTech on Connor's truck.

[Chulisohombre]

Originally Posted by smbrouss70

I'm about to order a Precision seal. The seal that is in there was there when I bought the Blazer 5 years ago, so who knows how old it is. I'm a little afraid of what I might find under that seal since that is the only area on the Blazer that I have not seen with my own eyes, plus it is leaking. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Yeah Mine was good underneath fortunately. Hope yours is as well. Mine got hit by a falling tree though. I thought it was possible it took out the frame as well but I got lucky with a hole in the top and a dented a pillar. Plus the broke windshield. Rust was my other worry but it was ok. Two years later it still no leaks. Had mine professionally dine so it was warranted if it did leak because of a installation issue. But all good.

[smbrouss70]

Originally Posted by C10_ustacould

Bowtie Overdrives makes a great kit for TV control with the Sniper, check them out. We use their stuff with the FiTech on Connor's truck.

My transmission originally came from BTO, so I've used their TV kits on every engine that it has been behind. I have their kit on the Quadrajet currently, but I'm still having issues. I believe it is all in the valve body, and the kit that I ordered today should fix what I believe is happening as well as upgrade a couple of common issues.

Once I have a chance to install the kit and prove to myself that the transmission can act right again, then I will order the TV-Made-EZ for the Sniper, and finally install the fuel injection.

[gringoloco]

I think the problem stems from the fact that your transmission has a torque converter instead of a clutch...

[smbrouss70]

Yeah, you are right. But, after numerous talks with my wife, she would like the Blazer to remain an auto, if at all possible, so she will still be able to drive it with her neck problems. Plus it will make it quicker to finish messing with the Blazer so that I can finally get back on my truck, which will definitely NOT be a cruiser. That one is slated to be more performance oriented instead of comfort, she won't want to drive that one, so it will definitely get a stick.

[gringoloco]

Sounds like a plan!

[smbrouss70]

Kevin (65streetcruiser) came down for the weekend to check out a friend's new rides and make a Cruise-In on Saturday. We checked out Chris' rides Friday night, but the rain kept us from making the Cruise-In on Saturday. So before Kevin left today, we decided to go burn some petrol! We stopped to take a couple of pictures...

[Palf70Step]

Nice photos Steven!

[Chulisohombre]

Very nice pics. I like the retro garage background.

[smbrouss70]

Originally Posted by gringoloco

I think the problem stems from the fact that your transmission has a torque converter instead of a clutch...

It looks like God has the same feelings as you...

Yesterday I was going to a breakfast meet in Baton Rouge, I didn't even make it 5 miles once I got on the Interstate, before the MF-ing 700-R4 quit pulling in gear, any gear. My wife came with a tow strap and pulled me to the next exit. Then I went home and got everything to hook up the tow bar so that I could safely pull it home. After cleaning up the shop so that I could get the Blazer back in there, and figuring out that backing a vehicle on a tow bar is a horrible idea, I finally got it locked up in the shop.

Now I have a month before C10's in the Park and a bad trans. It looks like the SM465 is going back in with Chris' Bonneville gear set for a 8.5" 10-bolt... 2.56's baby! Wish me luck that I can get it done in time.

[Chulisohombre]

Originally Posted by smbrouss70

It looks like God has the same feelings as you...

Yesterday I was going to a breakfast meet in Baton Rouge, I didn't even make it 5 miles once I got on the Interstate, before the MF-ing 700-R4 quit pulling in gear, any gear. My wife came with a tow strap and pulled me to the next exit. Then I went home and got everything to hook up the tow bar so that I could safely pull it home. After cleaning up the shop so that I could get the Blazer back in there, and figuring out that backing a vehicle on a tow bar is a horrible idea, I finally got it locked up in the shop.

Now I have a month before C10's in the Park and a bad trans. It looks like the SM465 is going back in with Chris' Bonneville gear set for a 8.5" 10-bolt... 2.56's baby! Wish me luck that I can get it done in time.

That sucks but I enjoy my gearbox much more. Hope you get er done.

[smbrouss70]

Well, I've gotten a lot of advice from many people and the general consensus was to rebuild one of my 700-R4's so that it could be a quick and easy swap, instead of re-inventing the wheel in about a month before C10's in the Park. So I did what any good sensible gearhead would do... I just went ahead and ordered my new TKO 600!

I figured that if I'm going to spend more money on a transmission, it might as well be what I really want. Hopefully the transmission and all associated parts will be here by Friday, which will give me 4 working weekends to get it installed, driveshaft measured and shortened/built, and build an exhaust for my new headers that have yet to be installed. If I'm running short on time, I can throw the manifolds and glasspack exhaust that was on the Blazer when I bought it to get me on the road. Here goes nothing!

[smbrouss70]

...And so it begins! No more torque converter problems for me!

This is my Transmission.
There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My transmission is my best friend. It is my life.
I must master it as I must master my life.
My transmission, without me, is useless.
Without my transmission, I am useless.
I must shift my transmission true.
I must shift faster than my enemy who is trying to race me.
I must out-shift him before he out-shifts me.
I will...
Borrowed from "Rifleman's Creed" USMC

[Palf70Step]

Nice!!

[Chulisohombre]

Enjoy that sucker. Looks like a go fast trans. Loved the riflemans to transmission reference.

[lks dcvn]

Alright!

[smbrouss70]

I hit a bit of a snag this weekend that completely stopped my progress of getting the TKO in the Blazer. If you look at the picture of the old bellhousing with the new one, the clutch fork hole doesn't give enough room for the truck style clutch fork to properly articulate when pushing the clutch in, due to it being straight instead of curved like a car version. Of course, my original bellhousing has a center hole that is 5-1/8" diameter instead of the 4-5/8" that the transmission requires to properly center the transmission on the crankshaft of the engine. I tried to locate a truck bellhousing that had the 4-5/8" hole, but couldn't find one to get me going.

I called Silver Sport this morning and explained my issues, and they are going to send me an indexing ring that should be a light press fit into my original bellhousing hole and will properly locate the transmission. I'm a little leary of that ring possibly falling into the pressure plate and wreaking havoc on everything, so they are sending a "machined surface sealant" which is kind of like thread locker, but for machined surfaces, and I will probably "stake" the bellhousing into the ring with a center punch just for good measure. The good news is that I can go ahead and index my current bellhousing with the larger hole to center it up on the crankshaft before the ring even makes it to me, so at least that can be out of the way.

[jaros44sr]

man, it is always something, when you're on a time crunch

[smbrouss70]

I guess I will catch up a little here, it's been a long weekend. The indexing ring came in from Silver Sport, but I wasn't happy with the fit, so I began searching for an apparently hard to find bellhousing for the truck clutch fork with the small hole for a car style transmission. Friday afternoon/night I drove 3-1/2 hours each way to pick up a bellhousing that fit the bill. I chased all the threaded holes and cleaned it up so that I could paint it Chevy orange to match my engine. I had acquired a NOS clutch fork pivot ball and mostly NOS stuff to rebuild the Z-bar. Once I had it all redone with new boot and all, I almost didn't want to put it under the truck since it looked so good.

My Dad showed up unannounced this morning and we worked until almost 9 PM getting the transmission in. I thought I would be able to do it all by myself, but it turns out having an extra set of hands really helped a lot. I still have to modify my trans crossmember to fit the TKO, swap out the yoke and rebuild the Z-bar, plus I found that the Z-bar is hitting the pretty brake lines that I bent up, so I'll have to re-do those now.

I may have to actually bring the Blazer to a muffler shop to have an exhaust system built since they will be able to do it much faster than I can and I'm running out of time.

I need to set the driver's seat and console back in place to figure out if the shifter position is going to work before I start cutting on my high hump again, but so far I think I'm liking how it is going together.