Hey Gang,

New member here, I purchased a 1982 on eBay a few weeks ago in need of some TLC. The PO pulled the cross fire injection, but did not install a lock up relay for the 700r4. The PO showed me 3 wires that he isolated for the purpose of hooking up a relay. I have not traced the wires yet. I was looking at the Bowtie relay which looks straight forward. However, Summit Racing has two options and both seem to involve removing the tranny pan while the Bowtie option does not seem like that is required.

I appreciate your thoughts.

TIA

Trent

 

Welcome and congrats on your purchase.
I wouldn't be able to tell a 700R4 from a hole in the ground but there are plenty of people here that are very knowledgeable.
Good luck and have fun

 

Welcome to the forum. I cant be a great help but I would probably think that the summit options would want you to go into the pan to possibly use their locking solonoid and possibly their connector that goes into the side of the transmission. Its not that big of a deal to replace the solonoid. That way you know it is operational. These systems are old. Send a private message to pappawanna and he will email you the wiring diagram for your car so you know if the previous owner is telling you the right wiring info..

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...or-anyone.html

 

Getting the lockup to work properly is not as simple as just putting a switch on it. Well, you could do that...but I wouldn't advise it. When the lockup clutch is activated, you [essentially] have a direct drive through the transmission; the torque converter is bypassed. So you are putting the entire torque load of the engine/vehicle through that clutch...and it is not designed to transmit that kind of load for very long. The stock computer system 'manages' that clutch so that is will release under necessary conditions. Having a simple switch on it will not do the job--unless you can flawlessly remember to only have it on in high range and under lightly loaded situations. Let's say you are on the freeway cruising along and you make a split-second decision to stab the throttle in order to avoid some undesirable situation. Can you remember to instantly flip that lockup switch so that you don't damage the lockup clutch?

My point here is to make you aware that there is a lot more going on here than just connecting the clutch through a switch. I would advise you to select a lockup controller system from one of the vendors that seems to have a 'handle' on this issue. And that's not Radio Shack...

 

I think Bowtieoverdrives sells a harness for your transmissiion.

It will lockup your converter when it's in 4th gear, and unlock when you hit the breaks.

I assume, that if you stab the throttle, and it downshifts, it will unlock the converter.... but i'm not 100% sure.