700r4 sluggish to go into any gear, have to rev motor up

[G-NUT]

I just bought a "good" used 1988 700r4 trans and torque converter from a salvage yard. It came out of a 1988 C1500 5.7L. I pulled it.

Before installing I replaced front/rear seals, new TV cable, installed the Transgo SK-700JR kit, new valvebody gaskets, and new trans filter and Dex VII fluid.

Installed, adjusted TV cable, added fluid, started up, let motor and trans get warm, checked trans fluid on level ground with motor running and trans in neutral like the GM manual says.

When I put it into R to backout of the garage it was very sluggish to move. I had to give it some gas and get the RPM's up for it to move. I figured it was low or high on fluid. Once out of the garage on the driveway the fluid level was fine. So when I put it in D the burb moved but just like in R, very sluggish / slow to move. I had to rev it up quite a bit to get it moving forward. Once going it did shift from 1, 2, 3rd. Then I tried to turn around. Same R issue. Once turned around to go back, same issue in forward gears.

ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS? COULD THIS BE SYMPTOMS OF A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER OR WEAK/BAD FRONT FLUID PUMP?