I just finished rebuilding my 91 700r4 this weekend, installed it today, everything hooked up and went in fine,

but I have no forward or reverse gears! I put 4 quarts in pan to start and 1 in converter before I installed into case,

any help would be extremely appreciated!

I also added a modified transgo jr shift kit,

thanks

 

check on a spec, if I rember correctly, a fresh build should take 11 qts. 4 would be a service.

 

You need to add more fluid for it to work, if it is a brand new converter and all fluid drained from the trans oil cooler, you will be looking around 10 -11 like wddavis stated.

 

I actually have ten total, I started with 4 in case and I put 1 quart in converter, and i added 5 more in the case, i can also pull it out of park, seems like my shift linkage is out o wack, any ideas on that?

 

Atleast it staying in park! This is my 1st rebuild, I even changed the sun shell to the "beast", and used z-pack 3-4 frictions and updated the pump to 13 vanes, followed everything from the book and DVD, but now I'm not sure where to go with this, torque converter is rebuilt as well, carbon woven and furnaced brazed, I didn't skimp on parts or atleast don't think I did

 

So what is your fluid level running then? Being less than a quart low on fluid in these transmissions is enough to keep them from shifting. Have you done a pressure test, to see if your pump is working?

 

I'm at 10 quarts, hard to tell because the car I on a slanted driveway, so on the dipstick it shows just about at the full cold marker, but another thing I noticed is that the engine is running hot and I had put a 160 fail-safe thermostat in two months ago, not sure i it's related.

I'm trying to get my hands on a oil pressure gauge, do you know where I can get one?

 

I realized you have added 10 quarts, but that still doesn't determine if you are at the proper level. Start you car and let it warm up, then on a level surface, check the fluid level. It's the only way to truly know if you are full. There was a point in my rebuild that I didn't think I would ever add enough fluid (13.5 quarts which included an external cooler). Also what temperature do you consider your engine to be "running hot" If you are referring to the pressure gauge for the transmission some auto parts stores might carry them, but you will have better luck ordering them online (amazon, summit, even ebay)

 

Oh ok I'll have to check on the accurate level. If the pump or the converter weren't working then wouldn't the fluid level be way to high? The engine is running around 240, but to me that seems high considering the thermostat should be opening up at 160-170, right? the motor is a tpi and know they tend to run hot.

Do you know what specific kind of oil pressure gauge I'm looking for?

Thanks

 

Do you know if this gauge would work? Actron ACTCP7828
It's a fuel pressure gauge, but does that matter?

 

Would it do any damage to the transmission if the fluid level is too low?

I'm going to check the pressure level in a little while. I will post my findings thereafter

 

Ok this sucks, looks like I have to order a oil pressure tester! It amazes me how you can't get parts and tools around here!

Any other options in the meantime?

 

A transmission pressure gauge is usually 300 psi. I wouldn't put a fuel pressure gauge on it.

If you removed/replaced the boost valve a common issue is not getting it installed correctly. This will cause no line pressure in the tranny.

What happens with the boost valve is that there appears to be a snap ring location that isn't. It is further down then the real location. So once the trans builds some line pressure the boost valve assembly ends up in the pan.

The the line pressure goes away and the car won't move.

That is where I would start.

RBob.

 

my 700r4 held 16 qts......lol i dont see how your guys take so much less

 

Did you hook up the manual shift valve to the shift linkage?? It is a 1.5 inch long rod that you have to install while attaching the valve body to the trans that is very easy to forget, I know I have.

 

Yeah, I actually almost forgot to put that on! But it is on, just seems out of adjustment because I can pull it out of park without depressing the button, tried to adjust the shift cable a few times but it still does the same thing!

But I loosened one of the trans cooler lines and when I started the engine fluid started pissing out, so I am assuming the pump is working, I have to order a oil pressure tester to check the actual pressure,

one thing I did notice when I shift it through prnd321 is that the rpm's drop from neutral to drive gears, but no change in reverse, but car still doesn't move!

 

you always need the button to get out of park.

 

That's true. But for some reason it not locking in park, I don't know how else to adjust the cable to make it lock in park!

 

I may be off on these trannys, but in my experience, park is actually a pin that drops into the shaft, and "locks" the tranny. (which is why they recommend a tranny job after your car gets hit in "park", it often snaps the pin off). So I'm wondering if something is lined up wrong?

it may just be an adjustment as well.

 

If the torque converter wasn't set right then would there be any flow of fluid throughthe cooler lines?

 

again.. last time I worked on a tranny it was a mid 70's pontiac le-mans sometime in the early 90s.. however.. if the converter is spinning, you should have pressure.. it might be as simple as a cable or shifter adjustment? Others probably know better than I.. and Chilton's/Hayne's knows, as well.

The main issue with the converter is getting it balanced to the flywheel. If it's off, your call will feel like a washing machine on an unbalanced spin cycle forever.

 

I'm goin to pull the pan tomorrow afternoon to check if this snap ring is not in the right location,
and then I can see how many quarts of fluid are in the pan to see if the fluid is circulating,

Any way to test the converter in the trans to see if it is locked in? Is was back around an inch from the bellhousing, but I don't remember if it clicked 3 times or not

 

I also think my tv cable is way off, that would cause a high idle if it's too tight? My neighbor tried to adjust it, said it was self adjusting,

I have to address the park issue as well, the haynes says it's adjusted through the manual linkage, not sure how it works

 

So are you talking about just the shifter not clicking into park, or the transmission going into park? Just to clarify, do you have any gear (reverse, manually shifting 1-4)? Can you lift the rear wheels off the ground and get them to move at all in any gear? It does sound as if the pump is working, so it might regrettably be time to go back and double check everything in the valve body.

If you still want a pressure gauge you can get a kit at http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-ATD-5...3953265&sr=1-1

 

Ok so I found the boost valve in my pan! This time I made sure the snap ring is in the correct groove! Thanks rbob,

goin to fill it back up and try again!

I'll update you guys in a few,

thank you all for your help and input!

 

Oh I forgot to ask if you guys have any advice on how to adjust the tv cable?
I think that is off because the engine idles high ever since my neighbor tried to adjust it

 

It was the boost valve! The car now moves, but when I try to kick it down it doesn't go, now I have to adjust the tv cable, anyone know how to adjust this cable?

I want to thank everyone for their help, this was my first transmission rebuild and I'm extremely satisfied that my rebuild was a success!

Next is goin to be adding 3:73's!

 

There are many ways to adjust the TV cable. However, this is my preferred method.

Engine off.

Find the D tab on the cable housing and depress it.

Push the cable housing toward the front of the car.

Wire the throttle so that it is wide open. Can also get someone to hold it wide open.

Depress the D tab and pull the cable housing towards the rear of the car. Until the TV cable between the housing and throttle linkage is taunt.

Release the D tab locking the adjustment.

From this point you can further adjust the cable. But, no more then two clicks in either direction. Further adjustments are made doing a 2-1 kick down test.

To test the adjustment it is along the lines of pulling out with moderate throttle, then once the trans shifts into 2nd, mash the gas pedal. It should immediately kick back down to 1st.

RBob.

 

Ok so I did the tv cable adjustment, the shift kit I used I believe eliminated the part throttle downshifts. I tried the 2-1 downshift, if I floor the gas it kicks downs and takes off like a bat out of hell! But only when I slam the pedal to the floor,

does that seem right?

 

Good to go.

RBob.

 

Awesome! Thanks for all your help!

So I Think my first 700r4 rebuild was successful!

Now I have to figure out how to do the gears in the rear!