700r4 lock up control ?

[13lazer]

my b&m lock up control w/ mechanical speed sensor has been nothing but a headache. the wire connections are pitiful, they hadn't been soldered. they backed out of the plugs almost immediately after i opened the box before my tranny was even installed. i have been trying to hardwire directly to the pins in the dash mounted module with no success. i have ruined the controller and im glad because it sucks.
My question is if i drive without lock up engaged will my tranny be damaged. it is running well below 150 degrees F. the tranny is from a 1989 truck. im trying to decide on my best option to control my torque converter. in the meantime i don't have any other transportation. will i burn up my 4th gear if i get on the freeway? i might not solve this problem for a week or two. should i avoid driving until i get this right, or am i just losing some fuel economy?
who's system works best? raptor, tci, painless, bto,..
any suggestions?
thanx