ok , i know nothig about trannys, but definatly willing/want to learn. so , how hard is it to install gears??, .... i want a 3.73, badly, and what can i get to firm up my shifts over all? especially 1-2 shift. do i have a 10 bolt or what? stock 700r4 heh...go ahead, laugh, but i dont know til i ask.

 

I'll answer all your questions for you.

1st: gears and the trans have nothing to do with each other as far as installation go.

2nd: You don't want to change the internal gears of the 700r4, they're good, and it's a waste of $ to do it anyway. As far as the trans goes, here's what you need:

Trans-go shift kit
Corvette/ billet servo assembly
Boost Valve
Stall Converter ( high performance torque converter)

3rd: If you want gears in the rear, I'd say 3.73 is a bit steep. The reason why Lo3's come with 2.73's is because they have so much torque down low, really low. Now since you have swapped cams and stuff, your power band has moved up bit. Anyway For a combination of performance AND economy you should with either 3.23's or 3.42's. I have some 3.23's in my 330hp RS and they are perfect. Most people will tell you that you should get 3.42's over 3.23's but I disagree because you will lose more MPG than it's worth for the decrease in E.T.'s. You will lose 2-3 MPG or so at 70-75mph, and only gain about a tenth on your 1/4 mile E.T.'s. You can get used gears off Ebay for pretty cheap ( like 75-100 bucks) instead of buying from aftermarket companies. My Richmond gears were like 300 bucks shipped. Had I known Ebay better I would have had an extra 200 bucks to do other stuff.

And yes...all thirdgens have a 10 bolt rear except for a few IROC with the nine bolt that never came in RS's. You have the later model of the two which is also known as the 7.625 inch rear as opposed to the 7.5 inch. BTW: If you get gears, you will need the carrier two, because you can't just bolt 3 series gears to a 2 series carries and so on. My Richmond gears were made for 2 series carriers but in a 3.23 ratio. Plenty of people will send the carrier with it though. I bought a 2.73 POSI unit and he sent the carrier with it, so all I had to do was bolt the ring gear on and go.

I know you are feeling a bit confident after your cam install, but gears are a whole different ballgame. If you mess up, you can destroy your rear beyond recognition, it's best to have them installed, or at least have a friend or acquataince who REALLY knows his stuff to do it for you.

4th: If you do all of the above, your car will be a whole different animal, you won't believe it. Just make sure you do it ALL. Don't go putting 4.11 gears in the rear just cause you got them cheap and a B&M shiftkit. Trust me it'll be worth it.