Tranny troubles!!!

Good day, all. I need some advice with regard to auto trannies. I have a 92 Chev 4x4, Extended cab, short box. It has a 5.7L engine, and a 700R4 tranny. I can't seem to keep a transmission in this truck, as they keep burning up. I'm an outfitter here in Alberta, so I travel long distances with heavy loads, going from home to camp, and vice-versa. I never tow in the overdrive gear, ever, but that doesn't seem to matter. What are my options with regard to a non-overdrive tranny for my truck, in a boltup unit, that will not require any mods, etc? Can it be done? If not, I'm going to sell the truck and get something that is more dependable, because this truck/tranny combo is anything but that. Any suggestions from members or tech staff would be most appreciated. Thanks.

Gord

700R4's can be built pretty damn tough. Get it built by a trans shop that has some high performance or heavy duty background.

Are you running a trans cooler? If not, start ASAP, the 700R4 already has oulets for running a cooler. Run a deeper pan too, with cooling fins cast right in it, this will increase fluid capacity and drop trans temps.

I have 205,000Km on my 92 k1500, with a 700R4. I frequently tow 5000+lbs through the hills, and havent had a problem yet. The only mod to my trans is a B&M shift kit, and the factory trans cooler.

Yes buy all means add a aux cooler as stock cooler is not up to task plus axle ratio gearing. If you have 31's you want at least 4.10's if you want it to last and if you are running bigger rubber run 4.56's. Big tires and big loads put a big load on tranny and most people overlook this and ignore the axle ratios when gearing is what makes a truck a truck! Properly geared and cooled a 700R4 is a pretty tuff tranny. I have one in a 89 burb that I have had since new and it has 170k on it and still works like new and it has even been cross country more than a dozen times and was through a lot of long steep tall passes in Colorado heaivly loaded in the summer of 2003. It has had a aux cooler on it since shortly after I bought it.  

If you have a shift kit in it be sure to check your throttle position cable because that might be off and it could be screwing with your shift points.  

My throttle position cable doesn't seem to adjust as smoothly as I expected it to. After I push the release, then attempt to move the throttle, it seems to be really stuck, then throttle position adjuster jumps to a setting, rather than smoothly self adjusting. Is this normal? I am also running a throttle body spacer tha has put a bit of an angle on the throttle cable as well as the throttle position cable....not sure how to remedy this.    

A misadjusted or binding tranny throttle position cable can cause so weird sift points at times but it would not cause early tranny failure. The cable should work fairly smoothly the the resistance on it is not constant as you pull it out. You could drop pan and check connection inside and see if cable works smoothly when disconected from tranny.  

sorry to hear about your troubles, I owned a 91 3/4 ton chev with the same motor and trannie and had the same trouble,first time at 6000 miles. After three trans. I found out along with the dealer that there was a wiring harness inside that had defective seals and would short itself out or send mix signals on shift patterns. I had the truck fixed and sold it immediatly,bought a Ford and been happy ever since,I love my Fords and will never go back but I have to say the Chevy I had was the most comfortable and fun to drive. Good luck  

Ford is not immune to tranny problem and some GM trannies have the best track records out there. I have a 79 J20 Jeep truck that pushed snow for many years and it still have the original THM 400 in it that still works like new. As  matter of fact in well over 30 years of driving I have never had a GM trannies leave me stranded or fail to function. THe wrong gearing for the load and tires size and lack of a aux cooler can toast a tranny for sure be it Dodge, Ford or GM.  

He never said Fords are immune to anything, Jesus Christ!  

I never said you did but YOU did imply that you had to switch to a Ford to cure your tranny problems and I can tell you some stories about Ford and Dodge tranny problems too.  

Yeah, it operated very smooth before I put the pan on after putting in the kit. My tranny does shift kind of funky now and then...I imagine its time for a fluid/filter change again (which may be part of the problem), so i'll check it again. I'll probably put in the next step up in the kit too (different spacer and spring).

You may not believe this but shift kits can actually be hard on transmisions and actually shorten life too. There is a reason that the engineers designed the trannies and the shifting the way they did from day one (to soften shock on clutches and gears from shifting for long life) You start messing with that stuff in a heavy SUV and you can be headed to early failure not extending it life as the the kit makers promise to get you to buy them. What "might" work in a lightweight car does not always work in a heavy SUV.  

Good try but it aint true.  Shift kits save your tranny and extend its life, its the drivelines and rearend that doesn't always win the battle with the shjift because it hits harder than it did when it didn't have a kit in it.  

the stock 700r4's that came out were very weak, everything on them internally wasn't built too tough, if you go in and have them rebuilt tthem these days, they have bulkier kits that they will put in them instead of sticking wiht the stock, if i were you i personally would stick with a 700r4, i have one in an 86 K5 Blazer and i must say they are very good solid transmissions, mine has been rebuilt and i have never had a problem.  

"Good try but it aint true.  Shift kits save your tranny and extend its life, its the drivelines and rearend that doesn't always win the battle with the shjift because it hits harder than it did when it didn't have a kit in it."

Boy do you have this wrong. It adds strain to tranny componets and particularly the sprags which have been known to fail in 700R4 with stiff shift kits under power and trash whole tranny. YOu need to do more research and read less advertisements.