700R4 Deal or no Deal

[Arizona oldguy]

I am approaching the time when I will need a transmission; I have a builder turbo 350, but have been thinking about a 700R4, I read some horror story about not getting the shifting cable just right and burning up the trans. Oh the current engine is a 327, future will be something a little stouter but in the small block arena. Your thoughts and experience appreciated.

[Clyde65]

I dont have a horror story but my dad put a 700 in his crewcab and it has been stellar. does do a tad better on mileage too.

[72K20]

I am running a 700R4 in my 72K20 and could not be happier. Still running a very mild 350 but planning on upgrading to a 383 stroker and I'm sure the 700R4 will still stand tall!
I can actually drive past some gas stations now!!!

[joeelutz]

Adjusting the cable is absolutely necessary, but not that difficult. For a safe initial adjustment, have a helper hold the throttle wide open (engine off of course), then adjust so that the detent cable is pulled out to the end of it's travel when the throttle is wide open. It may sift a little late like that, but you can slowly back it down till if shifts right. I put overdrives in all the time. Thanks to OD and fuel injection, my 67 gets 19.25 mpg with mixed city and hwy driving up to 80 mph.

[jojo]

No horror stories here either. Mine works great!

[btullis99]

700r4 is the way to go. Nice low first gear, good OD ratio with a lockup converter. Gotta have em built right if your gonna make big power.

[basketcase]

If I need to replace the trans in my '69 when I get it going I would go for a 700R4. I know nothing about the TH400 that came with my basketcase. I hope it's good.

BTW my oldest son lives in Queen Creek. I was out there for the storms during the auctions.

Tom

[Arizona oldguy]

Thanks for all of the input, I am going to go that way. I grew up in Queen Creek, it use to be a tiny farming town, not at all the way it is now.

[Hair]

Just so you know that everyone doesn't have a perfect experience with them:

I had an early 70's Camaro hotrod with a 350 turbo with stall and shift kit.
I swapped to a 700R4 with a stall and sift kit for better gas and a lower gear.

Personally, I never liked it as good as the 350 or other 400's that I have ran. Maybe I never had the combo right or something, but it just never shifted as hard as the 350, felt mushy, and it did not like to stay in overdrive. It would hit overdrive at about 50mph and if I dropped down any slower it would drop down too.

It was probably something that I had wrong, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth and I've stuck to PG's, 350's, and 400's ever since.

I had no trouble with the kickdown cable though.

My 2 cents

[Wrenchbender Ret]

The important thing with the cable is the correct carb. hookup. The late Q-jets work good. A holley or Carter/edel. you need an appropriate adapter. Some of the custom trans. builders show the proper hookup. The connection for the cable should be no more then 1 1/8 in. from the center of the shaft. It should start forward of the shaft & go through an arc to the rear of the shaft.