transmission question

rick lester · 12-02-2009, 04:26 AM

this weekend my suburban will be on the road legally (titled and tagged) but the only problem i am having right now is the very early shifting and not being able to downshift. this is what i got...88 chevy suburban 350 motor, 700r4 trans, 2wd. the trans was built for a camaro (lightweight car). i got the trans for 100 bucks, was 250, guy needed rent money. installed in suburban (heavy truck). yes tv cable is hooked up and everything in trans is working correctly. after talking to a trans shop, we both agreed that the govenor needs to be changed. i took it out and gave it to them. they say weight needs to come off, i say weight needs to be added. which is correct? i know the gov. handles the shift points, for the most part, and for a heavier vehicle or modified drivetrain the gov needs to be changed or modified with different weights to work correctly. now i do know that deseils with 700r4 gov have heavier weights, and corvette/camaro/firebirds are much lighter. this is how i'm coming up with needing more weight. i have a feeling i will going to a different trans shop in the future. tv cable is not adjusted correctly yet, since gov would not let trans downshift at part or full throttle. once i fix the gov problem, then i can adjust cable. i will be picking up gov early this morning (wednesday) and finishing this afternoon, so if anybody is reading this and know anything about trans, post here. i'm at work all night and on this site. rick.

Alan Roehrich · 12-02-2009, 08:33 AM

The TV cable on a 700 R4 MUST be adjusted correctly FIRST!

A properly built and adjusted car transmission will shift later than a truck transmission, gas or diesel.

An early upshift and no downshift is an incorrectly adjusted TV cable, or a screwed up transmission. Or both.

To make a transmission shift later, you remove weight from the governor weights.

I get $900 to build a good 700 R4 on the bench and have the converter rebuilt. And that's if there's nothing destroyed in the transmission to start with. If you got a good 700 R4 for $100, you got a killer deal.

Jim Kaekel · 12-02-2009, 08:35 AM

The TV adjustment is very important on the 700R-4. Since your upshifts are too early, I would lengthen the cable slightly and test it out. If it helps a bit, lengthen it a bit more.

Alan Roehrich · 12-02-2009, 09:09 AM

Get yourself a helper. Have him sit in the truck. Depress the adjuster tab on the cable housing. While it is depressed, pull the cable housing all the way back firmly and hold it. Have the helper press the gas pedal all the way to the floor, and hold it. Now, with the cable housing held all the way back, and the gas pedal on the floor, release the adjuster tab. Now, have your helper release the gas pedal. Then have him press the gas pedal to the floor while you check the cable. There should be NO slack in the cable between the bracket and the throttle linkage. None.

Now you have adjusted the cable correctly. Drive the truck. If the governor is for a gas engine, the truck has a 3.73 or higher gear, and the transmission is working correctly, it should shift to 2nd between 12 and 15 MPH at part throttle, into 3rd at around 24 to 30 MPH, and into 4th around 40 to 45 MPH.

ss3011 · 12-02-2009, 12:34 PM

What transmission was originally in the Suburban ? The brackets that hold the tv cable are different for a 350 THM, so you need all the compatable parts. Carb, bracket, and the cable. The trans also shifts based on the output shaft rpm, for if the Camaro trans was set up for a 2.73, and your Suburban is a 3.73, the shift pattern will be way early.

rick lester · 12-03-2009, 12:53 AM

guys i apprieciate all the help and info everybody gave me. even though transmission are not my specialty, i do know enough to get the job done. all the brackets and cables are correct, truck orginally had a 700r4 but was changed to a 350 turbo before i bought. new trans came from a camaro, which the gov had heavier weights, and would not allow me to adjust tv cable until weights were changed, or in this case, springs changed and weights shaved down and balanced. i do know that an improperly adjusted tv cabe will burn up a trans in no time, thats why i have no miles until early shifting was fixed. ok maybe 1 mile total, but no more. yes i got a hell of a deal on the trans, but i still needed to get the gov readjusted so i could set the tv cable. gov works perfect, tv cable is now adjusted, and i can drive and tow in convidence that the job was, and is, done right.

12-02-2009, 04:26 AM	#1
rick lester Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Littlestown PA Posts: 163 Likes: 9 Liked 4 Times in 1 Post	transmission question this weekend my suburban will be on the road legally (titled and tagged) but the only problem i am having right now is the very early shifting and not being able to downshift. this is what i got...88 chevy suburban 350 motor, 700r4 trans, 2wd. the trans was built for a camaro (lightweight car). i got the trans for 100 bucks, was 250, guy needed rent money. installed in suburban (heavy truck). yes tv cable is hooked up and everything in trans is working correctly. after talking to a trans shop, we both agreed that the govenor needs to be changed. i took it out and gave it to them. they say weight needs to come off, i say weight needs to be added. which is correct? i know the gov. handles the shift points, for the most part, and for a heavier vehicle or modified drivetrain the gov needs to be changed or modified with different weights to work correctly. now i do know that deseils with 700r4 gov have heavier weights, and corvette/camaro/firebirds are much lighter. this is how i'm coming up with needing more weight. i have a feeling i will going to a different trans shop in the future. tv cable is not adjusted correctly yet, since gov would not let trans downshift at part or full throttle. once i fix the gov problem, then i can adjust cable. i will be picking up gov early this morning (wednesday) and finishing this afternoon, so if anybody is reading this and know anything about trans, post here. i'm at work all night and on this site. rick. Last edited by rick lester; 12-02-2009 at 04:28 AM.

12-02-2009, 08:33 AM	#2
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,113 Likes: 1,571 Liked 1,826 Times in 414 Posts	Re: transmission question The TV cable on a 700 R4 MUST be adjusted correctly FIRST! A properly built and adjusted car transmission will shift later than a truck transmission, gas or diesel. An early upshift and no downshift is an incorrectly adjusted TV cable, or a screwed up transmission. Or both. To make a transmission shift later, you remove weight from the governor weights. I get $900 to build a good 700 R4 on the bench and have the converter rebuilt. And that's if there's nothing destroyed in the transmission to start with. If you got a good 700 R4 for $100, you got a killer deal. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

12-02-2009, 08:35 AM	#3
Jim Kaekel VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,227 Likes: 133 Liked 531 Times in 108 Posts	Re: transmission question The TV adjustment is very important on the 700R-4. Since your upshifts are too early, I would lengthen the cable slightly and test it out. If it helps a bit, lengthen it a bit more. __________________ Jim Kaekel 3836 STK

12-02-2009, 09:09 AM	#4
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,113 Likes: 1,571 Liked 1,826 Times in 414 Posts	Re: transmission question Get yourself a helper. Have him sit in the truck. Depress the adjuster tab on the cable housing. While it is depressed, pull the cable housing all the way back firmly and hold it. Have the helper press the gas pedal all the way to the floor, and hold it. Now, with the cable housing held all the way back, and the gas pedal on the floor, release the adjuster tab. Now, have your helper release the gas pedal. Then have him press the gas pedal to the floor while you check the cable. There should be NO slack in the cable between the bracket and the throttle linkage. None. Now you have adjusted the cable correctly. Drive the truck. If the governor is for a gas engine, the truck has a 3.73 or higher gear, and the transmission is working correctly, it should shift to 2nd between 12 and 15 MPH at part throttle, into 3rd at around 24 to 30 MPH, and into 4th around 40 to 45 MPH. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

12-02-2009, 12:34 PM	#5
ss3011 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Southeast Michigan Posts: 909 Likes: 70 Liked 239 Times in 114 Posts	Re: transmission question What transmission was originally in the Suburban ? The brackets that hold the tv cable are different for a 350 THM, so you need all the compatable parts. Carb, bracket, and the cable. The trans also shifts based on the output shaft rpm, for if the Camaro trans was set up for a 2.73, and your Suburban is a 3.73, the shift pattern will be way early.

12-03-2009, 12:53 AM	#6
rick lester Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Littlestown PA Posts: 163 Likes: 9 Liked 4 Times in 1 Post	Re: transmission question guys i apprieciate all the help and info everybody gave me. even though transmission are not my specialty, i do know enough to get the job done. all the brackets and cables are correct, truck orginally had a 700r4 but was changed to a 350 turbo before i bought. new trans came from a camaro, which the gov had heavier weights, and would not allow me to adjust tv cable until weights were changed, or in this case, springs changed and weights shaved down and balanced. i do know that an improperly adjusted tv cabe will burn up a trans in no time, thats why i have no miles until early shifting was fixed. ok maybe 1 mile total, but no more. yes i got a hell of a deal on the trans, but i still needed to get the gov readjusted so i could set the tv cable. gov works perfect, tv cable is now adjusted, and i can drive and tow in convidence that the job was, and is, done right.

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