buying a performance transmission

grumpyvette

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
Ive always felt its always best to deal locally , for parts when I can, if its possible that way if problems do occur, with a transmission you buy, you can drive over or have the car towed over for inspection and diagnosis.
theres several good company's that sell transmissions, rebuild transmission and many sell torque converters also.
Id strongly suggest the same basic procedure most guys use to find a good machine shop, ask lots of the local hot rod crowd, join a local car club and make contacts, ask questions.
IF you have dealt with an aftermarket performance transmission company, locally or over the internet and actually purchased and used their products ID love for you to post actual experiences and PICTURES if you have them, please don,t post unless YOU bought and used the converter or transmission and yes, I understand all transmissions will eventually break or wear out if abused, or just subjected to a good deal of performance or racing use over several years time, so I want to know how customer service was if you had problems as well, and if the company stands behind their product. ID also point out that any high performance transmission REQUIRES a large effective trans fluid cooler , without which even the best transmission ever built will have a very short life span.
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trans_life_expectancy.jpg

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naturally theres dozens of options
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...electing-a-torque-converter-stall-speed.1715/

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/4L80E.htm

http://www.tciauto.com/

https://700r4l60e.com/

http://www.monstertrans.com/store/?gcli ... nAodoBch3A

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/index.shtml

http://www.hughesperformance.com/index. ... &Itemid=63

http://www.phoenixtrans.com/IntlHome.html

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com/te ... ewall.html
 
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obviously if your in the market for a new performance transmission youll have a great many choices and one of the first things youll need to think thru is if the cars going to use an automatic or a manual trans mission, manuals of course use clutches and flywheels and if your using a flywheel and clutch , in an ideal world youll be using a blow proof bell housing and an SFI certified clutch assembly balanced too the engines rotating assembly.

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related threads
http://www.lencoracing.com/ST1200MasterPage.html

http://bowlertransmissions.com/p/393/gm ... -of-torque

http://www.jasperengines.com/racing.php

http://www.jericoperformance.com

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=741

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=662

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/tr ... /4l80e.htm

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=447

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=555

viewtopic.php?f=71&t=9901
 
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I built my own 700R4 transmission for my 87 vert back in 2010 Grumpy.
Up to 4L65E specs/ Level 5 & beyond.
To build the exact same again would take $2k in hard parts.
Only parts I would reuse would be the input turbune shaft drum & rear output mainshaft.
Mine is Fully Rollerized torrington needle bearing.
Blueprinted all myself just as Rick did with his 200R4 T-bucket trans.
You just do not know what's inside & exact blueprint specs used unless you build it yourself &/ or its documented nightly on your Forum Live.

Like to build another someday. Would handle one
Of your BBC Up to 650 HP.
 
Ive had several guys buy or build beefed up 700r4 transmissions expecting them to last behind a well built big block engine and while some versions lasted a few months if only street tires were used for traction, (this tends to act like a fuse , protecting the trans internal parts,as the tire spins before parts shear internally) by I've long ago basically written off the possibility of a TH350, 700r4 or similar transmissions lasting very long once you install slicks and start launching the car at 2000-3000rpm with a decent converter stall speed
if its a 700r4 it has either 27 or 30 splines
in an 1986 its more likely but not sure to be 27 splines, in theory 1987 and newer are 30 spline

TH700-R4_1.jpg

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/113_ ... nsmission/

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/tr...g-the-ultimate-4l60e-with-better-gear-ratios/

http://www.novak-adapt.com/knowledge/th700r4.htm
 
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That's understandable Grumpy.
Only 3 guys build a 700R4 correct.
Myself.
Dana at Probuilt transmissions
My close friend Jeff H that taught me along with Dana.

4L80E isn't bullet proof either. Gearsets weak link too.

Turbo 400 , 727 Torqueflite, & C6 Ford still the best & toughest Auto trans ever made.
 
The problem is also most people are broke today.
Want miracles fir $50-100 bucks.
C4 Corvettes book for $1500-5000 average.
A $3000-5000 dollar trans out of the question.
Leaves the 700R4 or 4L60E Trans
No one has been serious contacting me.
I am worth morethan $50 bucks to build one.
 
In response to Jens

Here since they keep disappearing. http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/images/9/9...
Transmission_dimensions.jpg


Return to Dimensions of common GM automatics
Dimensions.jpg

http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/images/3/3...
Dimensions.jpg


All dimensions are in inches.

Powerglide (bellhousing pattern - Chevrolet, Fit-all)
Style A B C D E
short shaft 25 23/64 16 5/16 20 9/16 3 ¾ 19
TCI shorty 17 15/16 16 5/16 20 9/16 N/A 19
long shaft 27 9/16 16 5/16 20 9/16 3 ¾ 19



TH350 (bellhousing pattern - Chevrolet, BOP, Fit-All)
Style A B C D E
6" tailshaft 27 11/16 21 5/8 20 3/8 3 ¾ 19 1/8
9" tailshaft 30 11/16 21 5/8 20 3/8 3 ¾ 19 1/8
12" tailshaft 33 27/32 21 5/8 20 3/8 3 ¾ 19 1/8



TH400 (bellhousing pattern - Chevrolet, BOP)
Style A B C D E
C tailshaft 28 3/8 24 5/16 26 15/16 4 ¼ 20
D tailshaft 33 27/32 24 5/16 27 15/16 4 ¼ 20
13" tailshaft 37 7/8 24 5/16 27 21/32 1 ¾ 20



2004R (bellhousing pattern - BOP, Fit-All)
Style A B C D E
All 27 11/16 integral tailhousing 27 3 ¾ 19 1/8



700R4 4L60 (4L60E 1993-1995) (bellhousing pattern - Chevrolet)
Style A B C D E
All except Corvette 30 ¾ 23 3/8 22 ½ 3 ¾ 20
Corvette(1982-1996) 29 7/8 23 3/8 22 ½ 3 ¾ 20



4L60E/4L65E 1996-Later (bellhousing pattern - Chevrolet/removable)
Style A B C D E
All except Corvette & LS1 30 ¾ 21 ¾ 23 3/16 3 ¾ 18 ¼
Corvette (transaxle) N/A N/A
LS1-style (1998-later) 31 5/32 21 ¾ 23 19/32 3 ¾ 18 ¼



4L80E/4L85E 1991-Later (bellhousing pattern - Chevrolet)
Style A B C D E
Std. 2wd 32 11/16 26 30 3/8 4 ¼ 20
HD 2wd 31 15/16 26 30 3/8 4 ¼ 20
HD long 33 26 30 3/8 4 ¼ 20
4 X 4 29 26 30 3/8 N/A 20



[edit] Weights

Weight (approximate, in pounds):

Powerglide- wet 110
TH200C- 96
TH350- wet 130
TH400- wet 140
TH2004R- 132
4L60E- wet 175
4L80E- wet 255
 
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