kc8oye

well, as it turns out, it was partially that I had the TV cable set too tight, and what felt like no second gear, was actully the trans refusing to upshift into 2nd. but being in OD or Drive, there was no engine braking in 1st, so it felt like no second gear. I was demonstrating to a buddy of mine what it was doing, when I discovered if I just put my foot back into it, it'd rev up, and bark the tires and go like heck.. so I relized it was still in 1st. I built an extension for the kickdown cable bracketI bought (obviously meant for a TH350 style cable) and got the cable set somewhat loose, and it would act up a little bit, but then start shifting very early, like I would expect it too. after driving it like I stole it for an hour, it started behaving like it should. I'm still having issues with no automatic down-shifts except for a 4-3, but it's good enough I don't mind driving it around.. even drove it the 80 miles round trip to work and back for two days in a row

this is one of the times I do!!! It would seem there's not actully a whole lot wrong with that 700r4 I put in. I made the extension for the kickdown cable bracket today and drove it around some more. it was still acting up, but then suddenly it was shifting correctly (early, but correctly) it wasn't that there 'was no second gear' it was that it was not making part-throttle upshifts into 2nd. it was hanging in 1st, but being in 'drive' position, no engine braking so the trans was just over-running the engine. I think my TV Cable or valve is sticking, because sometimes it acts stupid, sometimes it behaves like it should.. .when it acts like it should, I can get into overdrive @ 40mph

your shift linkage is mis-adjusted. when you put it in "1" you are actually only hitting "2" on the trans, that's why it will upshift.. when you get to "D" you are actully in "nuetral" Here is what you do. 1) *BLOCK THE WHEELS* 2) loosen the adjuster on teh cable (I'm not familiar with floor shift) 3) rotate the manual lever on the transmission itself all the way forward to make sure it's locked into park (for refernce) Then rotate it backwards twice. (one click to Reverse, 2nd click to nuetral) 4) place the floor shift in the nuetral position. 5) tighten the adjuster. assuming nothing is worn out, that should take care of it.

The idea behind a reverse shift pattern, is that you are shifting AWAY from reverse, not towards it. i.e on a normal trans you go up to 2nd, up to 3rd.. OOOPs missed and hit reverse (I have done this, it sucks) on a reverse pattern, it's PRN123 no accidents.

I read 700r4.com they had nothing useful. I'm using a quadrajet. the cable is being pulled straight out of the jacket. but it's ONLY 2nd gear that acts up... 1st and 3rd are just fine. now, I KNOW the TV cable is actully set 'too tight' so it won't let me into 4th gear at normal road speeds (45-50mph) I have to extend my TV cable bracket tomorrow. but it gets wierder!!!! on the way home, 2nd gear was working just fine.. up and down at any throttle position. and usually once I shut the car off it starts acting up again, but was ok this time.. so I think you are right either a valve is sticky, or maybe the 2nd gear servo is sticking.... but I'm gonna drive it around a little bi t tomorrow and see if it gets any better. man i LOVE that low 1st gear

well, I don't know how right my speedo is.. it said I was doin 70 mph which I'm pretty sure is wrong

as you know, I swapped in a 700r4.. that appears to have no 2nd gear... here's where it gets wierd.. if I take it out, and give it some resonable amounts of throttle (close to 1/2 throttle) the first 3 gears are there and work just fine!!! it up and downshifts just fine. but if I roll away from the light very slowly, I don't have 2nd gear until I get into it. I even arbitrrairly pulled the TV cable tigher just incase I mis-adjusted it.. no effect.. so I'm a little lost at this point! I haven't been able to get up to speeds high enough to get into 4th yet. even with the TV cable pulled all the way out, it's still not out far enough (gotta make an extension for the bracket) so it may not go into forth because It thinks I have my foot 'in the gas'

yeah with those gears and street use.. definately 2000-2400 max.

Well, like Leo said tony, It was a core. I'm not bothered. when I got the pan off and saw what looked like a handful of gritty kitty litter I figured it was toast. But I actully planned it out this way, tho I was hoping the trans worked well enough to finish getting the engine broke in.. oh well!! but now all the enginerring is done on the swap, and this way, I can let the trans shop handle the R&r and the can't say I did somthing wrong when I installed it! on an interesting side note, I don't know it's because it's 'new' or it's an SFI (thicker) flex plate, but engine is VERY much quieter while it's cranking! almost no noise at all from the starter itself turning the engine over.

got the monte done today.. took her out for a test drive.. and just my luck.. 2nd gear is _GONE_ there is basicly nothing there. 1st is a little slippy but nothing that I would consider 'terminal' at this point.. but when it makes the shift into 2nd, it feels like it goes back to nuetral, unless I rev the engine up and then suddenly grabs. I tightened up the TV cable arbitrairly just in case, but it didn't help. judging by all the chunks I found in the trans pan, I'm not too surprised so, I still can't drive it.. but at least the conversion to the 700r4 is mostly done. now I can get the trans shop to pull it & rebuild it for me

grease.. that would fix my detent problem, but I really don't care about that. unless the 'arm' that attached to the crossshaft is moved outward toward the frame more.. (taht would fix my issue).. but for now it's fine.. I'm pushing hard to get the car done for saturday, and I think it will be only thing left now is to drill out and retap the screw that holds the speedo drive assembly into the case, and then fill it with oil and go for a test drive

well, I'm hoping my shifter bracket from the Th350 will fit the 700r4 since it IS a floor-shift type

yeah.. $250 is a lot more then I want to spend right now on somthing I don't _really_ need at this point. I will definately consider that tho when I start adding h.p again :>

my existing 'stock' shift linkage for my Th350 fit the 700r4 perfectly.. nothing was too short.. all fit right back the way it was supposed to. The detents in the column don't match the detents in the trans, but that's ok, the column is so worn out they don't work anyway :> but here's the interesting part... everything is ok for Park & Reverse, but when I hit nuetral, Drive, or L3 (can't get to L2 or l1 with the slop that still exists) the shift linkage hits the exhaust header! I'm not _too_ worried right now because the spring on the crosshaft allows some give, it's ok in drive, but I think in the lower gears the rest of the linkage will hit... here's what I had in mind until I get a floor-shift ratchet shifter in.. I'm going to pull the shift linkage in to the frame as far as it will go (the slot in the bracket on the trans allows this), mark it. then drill a small hole thru it and add a washer and a cotter pin or hairpin clip to keep the linkage pulled towards the frame so it won't rub the header.

i considered having one made.. but the best I could find was $300+ for aluminum ones. when I get that other u-joint done, I'll problaby just get it balanced 'just because'

kevin, I think I've got about an inch of yoke exposed when the car is sitting at normal ride height. I'm actully kinda wishing I had only 3" taken out. I forgot to take into account taht the drive shaft slides into the trans as the rear suspension extends (axle drops away from body) and pulls the shaft out as it compresses, due to the arc of the control arms.. oh well. if it appears to be a problem, guess I'll buy another driveshaft from leo and only get 3" taken out lol

I have a factory service manual for my '86 astro van with a 700r4 and it's really very simple, release the locks, push the cable all the way in, pull the throttle wide open, while holding it there, lock the cable in place. my '89 cutlass also uses a TV cable.. tho it's a 440-T4 trans the trans shop apparently forgot to set it, so I ended up doing it myself after the rebuild. been there.. done that I still think the Vacum modulator and kickdown cable is a better setup

CHHHHHHHA CHIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!! FINALLLY!!!! _SOMTHING_ went right!!! I'm glad I went for that extra 1/2 inch too!!! I had the machine shop take 3-1/2" out of the driveshaft, and it fit right in like it was meant to be there that was $80 well spent :> $61 to shorten the drive shaft, and $20 to have them install a new ujoint.

well after bolting in the 700r4, and trying to find a driveshaft at leo's that was short enough, and his shortest one being 1/2" too long... I found a local machine shop that could shorten my old one for me. Cost me $61 to have them take 3-1/2 inches out. I could have had it balanced for another $80 but I'm not going to do that just yet. (If I have problems I will) I didn't relize they needed the ujoint caps to machine it, (left them at home for safe keeping) so I just had them put a new ujoint in the back for another $20 it was problaby cheaper then driving home to get the old caps!

a 400 has a very odd-shaped pan IIRC ... very irregular. the th350 has a square pan with one corner 'knocked off' you can also tell by looking at the right rear corner, if it has a 'can' with a vacuum line attached, it's a 350.

btw.. I guessed right.. the 168 tooth dual-pattern fly wheel was exactly what I needed :>

lol tony.. I said from day one I was building the monte cuz I wanted a car I could beat on, and would take it new cars just can't do it

har har leo well, the old th350 is out... front pump bushings are SHOT. as well as the pump itself.. oh well. New SFI Flexplate and ARP bolts are in the 700 is now bolted in.. wow.. that really sucked. those things are HEAVY! I now know what driveshaft I need, so tomorrow I go see leo and with some luck, by tomorrow (sunday) night, I'll be crusing around in 4spd overdrive style

Quote: tho it was under called this back then haha good lord.. and that was only one beer... *I* am not even sure what I was trying to say. anyway.. the new flexplate and trans are going in saturday, hopefully I can get it back on the road, then the following weekend I'll be on way out to leo's to install the 3.55/posi axle.. then we'll see about some new track times :>

lol mike.. no.. after working at my new job for a bit more then a year, I'm finally in a position to be spending money on my monte :> I've been working for a company that's kind of ironic since it had a LOT to do with the first gen monte :> tho it was under called this back then haha I work for Delphi - Saginaw Steering Gear division. I work in plant #6 where the steering columns, and plastic p/s parts are made :> I've been trying to become GOOD friends with the guy in the service parts section of the plant <evil grin> every couple of months, I see a rack of old-style tube-type steering columns come thru ... (I work in Product Control and Logistics).. I drive a fork truck lol.