TedH

Hey folks, any horror stories with leaking aftermarket 700R4's installed in TH350 C3's?

I installed a Bow-Tie Overdrives 700R4 in fall of '01. Glad to say that the trans performs incredibly but with one draw-back: It leaks!!!

So, it goes to the shop soon to have a pro take a look at the front input shaft/seal, rear shaft/seal and selector seal; all are leaking. I've confirmed the fluid level and know that I overfilled it initially by about a quart (which I corrected about a month after the install). Bow-Tie says no more than a pint overfill max so I suspect either I 'blew' those seals or I have bigger problems. At least the trans shop may be able to tell me (I'll have them estimate/evaluate before pulling the trans to replace the seals or do any major work).

I suspect the yoke that slides over the tail shaft no longer provides a sufficient fit against the rear trans shaft seal. I had the shaft shortened and the orig yoke was machined so perhaps too much material was removed; will have them measure the dimension of the yoke too.

I hate leaks. Also, this is one heavy transmission and I don't want to wrestle with it again; was enough getting it secured the first time so I'm ready to have the pros take a look and make the adjustments.

Final item, I replaced the trans lines as the old TH350 lines didn't fit the 700R4. Fortunately, Ecklers has a pre-bent set of 700R4 lines (for the '82) that fit well. I 'mangled' the new lines while trying to accomodate the new headers (tight fit). They don't leak but they look pretty crude back near the headers/transmission. I may opt to have the shop put some fresh bends in them while they are at it (will replace, again, as a final option).

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You hear very few complaints about Bowtie...I'll bet going a month with a quart too much didn't do the seals any favors. Get the tranny fixed right and you'll be a happy camper for life!

robzr

My Bow Tie Overdrives 700r4 blew a rear seal about 1.5 years into it's life (9k miles or so). They told me that it was from overheating but I think that is a line of BS. After all I was running the largest trans cooler that they sell along with the stock heat exchanger (as per their instructions), setup the TV with their EZ TV setup, and was only putting out about 450 hp. The engine had no cooling problems. My other complaint with the BTO 700r4 was that TWO out of the four inspection cover screw holes had broken screws in them - unremovable. How in the world did that make it past their QC.

You may consider changing the seals yourself, it's not really that hard, they just take some finessing to get the old ones out.

Rob

TedH

OK. If I do this, I'm going to need the right parts. Is there any difference in the seal dimensions from 82-87? I understand that by '87, GM had worked out all of the problems in the 700F4 durability. So, should I request the following parts for an '87 corvette (using Carparts.com as a guide):

Main Shaft Seal ($1.08 at http://www.carparts.com)
Control Linkage Grommet ($.99)

What's the proper name for the seal that goes over the tailshaft? Is that the main shaft seal? If so, what's the proper name for the input shaft seal?
:crazy:

Carparts lists a 'Transmission Seal, Front Pump Trans' for $4.43 (P/N CO-24). Is this the front trans seal that the converter slides into?


[Modified by TedH, 2:55 PM 9/4/2002]

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Guess what? Both ends of my Bowtie 200-4R are leaking!!! The front much more than the back...

Does anyone know the part numbers for seals for this tranny? Or if I go to a dealer (to get OEM parts) what car should I tell them it's from?

TedH

Wanted to get this thread back to the top. What are the appropriate names for the seal that is on the front of the trans (main shaft?)? And the tail shaft? Same (also mainshaft?)?

Does year of the seals matter? I'm guessing not...

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Bowtie will be happy to sell you a couple of seals. I've got a couple on the way from them.

But check this site out (the prices will break your heart): http://www.bulkparts.com :sad: