hey, i had asked some questions about this a few weeks ago and figured i'd leave an update. so far, i've had no problems what so ever with the rebuild and transgo kit. i have had no need for special tools yet and have gotten by with just some basic stuff. to get out the 2-4 servo, i used a very large adjustable c-clamp (you need to have the pan and valve body out to do this. to get the pump off, i was able to, without scratching any of the teeth, use a hose clamp and pulley puller. came off no prob. only prob i ran into was i neglected to pull the solenoid out before i pulled the pully and broke the plastic tube off of it. besides that, everything has gone very well and should be completely done in the next couple days. as long as you take your time, dont rush, keep it all clean, and be careful with every piece, you'll be fine. maybe its just me, but i think many mechs hate these things because they just take a lot of time. lemme know any tips/warning/comments, i'm always up for suggestions. thanks

 

Take a long time? Not really, I can take my tranny out, overhaul it and have it back in on a Saturday

Tips/tricks/warnings? I could go on all day....
I hope you are using a manual. Make sure all your clearances are w/in spec. If you have access to compressed air and a blow gun, its best to air check the assemblies before you put them back in. Putting pistons down inside the input housing w/o the proper seal protectors and cause cut or rolled seals. I think you see where I'm going with this.

 

yeah, i'm using a manual. bought one from jegs. pretty good, very involved. trying my best to follow everything and put stuff back in the same way it came out. gotten stumped a few times, but have tried to follow my gut when it happens. if it came out, its gotta go back in, right? (to an extent....)

 

Awesome! Thanks for the update!! My 700r4 is dying; it's the second time it's been rebuilt, and when it dies, I'm rebuilding it myself. I can't do much worse. (First rebuild was by Lee Myles, $1400 bought me a year and a half. This rebuild has been going since '99, but "barely". It slips like crazy and is getting worse; I'm amazed its still going.)

Which book do you have? I have three; the GM Service Manual, the ATSG book, and the Haynes GM Transmission Overhaul book. Just wondering which one you're using, you seem to like it!

 

I'm interested in this too - I just bought two books from www.bulkparts.com - one is the 82-86 700R4 manual, and the other is the 87-up interchange/upgrade parts manual. They have all kinds of upgrade parts for the 700R4 from what I could tell, but I'm not sure of what parts to get.

Mine is on it's third rebuild ('82 Corvette) so I'm fed up with paying $1100+ to get it fixed.. I'm pulling the whole motor and transmission to rebuild it myself. Already have all the parts for the motor, just need to get the transmission done!

 

87-up interchange book? Who wrote that one? Is it worth the $16? I think I have the same ATSG book that you do; 82-86. It's the thin blue one, right?

 

I haven't gotten it yet - so I don't know. I'll post back here when I get both books ad let you know though.

 

yeah, the book i have is the 82-86 one and it has almost everything you need to know. some things have changed, but most of them are covered or changed in the transgo kit. i did notice a difference in my number of steels in my 3-4 pack (i believe), but as long as you pull everything out and lay it out in that exact order, you'll be fine. i bumped a park or two outta order, but was able to correct the error (hopefully). we'll find out in a few days....

 

BTW, I asked the company about special tools, and they said you need something to compress springs and that some people just made a compressor of some sort ouf of large diameter PVC pipe. I guess once I get the rebuild manual I'll know what he's talking about...

 

I got the manuals tonight - they are both ATSG manuals, very thin and not too terribly descriptive of the teardown, but I also have the Haynes manual that covers the 350/400/700R4/2004R and it has tons of photos in it.

The "upgrade" manual is similar to the teardown/rebuild manual except it's green and mostly covers the changes that occured between '87 and '91.