Advice on a trans rebuild

12secondSY

12secondSY

Syty Killer :(
Since I'm tearing mine down to swap to a 2wd output shaft im going to make sure I only do it once. So hopefully someone with experience can help make this easier so I don't buy junk parts or tools. Already ordered the manual, it's not here yet but I want to get my parts here and tools before next weekend.

Recommendations on a spring compressor and size and type of snap ring pliers would be helpful. I need to order that also.

Looking at a couple rebuild kits.

https://www.monstertransmission.com/mobile/#page-84

https://www.monstertransmission.com/mobile/#page-116

I like the SS kit for the 5 planetaries. I've heard there are junk chinese ones though. The website doesn't say what brand those are.

https://www.700r4l60e.com/store/product.php?productid=394&cat=19&page=1

Or any of the kits from that website really. It's so much to read through and compare I'm a little lost.

Engine is mostly stock. Ill probably turn up the boost and it will have a stall, cold air, 3" exhaust. Already has a 3 bar and afpr. But down the road the spare engine will go in. Turbo, heads, cam. It's in a 2wd 87 blazer that's a ballpark of 3400#'s. If I get low 11's at some point I'd be happy so something that will hold that and still withstand a lot of street driving even though it's a secondary vehicle.
 
12secondSY

12secondSY

Syty Killer :(
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

randy merritt said:
I bought this kit from Dana at 700r4l60e.com

https://www.700r4l60e.com/store/product.php?productid=292&cat=19&page=1

So far, so good. All the checking I did before I bought anything led me to believe that Dana is a good fellow. I worked with a trans rebuild friend of mine and followed the install instructions to the letter (as far as modifying hard parts), and the thing shifts and runs great.
Click to expand...

I looked all over for reviews on monster and 700r4l60e and from what I saw monsters customer service isn't good and Dana is great so I ruled out monster and have been leaning toward 700r4l60e.com. I'm a little confused on what the difference is on the modified z pack kit so I'm waiting for a response to my email.

How's yours shift and what's your build? I want a stock feel under normal driving but still be able to beat on it once or twice a year at the track.

Edit: Just saw your build in your sig. How long have you had it in and how many track days has it seen?
 
randy merritt

randy merritt

Donating Member
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

12secondSY said:
I looked all over for reviews on monster and 700r4l60e and from what I saw monsters customer service isn't good and Dana is great so I ruled out monster and have been leaning toward 700r4l60e.com. I'm a little confused on what the difference is on the modified z pack kit so I'm waiting for a response to my email.

How's yours shift and what's your build? I want a stock feel under normal driving but still be able to beat on it once or twice a year at the track.

Edit: Just saw your build in your sig. How long have you had it in and how many track days has it seen?
Click to expand...

The shift feels stock under part/light throttle. The 1-2 shift is not hard at all. Under full throttle, all the shifts are firm and quick with no hint of slippage. The trans guy that installed the kit told me the kit had all the good parts he normally uses in his 700r4 high performance builds, plus a few mods that he had not seen before (drilling the valve body).

I have had the trans about a year and have been to the track only once with it where it pulled a 1.65 60 foot and a 1/8 time of 7.41, but I have done lots of hard boost launches on the street.

My last trans build had the Z pack clutches installed, and the trans did not last very long under abuse. I believe the kit I used has more clutches than the Z pack, but I could be wrong.
 
12secondSY

12secondSY

Syty Killer :(
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

Ok. I'm seeing that the cheaper kits say they are good for more HP than I plan to make but the torque of our engines is much higher so it's good to see how it's worked for someone else. If I can make mine hook I don't want to kill a trans because I went cheap and ruin a TC
 
cloneman315

cloneman315

Active member
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

Do a cheap rebuild on a 700 it wont last and you will be pulling it right back out. Possibly the first time after a boost run.
 
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12secondSY

12secondSY

Syty Killer :(
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

The cheap kit is still $750 lol. And it says good to 675hp. But I agree with you. I want to make sure I don't do a rebuild then ruin all the new parts when something dies and start over.
 
atkonkler

atkonkler

Is this your bush?
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

cloneman315 said:
I understand budgets... let the pro's do it....
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Ditto....I took mine out and gave it to a builder who us known for the 700r4 ....said this is what I wanna do with it....they all have recipes for building and things they have found work better from exp.. mine was $800 and I kept it local so I can go see him whenever
 
dgoodhue

dgoodhue

BuSTeD 4.3
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

Since your 2wd you should be able to get away with the 'cheap' kit but I would do anything less. Low 11 sec 1/4 miles is starting to push envelope of a 4L60. The transmission I rebuilt is somewhere between the 'cheap' kit and the one cloneman suggested. When I rebuilt mine I set the forward clutches too tight and it started to slip after 1000miles. I ended up buying a used 4L60 with cryo and upgraded hard parts and have been using that. One of these days I will replace the forward clutches in the trans I rebuilt.
 
wildphil

wildphil

I Love My Ty's
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

Go with Dana at 700r4l60e.com. I have had one of his kits for years with zero problems. It will take a lot of power. And customer service is better than any I have ever had.
 
Z SKI

Z SKI

Donating Member
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

X3 for Dana... I also love the fact that he is fairly close to me...
 
P

Poconojoe

Donating Member
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

If its in a 2wd, why not a 4l80e? Yes you need to get a controller but you don't need all the expensive pieces to adapt it to the transfer case
 
12secondSY

12secondSY

Syty Killer :(
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

Poconojoe said:
If its in a 2wd, why not a 4l80e? Yes you need to get a controller but you don't need all the expensive pieces to adapt it to the transfer case
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I don't know the differences in dimensions for an 80e but the whole reason I went back to a 4.3l in this truck was to be able to use a stock crossmember, driveshaft, etc. I considered an 80e but I don't know if that's all the same then I'd imagine the cost of the converters and controller is pricey. I know 10's are possible on a 700r4 and I dont expect 10's so I didn't see any point in adding weight and extra work and cost. I currently have the awd 700r4 and a 2wd tail housing and shaft plus another 2wd 700r4 as a spare a guy at work is selling me for $125 from an 88 pickup that was wrecked. I have 2 syty converters also.
 
12secondSY

12secondSY

Syty Killer :(
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

Thanks for all the input guys. Dana never responded to the email I sent and I called but didn't leave a message so I'll call back and leave a message. Sounds like that's the place to use.
 
Beavis

Beavis

Still plays with trucks
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

I was once told and have repeted it many times because it makes sence. Fast, Cheap, Reliable....pick two.
 
12secondSY

12secondSY

Syty Killer :(
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

Beavis said:
I was once told and have repeted it many times because it makes sence. Fast, Cheap, Reliable....pick two.
Click to expand...

The plan for this truck is kinda fast, mostly reliable(hence the complete spare driveline), and not an eBay build but quality parts without getting carried away. I don't want to pay for overkill. There is a budget and a timeframe to finish it by spring. Which in my case means 6-8 weekends that I can work on it.
 
P

Pro Built Automatics

New member
Re: Advice on a trans rebuild

I talked to the GM engineers years ago when the 5 pinion planetaries were introduced and asked why when the 4 pinion planets were doing just fine. The reason was it was cheaper to make them out of powdered or sintered iron than forged steel and the carrier being made out of powdered iron instead of nodular (cast) iron as the 4 pinion carrier was. The problem though was that the powdered iron gears are a little weaker and they had to add the fifth pinion to get the strength back and it makes it slightly stronger than the 4 pinion, but they were never having problems with the 4 pinion in terms strength or longevity to begin with. Hence the reason for the 5 pinion setup was for bottom line reasons. I have never used the 5 pinion setups unless the customer supplied them as far as I can remember. I have used and recommended the 4 pinions in everything for many years now in 9 & 10 second vehicles and have never had one break or had a customer call me with a failure. In the 700R4 the problem for years was the lack of lube to the rear planetary. There were many ways to solve this, the first was grinding the one land on the pressure regulator valve, a TransGo recommendation. GM offered the rear planet with an "oil catcher", doesn't do any good if there is no oil to catch. And finally GM put in the Viton input to output shaft seal to replace the plastic one which starts to go away, which starved the rear planet for oil. This solved the problem for good. With the PR valve modification it took a lot longer for the planet to fail if at all. In apx.1994 I started to put the Viton seal in everything I built and in all of my rebuild kits and told hundreds of shops about this over the years. Funny thing is that all the aftermarket gasket kits have never offered them, still only the plastic one, even though the 700R4 started using them in late 1991. If you have strong 60 foot times, very high torque and drive aggressively, the output shaft should be cryoed. Do this before you twist or crack it. The cryoing will greatly reduce the chance of shaft failure. The price to do this (approximately $45.00) is 1/10th the price of an aftermarket output shaft. Also you do not want hard part throttle shifts, as this is hard on the splines and everything else, is annoying (women hate it) and does nothing for longevity. Shifts should be fairly smooth at part throttle (especially the 1-2) and the shifts getting quicker with more throttle. There is much more but this will give you an idea of what is needed and what is not.
 
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