Best source for 700R4?

[Sharecropper]

OK folks, I am ready to get rid of my TH400 and install a 700R4. I already have the factory TV bracket, new GM OEM TV cable, correct tall GM 14038663 adapter, and a good used 27-spline input for my NP208 transfer case. In fact, the only thing I don't have is the 700R4 tranny itself. And this is where I would like to ask for help.

I have no desire to purchase a salvage yard unit and have it rebuilt. Instead, I would rather simply write a check and purchase an already rebuilt unit from a reputable source. Problem is, how do you find that reputable source and gain confidence in who you're dealing with? Our favorite auction site has numerous transmission rebuilders listed, all with great promotional photos and clever wording, however selecting one of these guys for such an important piece of machinery would be sorta like choosing a dentist from Craig's List. Instead of rolling the dice and hoping for a good result, I would rather make a wise, informed decision based on referrals from fellow SS members. So if you have had an experience with a transmission builder, good or bad, please chime in.

I also need to educate myself regarding questions I should ask of a potential 700R4 builder. I am embarrassed to say that I just don't know a lot about transmissions. So if anybody has a recent edition of "700R4s For Dummies" available, please send me a PM with price LOL. In all seriousness, I would appreciate guidance on the questions I need to ask. I need to learn about which torque converter, governor, lock-up, and all the things I don't yet know what to ask about (does that make sense?).

Since 2010, when I began the complete rebuild of my M1028, this SS site has been an invaluable resource for information and assistance. My project would not have made it as far as it has without the generous outpouring of free help on this site. I hope to be able to give-back by continuing to photo-document my work in my rebuild thread for future MV enthusiasts.

Thanks in advance for everybody's input.

 

[Jozseph]

FWIW Sharecropper consider Jasper

Review there site;

http://www.jasperengines.com/transmissions

"3 year/100,000 mile Nationwide Transferable Warranty — Parts and Labor.

Off-road applications receive an 18 month/100,000 mile parts and labor warranty."

Regards

Joseph

 

[Chaski]

What happened to having Mad Dog build up one for you?

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?147149-700R4-questions/page2

I don't know if there is a good general book on 700r4's. I built mine up about three years ago now and it is chugging along just fine. One book I wouldn't buy is the GM Automatic overdrive transmission builder's and swapper's guide by Cliff Ruggles. That book isn't even a good fire starter.

The ATSG 700R4 / 4L60 update handbook is good. It isn't a rebuild manual but it explains every difference in the transmissions from 1982-1993. It tells you the compatibility of every upgrade and how to identify the parts.

Another good reference is floating around on the Internet for free. It is a giant PDF file named 4L60-E Overhaul Procedures Auto 211 M. Miller. As best as I can tell it came from a college or trade school and is pretty awesome. The file is huge, I think I have it somewhere at work and could get it to you somehow next week if you can't google it.

Like I said before I think that the Sonnax smart shell is a good upgrade to eliminate thrust load on your planetary set and give you a beefy sun shell. Really you just need a quality friction and steel set, a larger servo, a larger boost valve, and some fiddling with the governor. I found that the diesel governor caused my shifts to be too early. I ended up with a V8 governor. A lot of how it acts can be tuned by governor weights and what you do with your valve body (shift kit, black magic)

I have a one wire lockup on mine. Honestly lockup is a bit of a pain, if you want it to work like a modern vehicle you need to get one of those speed lockout controllers that connect to your speedometer cable, or just do like I do and drive around town in D, and only drop in in OD on the highway to keep it from shifting into 4th and locking up when tooling around at 35mph.

The best place to get one is from someone with a quality reputation that uses good parts and can tune it for you once it is in.

 

[Sharecropper]

What happened to having Mad Dog build up one for you?

I just could not get comfortable with Mad Dog Transmissions. Every time I spoke with them on the phone they seemed arrogant and condescending. I emailed them a couple times but no response. So I decided to check their feedback score on Ebay, and Bingo! Only a 92.9% positive rating! Such a shame too, because I really believe Lou knows his stuff with transmissions, especially with 700R4s.

So I am still trying to decide who to do business with.

 

[Chaski]

I just could not get comfortable with Mad Dog Transmissions. Every time I spoke with them on the phone they seemed arrogant and condescending. I emailed them a couple times but no response. So I decided to check their feedback score on Ebay, and Bingo! Only a 92.9% positive rating! Such a shame too, because I really believe Lou knows his stuff with transmissions, especially with 700R4s.

So I am still trying to decide who to do business with.

Understood. It seems like all the large online rebuilders have marginal reviews.


Could rebuild your own, but it is a pain.

 

[SouthernSteel]

Monster Transmissions Yeah maddog screwed a few friends and my dad so i dont blame ya.

 

[Csm Davis]

FWIW Sharecropper consider Jasper

Review there site;

http://www.jasperengines.com/transmissions

"3 year/100,000 mile Nationwide Transferable Warranty — Parts and Labor.

Off-road applications receive an 18 month/100,000 mile parts and labor warranty."

Regards

Joseph

Sharecropper I second the Jasper transmission if you want a good warranty,they have lots of places around the country that do installation warranty replacement for them, so if you have a problem you can get it fixed nearby not drag it all the way back home to your local guy. I have seen the back side of their rebuild operation for a different part but it made me trust them enough for a Jasper engine for my daughter's car which if installed by the Jasper dealer got a great warranty boost over me putting it in and the reason was they knew that all of the hoses and oil lines and such were new and in good order, the piece of mind with her on the road hundreds of miles away was worth every penny. Because you have all of the stock pieces they might even offer that same warranty bump to you, it is only for stock replacement engines and maybe transmissions, but a good company I believe them to be.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Sharecropper]

Well, yall want to hear something crazy? After months of thinking, pondering, wondering, and reading other SS members posts, I am now of the mind to forget the 700R4 and install a 4L80E instead. There is a company on a familiar auction site which purports to have a large quantity of military HMMWV 4L80E units already rebuilt to military specs and ready to ship. So I will probably be placing all my 700R4 parts in the classifieds to sell. I have the TV bracket, TV cable, correct 700R4-to-NP208 adapter, and 27-spline imput shaft for the NP208. So somebody is going to get everything they need except the 700R4.

The only thing I am still up in the air about regarding the 4L80E is which control box to use. Beginning that research now.

 

[Sharecropper]

Here is the listed information on those 4L80E units. I would like to request help from someone familiar with this to make sure I am getting the correct unit with the Park pawl.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[FONT=&quot]Remanufactured 4L80E Transmission for HMMWV Applications[/FONT]

• OEM Part Number 57K3570, 57K4408, 57K6204
• NSN 2520-01-489-0850
• 2520-01-489-0850 is a replacement for:
  • 2520-01-475-1083
  • 2520-01-461-7077
  • 2520-01-459-8531
  • 2520-01-439-6831
• Includes torque converter and EGR sensors.
• Remanufactured to like-new condition, and dynamometer tested to OEM specifications.
• 1-Year warranty.
• There is no core charge for these transmissions.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Feeling your pain. Now that I am in GA, I'm realizing pretty quick that the NA 6.2 really sucks in the mountains in an 8500# truck. With that said, I have a 96 Suburban stashed in FL that has the MPFI 454 and a 4L80E. Guess what sins I've been thinking of?

 

[Chaski]

Keep us up to date on how it goes.

I always figured the cost of the computer plus the cost of the driveshaft retube and shorten job wasn't worth it to put a 4L80E behind a 6.2. But if you can get the transmission for next to free the cost of the driveshafts and computer would probably be a wash. The only disadvantage to the 4L80E compared to a 700R4 is that it does not have the lower first gear ratio.

 

[richingalveston]

just don't use tci. I lost a lot of money with them. The firs unit they sent me had a EFI fuel system program in it and I believe it trashed a brand new transmission.
I had to rebuilt it because it got over pressured.
I like the us shift controller. It think it is a better unit and connects to computer which makes it easier to program.

 

[Sharecropper]

FULL CIRCLE.

I have come full circle and decided to forget the 4L80E and stick with the 700R4. I apologize for any confusion and/or consternation my earlier post may have caused.

My decision is final. I am purchasing a Level 2 700R4 K-case unit from Bowtie Overdrives in Hesperia, CA. The fellow I am working with at Bowtie is Chris Gardner, who just happens to own a M1008 and knows exactly what is required to make everything work in our CUCVs. The Level 2 K-case unit from Bowtie will handle 450 horsepower and 450 ft. lbs. of torque, probably over-kill for my OEM 6.2 with 155 horses (duh). In addition to configuring the 700R4 with the correct diesel torque converter and governor, Bowtie will also build the unit with an Advance Adapters 32-spline output shaft to correctly mate to the OEM NP208 transfer case, thereby making the Bowtie 700R4 a true bolt-in installation when using a GM14038663 tall adapter. Included with the Bowtie unit is auto-lockup in 4th gear and 12-volt wiring kit which works off the cold side of the truck's brake light switch.

I am glad this decision is behind me, and looking forward to this next phase in the refinement of my M1028. I will photo-document the whole process in my rebuild thread. Thanks to everybody who offered comments and advice.

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com

 

[nattieleather]

Congrats on your choice. I look forward to the build pictures and I know you will be very happy with your decision.

 

[Sharecropper]

FULL CIRCLE.

I have come full circle and decided to forget the 4L80E and stick with the 700R4. I apologize for any confusion and/or consternation my earlier post may have caused.

My decision is final. I am purchasing a Level 2 700R4 K-case unit from Bowtie Overdrives in Hesperia, CA. The fellow I am working with at Bowtie is Chris Gardner, who just happens to own a M1008 and knows exactly what is required to make everything work in our CUCVs. The Level 2 K-case unit from Bowtie will handle 450 horsepower and 450 ft. lbs. of torque, probably over-kill for my OEM 6.2 with 155 horses (duh). In addition to configuring the 700R4 with the correct diesel torque converter and governor, Bowtie will also build the unit with an Advance Adapters 32-spline output shaft to correctly mate to the OEM NP208 transfer case, thereby making the Bowtie 700R4 a true bolt-in installation when using a GM14038663 tall adapter. Included with the Bowtie unit is auto-lockup in 4th gear and 12-volt wiring kit which works off the cold side of the truck's brake light switch.

I am glad this decision is behind me, and looking forward to this next phase in the refinement of my M1028. I will photo-document the whole process in my rebuild thread. Thanks to everybody who offered comments and advice.

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com

TOOK THE PLUNGE

Today I ordered the Level 2 700R4 from Chris Gardner at Bowtie Overdrive. I just wanted to pass along to others on SS who may be considering this tranny swap how important it was (to me) to procure the 700R4 from somebody who also owns and drives a M1008. Chris knows exactly what is needed for our trucks and is furnishing my unit with the Advance Adapters 32-spline output shaft for a true bolt-in swap. The Bowtie kit includes the correct torque converter and brake-light lock-up switch. I plan to photo-document the entire process in my rebuild thread. Thanks again to everybody who has contributed to my understanding of the process.

Having said that, I DO have another question - Can anybody provide the correct GM part number for the correct flex plate?

Thanks.

 

[Chaski]

Excellent!

95% sure this is the correct part number for the flexplate 14077158

 

[MarkM]

The 700R4 1st gear 3.06 as opposed to the 3L80 2.48 will make a world of difference starting out.
I have a 700r4 IN MY 89 Mazda B2200 Chevy 350 powered truck for over 11 years and have had zero issues with my Jasper tranny.
If I was going to really push my HMMWV off road I would stay with the Larger trannys but for anything else a built 700R4 will serve you very well.

Mark

 

[Recovry4x4]

TOOK THE PLUNGE

Today I ordered the Level 2 700R4 from Chris Gardner at Bowtie Overdrive. I just wanted to pass along to others on SS who may be considering this tranny swap how important it was (to me) to procure the 700R4 from somebody who also owns and drives a M1008. Chris knows exactly what is needed for our trucks and is furnishing my unit with the Advance Adapters 32-spline output shaft for a true bolt-in swap. The Bowtie kit includes the correct torque converter and brake-light lock-up switch. I plan to photo-document the entire process in my rebuild thread. Thanks again to everybody who has contributed to my understanding of the process.

Having said that, I DO have another question - Can anybody provide the correct GM part number for the correct flex plate?

Thanks.

Would you be willing to share an approximate price and was there a core charge? I have several cores waiting for me to act.

 

[Sharecropper]

Would you be willing to share an approximate price and was there a core charge? I have several cores waiting for me to act.

Recovry, The price of the Bowtie K-case 700R4 with the Advance Adapters 32-spline output shaft was $1,990.00. The HD diesel torque converter added another $199, and the brake-switch lock-out kit was $45. Add another $60 for crating and $175 for LTL shipping from California to Kentucky, and the grand total was $2,469.00. There was no core charge.

Bear in mind, I really didn't care what it cost because I am spending my daughter's inheritance. What was more important to me than price was the quality of the work and reputation of the builder. Bowtie Overdrives has an impeccable reputation and Chris Gardner drives a M1008 every day to work. He knows exactly what we are looking for and knows his stuff when building a 700R4 for military applications.

I also just ordered a Derale deep pan for the 700R4 - http://derale.com/products/transmis...male-x-3-8-barb-90-degree-barb-fitting-detail . This extra-capacity pan has integral cooling tubes incorporated into the design which divert air moving under the truck and help to cool the fluid. The pan also comes standard with a 1/8" NPT temperature sensor bung, however I plan to braze a 1/2" NPT bung into the side of the pan in order to utilize the HMMWV temperature sending unit for my HMMWV gauge. I will photo-document all this in my rebuild thread.

Hope this helps.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Recovry, The price of the Bowtie K-case 700R4 with the Advance Adapters 32-spline output shaft was $1,990.00. The HD diesel torque converter added another $199, and the brake-switch lock-out kit was $45. Add another $60 for crating and $175 for LTL shipping from California to Kentucky, and the grand total was $2,469.00. There was no core charge.

Bear in mind, I really didn't care what it cost because I am spending my daughter's inheritance. What was more important to me than price was the quality of the work and reputation of the builder. Bowtie Overdrives has an impeccable reputation and Chris Gardner drives a M1008 every day to work. He knows exactly what we are looking for and knows his stuff when building a 700R4 for military applications.

I also just ordered a Derale deep pan for the 700R4 - http://derale.com/products/transmis...male-x-3-8-barb-90-degree-barb-fitting-detail . This extra-capacity pan has integral cooling tubes incorporated into the design which divert air moving under the truck and help to cool the fluid. The pan also comes standard with a 1/8" NPT temperature sensor bung, however I plan to braze a 1/2" NPT bung into the side of the pan in order to utilize the HMMWV temperature sending unit for my HMMWV gauge. I will photo-document all this in my rebuild thread.

Hope this helps.

Thanks and this does help. I just want quality trans. Since I have a 241 case available I can save a couple of dollars there. Thanks again.