Th700R4 Bowtie Overdrives - any users?

[cypress TX 72]

I am about ready to order my 700r4 and i have received numerous good marks about Bowtie Overdrives and their TV kit..
Have any of you used these guys and can you give me any advise.

[Mixup]

I'm not using a 700r from them because I got a deal on one somewhere else. I'm using the TV kit and some other things from them and everything works great. They are also very helpful even though it's not thier tranny.

[JMac11]

TV KIt is great, have a spare holley one just in case.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I used the TV kit AND the TC lock-up kit. Well worth the $$.

[Orange]

I think this is now Maddog Transmissions (who I bought mine from).
If so, I love mine. It's the 700hp one, because of the durability in the parts, not the HP rating.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy...spagenameZWDVW

I do have the BTO TV kit though, and love it.

DLB

[cameeks]

I'm going with monster transmissions and you dont have to get a tv kit with TCI's new valve body. It turns the tv cable into a kickdown cable.

http://www.tciauto.com/WhatsNew/File...eValveBody.pdf

[DoobieBrother]

That sounds cool. I'll have to check it out since plans for a new tranny, probably 700R4, are in the future. Just looking at their site, though, TCI seems to be rather expensive on the trannies themselves. Or am I smoking something?

[cameeks]

this is the transmission I'm going to buy. The one I have now is a used one to get me by because my powerglide went out. I called this company and they have never heard of the TCI valve body and said they were going to stock the part now.
http://racetransmissions.com/store/p...bea164b66e1427

[ckhd]

I have a BO 700r4 in my 'burb. Works good.

I bought the high-end one, I think they rate it at 600hp or 650. Not because I'm running that much, but because I wanted the stronger parts.

[cypress TX 72]

Thanks for all the input guys - from speaking with the guys at Bowtie, he assured me that the motor and gear i was running their level 2 700R would be fine - I am running a SB 400 @ 360HP - and upon their recommendation i will re-install the 308:1 gears that i took out for 373:1 last year -
This will give me around 1700 rpm at 60mph-----nice----
Still a little worried about the whole "TV" thing, but no NUTs - no GUTs

Thanks again Guys

[timcos]

How does that work in a K10?

Conversion and all?

Or will it not work?

[67ChevyRedneck]

I'd personally stick with the 3.73.....

[71chevylowrider]

Hey Cypress, I'm curious about the 3.08 recommendation from them, I also have 3.73's now, & plan on a 700R4 in the future, presently I have 27" tires, what size tires are you running & what made them reccoment the 3.08's just for the freeway mileage? Or what?

[67ChevyRedneck]

I'm curious why they would recommend that as well, unless you're going to be running a small diameter tire?

My tires are 235/75/15 which are about 28.87" tall. With my 3.73 I'm turning about 1,800 rpm around 55-60 mph. My motor doesn't really like much less than 16-1700 rpm in OD which is around 45-50mph.

I guess if you're running 24" tires or so (like on 20" rims or something?) then maybe it would make sense?

[cypress TX 72]

If you go to their website you will see the ratios of each gear.
The reason for the 308's is to actually have a 4th gear - with the 700R in first gear with 308's is exactly equivilant to a TH350 with 373's - so by the time to get to 4th gear you can utilize the 308 ratio to your advantage and run 1680 rpm at 60mph.
with this equation in mind - if you left the 373's, then the change in ratio between the 350 and 700R (in first gear) would be more like having 432's. Now I know to some of you that sounds great and it is for a straight line truck - but to have good street light preformance and great hwy preformance is to have the best of both worlds - which is the reason to have the 4th gear in the first place.
If you left the 373's you would be sacrificing the top end (low RPM) - so in retrospect - if its just bottom end you want - then just leave the Th350 or the 400 and slam in 432's.....nothing wrong with that - if thats what you want.
what i wanted was to be able to let that motor wind down to as low a RMP as I could at 55 or 60 mph, while not sacrificing too much of the bottom end.

I think on their web site it says that its something like 33% more efficant than the typical set up (th350 0r 400 w/ 350 - 373's)

At least thats my take on it.. 27" tires

[67ChevyRedneck]

I can tell you that at 1700 RPM in my truck at about 50 mph it will dog down and downshift to third anyway at the sight of any hill. You go too low on the RPM band and you're out of the motors power band. A 350 with OD is "happiest" around 1800-2400 rpms. This is perfect for highway driving. I spin about 1800 at 60-65 mph and it can go up hills easily without shifting. You get too low in the RPM band and it will want to shift all the time!

I can't remember his name, but a board member had 3.08's in his truck and swapped back to 3.73 and got better mileage with his 700R4.

Just something to think about The smaller tires will help though!

[powell72]

I have always heard don't run 700's in overdrive under 1800 RPM.

[Smitty]

I've Had a Bowtie in my '71 for years. .060 over 350 no problems and the TV made easy is great. I changed to 3:54 or there about and wish I had stayed with the 3:73's for the mileage.

[cameeks]

3.55:1 would be the lowest I would go

[Already Gone]

Is anyone running a big block 396 or 402 basically stock with a 700R and
3:08s or 3:42s? I am curious about the driveability and fuel economy with those combos.

[Ozona]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

Is anyone running a big block 396 or 402 basically stock with a 700R and
3:08s or 3:42s? I am curious about the driveability and fuel economy with those combos.

I have a 509 cubic inch big block and a bowtie overdrive Stage 3 700R4 with a 3.73 rear gear. I got the stage 3 since I have big power.

Driveability with a hot big block is pretty good. Mileage...not so much.

850 CFM carb and 500+ cubes = bad gas mileage.

[Zonaman]

Originally Posted by powell72

I have always heard don't run 700's in overdrive under 1800 RPM.

Had mine built by a trusted local tranny pro. He told me,"Never tow anything in overdrive and you're OK."

[timcos]

I saw on BTO's website they have a throttle thingamajiggy that will replace the 50% throttle position downshifter with a 75% throttle position downshifter.

I will call it a 75% throttle position thingamajiggy.

[vfrdude]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

I can tell you that at 1700 RPM in my truck at about 50 mph it will dog down and downshift to third anyway at the sight of any hill. You go too low on the RPM band and you're out of the motors power band. A 350 with OD is "happiest" around 1800-2400 rpms. This is perfect for highway driving. I spin about 1800 at 60-65 mph and it can go up hills easily without shifting. You get too low in the RPM band and it will want to shift all the time!

I can't remember his name, but a board member had 3.08's in his truck and swapped back to 3.73 and got better mileage with his 700R4.

Just something to think about The smaller tires will help though!

I agree! I had 3.08 gearing when I converted to a 700R4, and this is exactly what was happening. I now have 3.73's, and I think it's just right!

[69RAT]

Originally Posted by Already Gone

Is anyone running a big block 396 or 402 basically stock with a 700R and
3:08s or 3:42s? I am curious about the driveability and fuel economy with those combos.

Had one with the last 396 and 3.08's, have another now and looking for a 3.73 BEFORE I put in the 700r4. Any incline and you were in passing gear! BB mileage is better above 2300 rpm.