I did my own 700r4.
not a terrible job...

first get the atsg manuals, they show how to air test the assembly.
if you replace the trans pump, do not turn yours in!
cup plugs are a pita.
factory service manual is required for some things like the cup plug locations... lol

do not buy or use no name parts!

the converter in my 84 had spacers for the converter setback.
watch for them and keep.

the 84 service manual had a mistake, the front roller clutch in the input housing was backwards!
Transmission did some weird things with that in backwards.

upgrade to the bonded pistons, nearly impossible to fk those up.
the early style lip seals are a pita, bonded pistons are soooooo much easier!

i did a shift kit in mine, trans clutches as tight as possible.
took a few tries to get it right, but it shifts super fast.
almost too firm at low rpm...

there is a rebuild vid avail on ebay, totally worth it imo.


eta, all of the later 4l60e parts are backwards compatable.
the atsg manual talks about them.

i have the later low/reverse piston as it had issues early on, i also installed the ear roller clutch assy from a 4x4 4l60e to match up, and it's an upgrade part.
i also have a 5 pinion planet set from a low mileage 4l65e (ebay find).

i forget some the actual names, too lazy to look it up, and it has been a while...

also the early trans had some oiling issues, especially at the planets.
upgrading those parts fixes it.

sonnax makes a super wide hd pump bushing.
i highly recommend it.
that bushing takes a real beating, causes pressure loss...
tons of other upgrade parts, sonnax website is pretty educational.

i also used some shims in the back of the trans to set the endplay..
my 84 had some serious slop.

nearly all of the clunk has been takenout of the trans as a result.

i recall they were sold as shims for a th400, but i think sonnax lists them for the 700/4l60 as well.

input shaft is weak where it presses into the drum, sonnax makes a ring to keep the splines from breaking.

pay special attention to the oiling holes.
you might have issues with the shaft vs pump.
you will want to bench test the assy on a bench to be sure all gears work.
atsg manual covers that.
You can do it with the parts stacked on a bench, out of the trans case.

remeber my mention about cup plugs in the pump, should you need to change the pump housing.
the factory service manual covers the locations, but it's drawn poorly.
(that's where the old pump is important)

 

Also, the input shaft teflon seals.
the one piece seals are easy.

use a funnel to expand the seals for install.
then i used some 3m super 33 electric tape to compress.
wrap loose and then tighten while working with your fingers.
then leave to sit wrapped while until ready to install into the pump.

get a few sets, very cheap.
you might chew them up while bench testing...

also i watched some vids where they file on the pump bushing to prevent hangups on the teflon seals, don't do that.
those guys are dumb.

 

Thanks for all the advice, I should have the trans out this weekend, just go to my youtube channel if you want updates and I will post updates on here as well. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpi..._as=subscriber

 

https://allentown.craigslist.org/pts...999397423.html

 

If you're feeling good about it, it's a fantastic skill to have.
mine challenged the f out of me, all my tips are related to mistakes i made.

Transmission was the only thing that really scared me about my old vette.
Now it's just a weekend job for me.

 

Well a cammed (even a fairly short cam) 383 gonna make a lot more torque than the stock 350 w/stock cam. This is not a good match for a stock torque converter and made even worse with 3.07 rear gearing. I'm thinking not only do you need a higher stall converter but higher ratio rear gears. You can search and read up on selecting torque converter but I suggest start with the popular transmission and torque converter vendors as most will have information on thier w/s to help choose a better stall range t/q.

Something unavoidable with higher stall t/q's is they produce more heat and heat is what kills an automatic transmission. So a good functional transmission cooler is nearly a requirement - unless you only race at the drag strip and trailer the car there.

My point here is I think you kill even a performance built 700R4 using a stock t/q and 3.07 gears. Rather than spend $700 on a smaller first gear I would spend that on a t/q, 3.73 rear gears set and a good trans cooler.

Hope this helps more than it hurts but you should spend a hour or two reading up on t/q's.

 

I guess we need to know what the OP is thinking of spending before we can be sure what to do. Sure, mating a cheap torque converter to even the best built trans is going to be pushing it. Perhaps the thought should NOT be "What can I skimp on" but "What do I need and what kind of money do I have?". Sure, you can save a few bucks with a DIY, assuming you don't screw something up or something just breaks because I don't know what sort of warranty you have when it gives way because of the builder's lack of knowledge or the item just gave way. If the cost is going to make the difference between a good TC or a cheap TC, maybe DIY.

 

Yes, on first time rebuild I would spend for parts conservatively. I really commend those that tackle a auto trans rebuild on their own and that's really invaluable experience which gives you much more insight into your cars operation.

I was considering rebuilding a core 4L60E for my camaro and purchased quite a few "how to" books and manuals. Many times you can find a core trans that's not only a match but the owner is giving it away for the garage space. I read Cliff Ruggles book on GM overdrive's and the ATSG manuals. All were great reading though I didn't rebuild one. The Ruggles book talks quite a bit about torque converters and tool selection. The advantage to doing the rebuild yourself is not only labor savings but you know the parts that actually go into your trans. Even if you buy great parts for a rebuild how do you know if a rebuild shop doesn't pocket them and install the cheap parts in yours? The shop that finally rebuilt my camaro's trans said a hi-po kit went into it but only they really know. I asked to see my old parts and they showed me a oil pan full of parts including 2 planetaries. I recall only 1 planetary in a 4L60E. Oh well they gave me a warranty and the trans worked flawless for a year now.

One last option is to find a used 700R4 as even the pick a part near me gives a guarantee. And many times you can find a 700R4 in an old GM boat like a station wagon that you can buy the whole car for a song and test drive it too.

Good luck.

 

That is one of the reasons I am a DIY guy, doing it myself will allow me to spend money were it is needed, also I have a TPI intake so the 3.07"s I have work very well with that intake and the way I drive it, I may go up to a 1800 to 2000 rpm stall on the converter but anything higher would be bad for the way I drive. It spends most its time on twisty mountain back roads with steep grades and cruising to car shows. I have considered going to 3.54"s and the 2.84 1st gear but then my thinking is to get the most of that gearing would be to switch to a mini ram and different cam and heads to go with it. Thanks for everyone's advice, I hope to have the trans out this weekend, when I was young I would have had it out in about 2 hrs I am getting old and work a lot of over time at my job so I just do a little each weekend. I will keep this thread updated as I go and try and keep my youtube channel up to date to. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpi...1Svd55E0EDtMQ?

 

So for my first go around, i installed a 2400 rpm converter.
it was nice, a slightly looser converter woke the car up quite a bit.

after my pump blew up (no name rotor from the rebuild kit), i started chatting with fti about going with a different converter

per my cam they told me i should seriously think about a 4k rpm converter or higher.

me not sure, i went with the 3200 9.5in converter with lockup.

i love that thing, the smaller size made the engine snappy as f, revs super quickly.
that helps it get to the stall rpm very fast.

the car was transformed.
i can now get my tires to break loose at will (when cold), and i like having instant access to the powerband.

running that converter for about 2 years now, and the only thing i want to change is that 4k stall they talked about.
One day maybe... lol

There was only a slight adjust to the way i drive the car, crusing is the same.
i can still cruise at low rpm on part throttle no problem.
but when i hit the pedal, instant 3k rpm and I'm gone!

i also found i perfer to shift manually, my shift kit makes it most enjoyable. Lightning fast upshifts, and i have fun trying to rev match for down shifts.

the car is an event to drive now, and my exhaust system only adds to it...

 

The cam I have in the car now was chosen based on the torque converter I have now as well as the intake if I had a cam as you describe I would definitely go with more stall.

 

Depending on how much metal you find in the trans, your converter may be fine.

After my pump blew, i had powered metal everywhere!

I'm betting on the sunshell, i bet it was a clean break.

 

I am going to just play it safe and replace the converter I have no idea if that is the original or not.

 

I would NOT trust that I can eyeball something like that and make a judgment on it accurately. I would dump everything I can't clean up like the hard parts. Why save a couple hundred and do it again if you are wrong?

 

Yeah, you would need to account for every piece missing.
when my pump went, i reassembled the pump to see how much was missing.
it was pretty bad, and the more i tore into the trans, i kept finding little bits of metal.

Also, what kind of cam do you have that builds peak power at such a low rpm?
maybe it's time to get a better converter, and plan on a different cam...

 

the cam is a comp cam 08-302-8, designed to work in the 1200 to 5200 rpm range.

 

IMO Cam should not require anything super special. There is a upgraded input shaft and forward clutch housing and sunshell. A good 22-2500 converter. The 3.07 should be ok. Don't over think it, unless you plan on more aggressive engines up grades. Then maybe a 3.45 or 3.54 d44 vs a gear change on a D36.

 

3.07 is good imo, that's my rear end.

and as for your camshaft...
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-08-302-8/

You need to have a chat with a converter manufacturer of your choice.

that camshaft would be very happy with a higher stall, like 3200 rpm or higher (4000+ if you felt good about it).
I went with fti, good value imo.
others will chime in with other options.

Converter can really make the car fun.

ETA: if you're anywhere near utah, I'll let you drive my car.
I'm 100% sure i can convince you to go with a nice loose stall and a small converter size.

 

I like the PI ones. You can get a free restall if you don't like the stall speed they recommend

 

Just an update I have the car up on jack stands, the drive shaft and C-Beam out, I have been real busy at work and have not had much time to work on it, when I was young I would have had everything out in a couple of hours, shift cable and TV cable are disconnected just need to disconnect the trans cooler lines, I was wondering if it makes it easier to lower the trans a little bit first and then remove the lines.