i'm contemplating buying a firebird missing a trans. I was wondering when searching for a 700r4 can i only get one coming out of an f-body or what are some other applications to find one cause seems a lil difficult to get ahold of one in a junkyard or ebay.

 

as long as it fits the application (60 degree v6 bellhousing or 90 degree v8/4.3 v6) then the trans will bolt up. The tail housing has to be the f-body specific, otherwise you'll have no where to bolt the tq arm to. If this is a car that's going to be used performance oriented, then you may want to look into an aftermarket remote mounted tq arm anyway.

The f-body specific trans is the eeasiest way to go, BUt Gm did sometimes throw the f-body tail housing on other transmissions in other vehicles.

 

The only source of a transmission that is virtually guaranteed to fit is from another F-body. Anything else can be made to work with varying amounts of effort, depending on what it came out of.

 

FYI; My 1993 Astro van had a 4L60E, which was the later electronic version of the 700R4, but it had an F-body tail housing. Instead of a torque arm, it had a dampner looking thing on it. Heres a pic.

The astro was a 4.3L V6.

 

now cant i just get ahold of a f-body tailshaft and bolt it up to a reg 700r4? and how does a remote torque arm mount up and where can i get one

 

You can put the F-body tailshaft housing onto another 700R4, if the tailshaft length is the same.

 

unless it's 4wd the tailshaft would have to be the same.

 

Or a Corvette.

 

Syclone/Typhoon and 4WD have very short output shafts. There is a slight difference in the shafts still between them but either is whar you need. A corvette also has a shorter output shaft, but its close. Still, you cannot use it. Everythig else has the longer output shafts. There is 2 spline lengths on those as well. Tailshaft housings were about 3 different ones. One has no additional mounts, the other is the F-body specific one, and the last had a crossmember style mount. Best is to get one from another F-car. And yes, the bellhousing is V8/4.3 and 60* V6 versions. There are also internal diffeences that like from a 4.3 to a V8 trans that wont keep you from using it....just differences in strengths.