Just finished my new motor install. Tried to put the car I. Gear for the first time and it doesn’t do anything. Only change I made to the trans was a new converter. It had been previously built. I had to replace the shifter cable since it was damaged. When I shift gears it does nothing like it’s not there. The trans was dry I filled the pan and added fluid at first startup. There’s about 12 quarts in it.

 

The first thing you should check is the transmission fluid pressure , there is a blocked off port on the driver's side for connecting a gauge to .

TBH when you mention replacing the converter , and then having no action whatsoever from the transmission , the first thought that comes to my mind is the possibility of the converter not having been "Indexed" correctly . If the torque converter wasn't seated all the way and then bolts were used to draw (force) the engine and transmission together , the drive tabs on the pump (in the front of the transmission) will be damaged (sheared off) resulting in zero fluid pressure . If the transmission wasn't fitted to the back of the engine with hand pressure only , if ANY use of the transmission bolts to draw the engine and transmission together was done , it's highly likely that the pump is damaged . If you'd like to see the parts I'm referring to , check my sticky thread "Pictures of every component of a 700R4" at the top of the page ......

 

Did you fill the new converter with transmission fluid before installing it?

 

Yes I filled the converter with fluid. I had bought the converter from a member here. I brought it to a trans shop and had it fully checked and stall speed set to match what my cam wants.

I did not have to force anything together. I thought I seated the converter properly but maybe its not. Im pulling the trans tomorrow to double check if its not obvious to me ill be sending to a trans shop to get checked. Ugh it never ends..

 

I hope it turns out to be something simple (and inexpensive).

 

Before you remove it, take off the top line going back to the transmission, put it in a jar and have someone start the motor. If it has oil coming out, then the pump is ok. If no oil coming out, pump is broke.

 

Pump is good.. I pulled the trans yesterday. The fluid has a very slight smell of burnt so im dropping it a trans shop on tuesday.. Totally sucks and an unexpected expense as usual.. All I can come up with is it was totally dry I filled the pan before startup and when I reved it to 2k to breakin the motor I didnt get fluid in it fast enough and it burned up.

 

So this what the trans shop told me today. My trans has an input shaft from a 200r trans not a 700 and my new converter I purchased for the 700 does not match the input shaft. They are replacing the input shaft and pump to match. How does a 700r4 have a 200r4 input shaft? Was this a thing in the early 700? Or did someone swap it in early rebuild?

 

As you surmise, it may be a '82 - '84 input shaft. The splines for the convertor are smaller in diameter.

RBob.

 

Couldn't you just replace the torque converter with one of the proper size\spline count?

 

Gotta do things one at a time. Always leave the torque converter unbolted when breaking in an engine or just simply getting it running right, working out all the bugs. Then once u have the motor running good, you can hook up the TC and fill the trans at idle speed.. Tough break. My guess is that trans got real hot spinning at 2000 rpms before the fluid could get in there and cool things down and fill every nook in there.

 

Yes either way would have worked. I already bought the 700 converter and had the stall speed set. So It was the only way to go..