Thirdgen86TA

I have been having some troubles with my 700r-4 lately. The transmission won't shift until about 4500rpm in normal cruising conditions. I now have no low end torque at all. Can't even spin the tires. There is also a lot of play between 1000-2500rpm(meaning no acceleration).
Here is what I have done in attempt to fix it. I tightened the cable a little bit and it worked better for about a month. But now I am back to square one. If i open the hood and pull on the cable it fixes itself for a minute or two but goes back. Right now it is at a speed shop and I talked to the guy there and he suggested it was a stretched cable. I would like to see what you guys think.. Thanks.
BTW. HE suggested that over the phone so it is not diagnosed yet.

jamesbern

Get a cable on it they're cheap and they do stretch and cause problem sometimes. If that doesn't fix it e-mail me with your problem and I'll help you figure it out.

Thirdgen86TA

OK. they called today and told me that the cable was unhooked and now there is probably more damage in the transmission. I don't see how it could be unhooked when I checked the day before and it wasn't. I don't want to put another $1200 into the transmission because I put that much into the transmission last year. Is there any kind of pressure switch or anything inside the trans that would make this happen.. Please help..ITs my daily driver.

4L60bliss

A stretched cable will cause low line pressure resulting in sooner and softer shifts. It sounds as though your experiencing the opposite of that. It sounds closer to the condition I replied to in this post:
https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=155515

Thirdgen86TA

Thank you.. That was actually helpful. I have done searches, but I have not come across anyone having the same problem. My car does that all of the time. Hot or cold. When I took it to the speed shop the guy told me that he checked the cable and checked the valve and it moved ok. Although when I drove home from the shop today it seemed perfectly fine.. For the first mile or two. I am thinking by tightening the cable last time it may have put more pressure on the valve which made it hang up less? I think it gets stuck and just shifts at governer pressure. Before I was thinking about getting the shift kit that fixes the problem, but I thought it was too much work to drop the pan and everything. After today though, I was thinking about getting a new transmission. SO definately if that is what it is I would be happy.
Is there any other ways I could make sure that it is the problem?
I would hate to mess up my car by driving it at 3500-5000rpm wherever I go. Also a friend suggested that I spray carb cleaner in the valve and it will free it.. Could that work? Thank you for your help.

4L60bliss

Unfortunatly, you can clean it and make sure it moves freely all you want, but it probably won't get you squat. The reason the TransGo setup works so well, is because it incorperates dual booster springs and a self cleaning valve. I have seen this problem on quite a few trannies, including my own, and have NEVER seen it happen after the TransGo installation. A valve stuck in the MAX position will make it shift very late, and hard. Since that is your concern, and the fact that it seems to be OK for a little bit after messing with the cable, sounds like it certainly is your problem. When my car used to act up when it was still stock, I could pull over and give the cable a few good tugs and it would work correctly again for a while.

As for the guy working on it, if he had alot of 700R-4 experience he would have come accross it a time or two and should have recognized it. Not to mention, he would have had to pull the valvebody to check the actual Throttle Valve (you didn't say if he pulled the valvebody or not). My guess would be that he check operation of the Plunger, which is easily accessed once the pan is removed.

Thirdgen86TA

Ok cool man. I really appreciate all your help. I will check with some other people and I will see how much I can get it installed for. Also the place I took it to was called Speed INc. They mostly do LS1's and Lt1's. I took it there because all I hear is that they do awesome work and that they are very trustworthy and they are also our club sponser. Luckily they didn't charge me anything. One thing I was a little mad about was I had my mom call and talk to them after they talked to me.(her boyfriend is a mechanic so I wanted my mom to be able to explain it to him) He told my mom that even though I just had my trans fixed a year ago. MY problem was from abuse. He said that I beat the crap out of my car and that at this rate I would need a new trans every year.
Yeah right.. I love my car. It is my baby. Even my girlfriend is jealous of it because It gets so much attention. I Take really good care of it and I put a lot of money into it. Even though we all sometimes have the urge to floor it or spin the tires occasionally, I do not abuse it. HEHE thanks again.
Brian

4L60bliss

Except for the '93 Model Year, LT1's and LS1's were not bolted up to 4L60/700R-4's, but instead, the electronically controlled 4L60-E. Maybe thats why they were perhaps unfamiliar????

Anyhow, it seems almost hypocritical that a place called "Speed Inc" that specializes in LT1 and LS1s, that they would accuse you of "beating" on your stuff as the cause for repeat failure. Isn't that, after all, the reason we do what we do???? I guess they don't expect the people whom they just did "work" for to blow out the cobwebs in the exhaust once in a while I'll be the first to admit, I beat the crap out of my car, thats why I have made it what it is, and the tranny shows ZERO signs of distress. If its done right, most "street" cars won't have a problem. And FYI, "beating" on the car won't make the Throttle Valve stick. The first 700R-4 I rebuilt was at the dealership on a '92 Buick Roadmaster. After overhaul, I was to nervous to beat on it, and it did it. Its just one of the many 700R-4 quirks. They used to teach us at the GM Training center to torque the valvebody bolts to the minimum speck to reduce valvebody distortion, but they will never come right out and say "theres a problem", nor did it help.... Its just one thing you learn to work with. Good luck.

Corry

Interesting....My car used to always shift real hard and as it warmed up it would go away. The shop told me they had just put a shift kit in the trans and that was the cause for the behavior, I "clear out the cobwebs in the exhause evry once in a while" too and thought sheesh that can't be "abuse" this is a sports car! Its not made to be driven like a granny! Oh well, I'm ditching my auto now that it blew a second time and going with a t-56. I keep finding out about little things that can cost you a fortune in repairs....like for example. the crush collar in the GM 10 Bolt....a $20 solid bearing spacer from ratec alone will significantly improve the life of your rear end, that and a rear end support cover will nearly bulletproof the 10 bolt...I think we need to compile a list of the "Little Stuff" you should do to your thirdgen upon buying it, or at least as problems happen, but a list that you can see was it something little that caused this, or was it just that I was beating the hell outta my car. Oh well, just a thought...

Thirdgen86TA

Ok just got my car back and I have bad news. I need a new transmission. I had a shop pull the trans pan and the magnet was full of metal shavings.(if you want a picture I can post one)
He put part of the shift kit in so that it would get me home. I believe that the metal shavings were getting into the valve and making it hang up. So as of right now I think I am going to have him build a race transmission.(for street and strip). He said with labor and parts and a trans cooler it would be about $1400. I know I have put a ton of money well over what it is worth, but I am too attatched to sell it. Hopefully this trans will last for a long time.