Has any one had any experience with a 700R4 behind an inline engine with a healthy amount of torque or in a heavy car? I really want a 4L60E/ 4L80E behind my Packard but with the computer controls and cost they are a bit prohibitive and a 700R4 is much more cost effective once I factor in the cost of an adapter plate. Any input would be great.

check out what your torque spec really is, usually not too far off of your cubic inch size i.e. 300 incher=300 ft. lbs ('cept when turbo'd) dont matter much if they are inline or side by side, and rarely will a six have more than the v-8 at ANY rpm range ('cept maybe down at 1000 rpm or so) I'm pretty sure there were 350 v8s in some 4000 lb Impalas, that stood up for 100,000 miles.

Well I am dealing with a Packard inline so getting accurate power numbers has been a bit difficult. the bigger L8s were rated close to around 300FT LBS (our of a 359 CI flat head engine) and that was at around 2000 RPM but again I don't know these numbers to be accurate. I know that the stroke is longer than a 454 chevy but again it is a flat head so torque will be limited by breathing. I just don't want to dump money into something only to have it spill all over the road.

I have ran and setup 700r4's in multiple vehicles. Stout 383, mild 350, 4 bbl 292 and turbo 292, even a 53 with a 261.
The 383 tore the first one up, so did the turbo 292. The rebuilt ones held up fine.
I say run it and don't look back.

I got 275,000 miles out of the 700R4 in my '90 Suburban with a 350 V-thing. That includes lots of miles pulling a travel trailer and car trailer. I had it rebuilt and it's almost to 320,000 now. Frequent fluid/filter changes is the secret.

Thank you for the info, I think I will go with one cant beat the price.

Get a TranGo Noyoyo shift kit for your 700R4, you won't regret it.

It boosts the line pressure and servo holding power.

There's a ton of other things you could do, but not really necessary unless you'r going for a mean street machine.

Get a good tranny cooler. If you have trans cooler in your radiator, use it. Water dissipates heat 4X as fast as air.

Well the car will likely end up with some form of forced induction so mean (for it) street machine may be a reality. I do like the shift kit idea. I have heard that the 700R4 is a bit difficult to set up when dealing with the throttle linkage/ kickdown any input on that?

There is a lot of good info out there on setting up the TV cable. It must be done right but it not magic. Stay away from the early 700R4 or get a built one and you'll be happy. You need the OD.

Yes I need an OD for sure. The adapter plate kit (adapter, flexplate, starter) is not ridiculously over priced at $895 for my engine, should be interesting. I will be uploading pictures or the progress in the very near future.

The 85-86 transmissions are fine. They predate the auxillary valve body units, but are good transmissions.

The biggest problem with the early transmissions were the ones witht he 7 vane pumps. Everything from 85 on up had a 10 vane.

There were a couple revisions in the sprag assembly for better oiling, but GM redesigned that a couple times along the way.

Most of the problem transmissions are long gone by now or they've been rebuilt and upgraded by now. Unless you're buying Grandma's 1982 Caprice that's been sitting for 20 years, whatever you buy should be a good one.

Here's some shift kits you may want to look at. The only thing I would reccommend differently is getting a .490 or .50 TV valve instead of the .471 that the Sonnax kit uses.

http://www.sonnax.com/parts/3028

http://www.transgo.com/products.php?prd=...ddcountview=Yes

http://www.transgo.com/products.php?prd=...ddcountview=Yes

This is the one I like. I've actually used it with great results. You can custom tune your shifts with it too. Like I said, I'd add the .490 TV valve with it.

http://www.transgo.com/products.php?prd=...ddcountview=Yes

I have always heard, stay away from the early 700R4's 27 spline ,(IIRC?)
nothing but problems.

Get a later model trans, newer (in this case) is always better.
GM did many, many updates since the early units.
They evolved into the 4l60R 4l65E?

MBHD

Biggest headache on the 700R4 is getting the TV cable linkage setup correctly.

4L60e - yes you need a controller they are not all that expensive anymore - they do need a TPS sensor - if your running a holley - it bolts on otherwise a remote mounted one - most of the controllers you turn it (key on engine off) on with the throttle closed - push a button, stab the throttle WOT, push the button - done. No fiddling with cable and linkages and no chance of getting it wrong and frying a set of clutches.