Bought car in Sept 2017. Ran fine.

Installed Transgo 2-3 kit over the winter. Found no filter in the overfilled transmission, as well as a corvette servo already installed.

Due to my own mistake, blew out the 2-4 servo (snap ring wasnt seated). Toasted the 3-4 clutches and who knows what else.

Rebuilt trans with my experienced father in law in Jan. Also installed the transgo JR kit from PBA and modified the 2-4 servo per Dana's instructions. Added S-10 2200Rpm converter for good measure.

Was in paradise for a couple months, car was like magic. Snappy, perfect.

Cruising to work a few weeks ago, cruise set at 70, lost all gears. Long story short, rebuilt 2200 converter did not fully engage pump (needed shims/washers on flexplate) and wasted pump. Hope for the best and ordered new pump and new converter.

Replaced pump, reinstalled trans with new converter.

Transmission is wasted. 1st is fine. shift to 2nd is weak under full throttle. never shifts to 3rd, and if I floor it, it hits redline then lets go. Wasted clutches for sure, who knows what else.

I'm done with this transmission and I am close to lighting the entire ****ing car on fire and getting some marshmallows.

Don't want to do a junkyard swap.

This was a toy car for my spare time. Just bought a 2017 50th 2SS so I am super close to just cutting my losses here on this old boat.

Anyone sell a reman that will hold up well to the stock little 305 that doesn't cost $1500 or more? bonus if there's a shop in south jersey that can do the work because my fat 42 year old *** is %&*(%& tired of pulling this f&*&ing trans on the garage floor, but I have a hard time paying $400 for a trans swap since I know I can do it on the floor on my back in 2 hours out and back in.

Help!!!!

 

I feel your pain. Smoked mine a few days ago but I knew it was on it's way out. Have a backup and hope it holds up. 700r4 are as evil as the weak a$$ rears they put in these.

 

So you threw another pump in it without fully disassembling and cleaning the trans? I saw the photos in your other thread, there was a LOT of metal shavings in the pump vanes. That metal is probably in other parts of the trans too. Not to be mean about it, I pulled my trans out so many times when rebuilding it that I could have it out in about 45 minutes and learned a lot about how clean it has to be, but if that wasn't fully disassembled and cleaned it was certain to fail.

 

So for a 26- 36 year old trans and rear with God knows how many hard miles on them are weak? A 700r4 can be built to withstand more HP than most have money to build a engine to blow it. As for the rear ends, they are tough with stock motors. 10 bolt and 9 bolt, dollar for dollar, i'd take the 9 bolt. Just imagine how brittle the seals get in a transmission with a ton of heat cycles they have withstood over the years and probably the majority of them have never had the oil and filter changed. So overall, I think they have done their job just fine. Compare a old stock 700r4 to a T5, I bet the 700r4 has had less maintenance done to it. Just my

 

Not sure where in SNJ you are, but I take my stuff to JS Performance in Hulmeville PA, Levittown area.

 

Gotta install a nice sized trans cooler on those 700r4 for them to live long. And don't route it into the radiator.

 

ive been to JS a few times as well..good luck with your trans

 

You already know what needs done. Get in your happy zone, whatever that takes, yank the 700, drop off the converter for opening and inspection , and get parts ordered. You know you'll be happier spending hundreds instead of a couple grand, and you lack nothing to do the job. Oh and fat isn't an excuse. It's a pedestal to hold the pan before you bench press ithe trans. back in after it's rebuilt (again) And the last time I had to do a swap on my DD, it was August, and 120deg, and I did it in the driveway during the day. Get to work.

 

Buy a junk yard trans and get it rebuilt as a bench job and put it in and when you get spare cash get the old one rebuilt for a spare.

 

The man makes sense......

 

Lifted the car in the air last night just in case..... This morning, 45 minutes from deciding to lay under the car to dragging this bitch out under the rocker. I'm sadly getting very good at this. Almost no fluid on the floor this time too, which I think speaks a lot more to the experience than the quick removal time alone....... Going to go with a pro rebuild this time with a warranty. Garage smells like burnt Dexron....

 

Thanks everyone for the kind words of encouragement. Needed that.

 

No problem, FART.

 

 

It's Mr. Nuggets if you're nasty, thank you very much

 

Not sure I agree here. What maintenance is there to a T5? A clutch every 100k miles and fluid change? There isn't even a filter or pan to drop. You can limp a T5 along with an amazing amount of internal damage. When any automatic starts getting sick, it's game over.

Not a good idea here. You always need to loop the trans fluid back through the radiator before it goes back to the trans. In cool weather (especially on a light car not towing a load) with only an external cooler, the oil can overcool in which case the moisture doesn't boil off and the oil becomes contaminated which leads to all kinds of problems.

 

Theradiator really does nothing either. In cold weather the cold side of the radiator will be too cool to warm the fluid at highway speeds. Also factory GM auxiliary cooler setups go into the radiator 1st then into the extra cooler. On a 1,200 mile trip in 40°F weather my Express vans 4L85E ran a consistent 120°F.

 

OK boys and girls.

Got the 700 rebuilt by a shop in south jersey for a great price, guy came highly recommended and was a straight shooter 100% of the time, even cut me a break on the price since he took a little longer than expected, without me asking.

New converter. Flushed out old fluid from radiator and lines with air, then twice forced in a bunch of brakekleen and again flushed with air. Captured and screened everything that came out, just had clutch dust in it, nothing else. no metal, no chunks, etc, so feel good there. I let the air run thru the radiator for a long time (set at 20psi and walked away prob 30 minutes) to ensure all the brakekleen was evaporated out.

Got the 700 up on the jack, and have the new converter on with a quart of new fluid in it. Lines attached and TV cable all hooked up. Jacked her up into approximate position, and should finish it up tomorrow. Hoping for a nice Father's day ride to check it out.

Wish me luck