If it's not one thing...

[fleming442]

I was told to adjust the shifter on the neutral stop. I did my 4L60E with an extended 3 speed rod. It works fine, but sometimes drops into 3rd instead of 4th and the reverse lights work.

 

[Buford T. JuSStice]

If I recall correctly, a 700-R4 needs that TV cable set with a pressure gauge. Anything else is just guessing and running the risk of damage. Here is a table to compare the line pressure to what you have.

View attachment 147480

That's the first I've seen of that, though I wouldn't doubt if you're right. Most YT guides on it range from, "Pull it as tight as you can, lock it in, push the tab, go WOT and let go of the tab, let go of the throttle" to "Pull until you have some tension, set it, and then use the fine adjustment". Seems like everybody has their own way of doing it, but if that's the correct way, then I'll have to buy a tool. We'll see how it goes when I take it out for the next test drive.

One guy actually had an open transmission trying to show what you're going for in general, which is to have the lever just touching the valve with a small amount of tension on it. Being "too tight" is okay, but if it isn't touching at all, then that can cause damage. When I readjusted it the last time, and I took the pan off the transmission, it was indeed "just touching" with a small amount of tension on it, and everything seems to move the way it's supposed to... nothing is stuck or bound up.

By hell or high water, I'm going to figure this thing out even if it kills me.

 

[Buford T. JuSStice]

I was told to adjust the shifter on the neutral stop. I did my 4L60E with an extended 3 speed rod. It works fine, but sometimes drops into 3rd instead of 4th and the reverse lights work.

I'm thinking the reverse position might be best simply because there's a idiot proof (important for me) visual cue (the backup lights) and there's a detent on the column switch to hold the shifter in place while you fasten the adjusting bolt down below. From there, I don't really even care if I can get into anything below Drive, because I can't remember the last time I've ever needed it. lol

 

[Wageslave]

700-r4's are wierd. I will probably end up with one in my Bonneville eventually, but I am a little gun shy of getting a used one.

 

[Buford T. JuSStice]

Yeah, mine's a TCI so any problems I'm having with it are probably my fault for being a goober who's trying to learn as he goes with this stuff. I mean, I'm not a complete noob in the garage, I did manage to put this thing together on my own with almost no help, but they don't teach you any of this stuff in schools and everybody has their own way of doing things so you just have to try different methods until you find what works for your situation. Most of what I know I've learned from experience or asking for advice or help. It isn't like the old days where there are a lot of technicians who work on this stuff every day. Most of those guys are retired and the ones creeping up on retirement now were probably oil changers just starting out when these cars were just starting to phase out of circulation in the mainstream.

I'm just trying to learn instead of having other people do it for me so I can say, "I built it" even if that means making every mistake possible along the way... obviously I'm not TRYING to make every mistake possible, I just happen to be very creative when it comes to making up new ways to screw up lol

 

[olds307 and 403]

I assume that chart is for a bone stock 700R4? My 2004R with 180 psi with full TV pull were mushtastic shifts.

 

[Buford T. JuSStice]

Experience is the best teacher, and being too afraid to make to make mistakes means that you never get anything done and you never learn. On the bright, if all else fails and the transmission is totally toasted, I have a backup 700R4 that I pulled out of my '84 Trans Am that I can swap in. Has the same tailshaft housing and everything, it'd be a total bolt-in. Only reason I didn't use it to begin with is the fact that it's used, came out of a clapped out Trans Am, and from what I understand, earlier model 700R4's are weak sauce anyway.

I don't think it'll come to that, but I'm always thinking about backup plans.

 

[Buford T. JuSStice]

Well, some good news at least. The little modification I did to the shift rod (taking a half an inch off the end) worked out really well! I put the transmission into reverse, put the shift lever into reverse, verified that the reverse lights were on, tightened up the adjustment bolt, and then tested it out... goes up into park, reverse, OD, D, and beyond that I didn't try it, but there's no reason to believe it doesn't work... only other modification I had to make was to bend the pinch weld between the firewall and floor down a little bit since the rod was hitting it a bit when it was up in the park position. Now it has positive clicks in all positions.

After one discouraging setback after another, it's nice to have a win for once.

 

[Buford T. JuSStice]

HUZZAH! THE SONUVABITCH WORKS! This calls for a beer!