What year did the 700R4's go to the 30 spline input shaft? I'm switching from a Metric THM 200(no overdrive) to a 700 and I need to know what the best year tranny to buy is. I'm replacing everything from the crackshaft back to the driveshaft, so bolt-up is not what I'm worried about, but I heard the 30-splines were stronger. I'm putting a B&M shift kit in as well as the domnshift eliminator kit and a TC lockup kit. I want the strongest model to start with. any info will be much appreciated. Thanks in advice.

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1983 Z28 LG4 bored .040 over(312 c.i.) with flat tops and 9.7:1 comp.
Edelbrock 600 cfm with manual choke

FlowTech headers with 1 5/8 primaries.

Future plans: Upgrade the ignition system.

 

30 splines appeared halfway through the 84 year, although the best years were 88 and up.

 

That is correct on the splines.

One note, B&M never MADE a 'shift Kit' (And Ford never made a Camaro).

I would strongly recommend though that you DO install a genuine Shift Kit (TransGo) or their Reprogramming Kit.

 

I was talking about the Transpak. And of course Ford never made a Camaro...They made the Chump-stang! The guy at the tranny shop said that the 700's went to 30 spline in '87. He showed me the part numbers to prove it. The number was the same from '83 to '86. What's up with that? Well, I guess it doesn't really matter as long as I buy a '88 transmission.

 

The 30-spline started in mid 1984. Stay away from the B&M kit, it does nothing for the life of the transmission nor does it address any of the problems with the 700R4 in general. Just big holes & blocked accumulators (harsh 2nd & a soft 3rd gear shift). Get the Trans-Go and do it right the first time!

 

Who makes the Trans-Go, and where can I get one?

 

Um, TransGo makes TransGo! Pro Built sells them or you can go here: http://www.hptransparts.com/MM007.ASP?pageno=89

 

Why is the TransGo so much better? Also, will I still have the "automatic" in my transmission, or will it be a full manual valve body? My wife will probably drive the car as much as I do, and I don't want her to have to shift it manually.

 

First off, what a Shift Kit ISN'T. Most people associate the term Shift Kit with tire chirping shifts. Actually Shift Kit is a trademarked name coined and owned by TransGo Since 1959. The purpose of a Shift Kit is to correct the weak points of a given transmission. In most cases when someone complains of soft or slipping shifts it isn't BECAUSE if these complaints that they fail but rather there is a malfunction that leads TO the burned/glazed frictions and the poor shift quality is the result. There are many kit's out there designed to give you firm shifts but if that isn't the cause of your problem it isn't fixing them.
For example, in a 700 you have problems with delayed pressure rise which allows the clutches or band to slip until the pressure catches up. If you don't fix this, it doesn't matter if you put the Vette servo in or the .500 TV boost valve or not. They will only mask the problem. This problem is there whether it is a grocery getter or 5.7 IROC. The TransGo Shift Kit corrects this and other problems that these have. This kit however isn't available to the general public because of the technical knowledge required.

They do however have something that I think most of you are after though. It is called a Reprogramming Kit or also a High Performance Shift Kit. It has the basic fixes that the Shift Kit has and it has features to give the tranny HD/HP capabilities such as greater manual control and higher horsepower and torque handling ability. The 700 kit also includes some pieces for when the unit is O/H'ed to give it higher RPM capability (at higher RPM, residual oil can drag the 3-4 clutches on even when they should be off). This kit (the commercial version) has a video to aid in the installation too. As for manual or automatic, that depends on the level of Reprogramming Kit that you choose. The -3 version is full manual while the -1 and -2 combo kit is automatic but allows you tohold a gear or downshift to a lower gear at anytime.

 

What all comes in the Stage 2 Reprogramming kit?