Okay guys. The new 383 (solid roller) is in and alive. The Long Tubes are on with 4" mufflex system. Just got done doing a hack job to get my Pro Ratchet Shifter installed today into my stock '90 Formula console (missing half the console plate now).

Only thing that is really holding me back from getting this beast on the road and running is that when I did this swap I POR-15'd the bay while I was at it. Thus transmission wiring got disconnected and moved/shuffled around.


I have no wire connections currently on my transmission. The 4-pin on the driverside rear pan does not have the connector plugged in. I believe this goes to the lock-up switch and other functions. The tailshaft 2 pin connector is also missing. I assume this is for the VSS for the speedo? Do these originally get ran down from the bay main harness? Can anyone give me the colors for the wires so I can track them down?

After I get these done I'll be ready to start breaking in the motor on the street.

 

I think I found it on my own. Looks like it comes off the main harness by the distributor. It has a 4 pin connector with only 3 pins/wires on it (which would be correct for the transmission). Also there is a 2 pin connection about 1 foot or so down from that which should be my tailshaft connection. WOO HOO now I just gotta roll around in the gravel and try it out. I'll clean the connections and post the wire colors and pin patterns for reference.

 

2-pin to tailshaft:
Purple
Yellow

Looks like it can fit either way. Hope I hooked it up right cause it was a pain reaching around the Spohn TQ Arm mount and between the 3" Y-pipe. Nearly broke my wrist a few times I think...

4-pin to transmission shell by driverside rear pan:
A - Purple
B - Light Blue
Opposite of A : Pink with Black stripe

Now found out that my fuel pump isn't staying on. I gotta track down my wiring and find the short because I had it hot-wired to continue to pump in run-hot.

 

Hi there, got a question and is seems to me that you may know the answer having done something similar to what I want to / have done.

Got an 84 Camaro. When purchased had stock 5L. This I successfully killed (oil pump failed and did bottom end). Swapped with an earlier 350 from a 77 vette. As not needing most of the electrics, I disconnected the ECM (put a 4bbl holley on her).

Investigation into this at the time suggested that what I did was OK. However in the midst of looking for headlight wiring diagrams, I noticed that there is a connection in the wiring for the torque convertor.

The car has a 700R4 tranny in it and I'm not sure what this function (the torque convertor solenoid) actually does.

Should this be connected (i.e. should I look to put the fuse back in for the ECM) or is there another fix or is it in fact a don't worry.

I ask as I am looking to change the engine (again!) and this time while the horses are out I want to tidy the engine bay wiring.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

The clip on the driver's side rear of the transmission is the torque converter lockup. The electronics inside the tranny lock the clutch inside the torque converter. If it does not lock up, your transmission will not last long.

To test, run the vehicle at approx. 55 mph, tap your foot on the brake pedal and listen to the engine speed change (RPM). You should hear the RPM slightly increase. Take your foot off the brake pedal and you should hear the RPMs slow down again. What you feel (hear) is the converter locking and unlocking. Hope this helps

 

Depends on year of tranny. Earliest 700s will be damaged if the TCC plug is left disconnected. Mid and Later ones are not. There are a couple different wiring types inside the tranny. The tranny can have an output from the Hi-Gear pressure switch, which tells the ECM when its in 4th. The ECM will send a signal back to the tranny for it to lockup the tq conv clutch based on a few other ECM readings reguarding load (MAP sensor) and (TPS). A 12volt ignition is also there as well. Some trannys have a single pressure switch and others have muptiple ones. Depends on year and motor. A lockup kit that sells for $100 can easily be made. The correct pressure switch in the tranny, the 12volt ignition wired throught the brake switch or relay off of the brake switch and a vaccum switch like from a mid-80s C/K truck. The pressure switch night be already in there...but cheap if you had to buy it. The vaccum switch can be had from a donor or cheap from the dealer. A little time and wire....viola! Will lock up in 4th, will release if brake is applied, release when downshift occurs and the 4th press switch disengages and will release when a load is applied via manifold vaccum on the vac switch.

 

ok i guess the next question will sound a little silly, however how do you identify 'mid and later' trannys ? I'm swapping the engine sometime in the next couple of weeks nad will be able to see the number of splines on the input shaft (27 or 30 i believe are the options, please correct me if i'm wrong). Is this a way to identify ?

I've browsed bowtie o/drives and they have a section on the 700R4 tranny and suggest that all the hassle can be overcome by a kit that acts from brake circuit (either from the plunger switch or from the wiring to the lights).

From reading your post this seems similar to what they suggest, however this is the other half of the silly question. The vacum switch circuit you refer to i guess is to go in parallel with the brake circuit to provide the lockup (engage / disengage) as reuqired by two alternate sources ? rather than just the one (brake) that most ppl seem to suggest ?

Any help is appreciated as I am learning about trannys rather fast ! engines - ok trannys

 

The ID numbers on the side of it. There were 3-4 different sequenses on hoow that number reads. Like ( 9 TA Y 0 M 12 N ) would be up to a 1984. This would be 85-86 reading ( 6 MD 146 A ). 1987 to 1988 looks like ( 7 YK M Y 45335678 - 141 A ). And 1989 and later models look like ( 2 YD M 2 145 C ). These are 700R4/4L60 code types. Each have a reference to a model year, model type (I think is referenced to TCC lockup) , day built, shift built, month produced , assembly plant , and calender year. Different year sets provide some or all of these info. You would need a reference for what is what once you determine which year era yours is. But thats that in a nutshell. My code was on the right rear just above the pan lip on a flat boss. Had to clean it off 1st. Some also have the orig vehicles VIN # but I couldnt find it with the tranny in the car. Hope this helps you out =)

 

Oh, and I believe the 27 splines were only on 82-84 models. After that they are the common 30. There is also a 60* V6 700R4 and a 90* V6/SBC/Etc 700R4. There are internal differences in some of the hard parts from a V6 to a V8. Always try to get the latest year and like motor type (V6 or V8). That way if you go to rebuild it, there is less to get to make it handle the V8 if thats what you have. And the TCC kit is availible from JET, B&M. TCI, Etc. I do 12V electronics, so I was going to do it myself and save the $80-$100 bux for their kit. I already have a vaccum switch from a 1986 305 Sierra. Its a matter of wiring the solenoid and gear pressure switch in the tranny, having the correct pressure switch and on the correct port, and wiring the vacc switch in with the already existing ( my car anyway) brake switch and power source. Ill try to make a diagram one day of it.

 

just to make it simple look for an 87-later V8 trans from either car or truck.
if you get from a truck just swap over your cars governor.

 

This video succinctly sums up wiring of TCC lockup and is directly related to many components of the discussion had here. Link: