[tayto]

If that were true, the Raybestos Z-pack would be a stupid design, but it's widely accepted as a good solution. Additionally, the clutches would wear out fast anyway with poor line rise, so whatever. If I was building a trans for way more power, I'd probably use a Z-pack, or far more clutches, but not here.

NO IT IS NOT! The problem with thin steels is if they overheat once, it's the beginning of the end for the 3/4 clutchpack. For most daily drivers, thick or thin steels doesn't matter. For more HD applications thick seems to be the better solution.

 

[tayto]

That's a great idea; didn't think to do it, but I yanked it pretty good by hand and it wasn't going anywhere, so I left it. It hasn't moved in 26 years / 168,000 miles...

No, actually it's got a slight rake to it. All of the pictures here are with those springs installed. The car is factory weight; no additional sound system or any other components.

I have taken engines apart where the pickup is sitting in the bottom of the oil pan no longer attached. also found ones where the pickup rotates very easily. putting a tack is considered standard practice. i get mine brazed fully personally. the machine shop I use gets theirs fully welded. it's cheap insurance if the engine is still out of the vehicle.

 

[tayto]

1. Check ball in place with assembly gel. (This is the only one that goes on the case side).
2. Orificed exhaust that lubes the rear planets.
3. 4th gear feed that is now plugged.

View attachment 213274 Note that the accumulator piston hole is blind; there is no need to put a ball in it.

Given the amount of fluid that moves through the accumulator oil circuit, having this small orificed leak will have no effect on the accumulator circuit.

The #1 checkball can be omitted FWIW.

I haven't tested myself, but you can do mods to the separator plate to do the same thing as the HD 2-3 valve. no modifying/drilling the valve body,no expensive kit. we can discuss later if you're interested.

EDIT: I have studied the hydraulics and verified it works, just haven't had a vehicle to test it in yet.

 

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expensive.... and they don't seem to hold up in the 3/4 clutchpack in a 4l60e from what i've heard over the years. i think there are better/more modern clutches these days. the one that a lot like for the 3/4 is the raybestos GPZ, but I have no experience with them.

 

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The owner of performabuilt also has the first name Frank. In a round about way I was saying stick with the 4L70E clutchpack. I've used my own version of it in other units it works great!

 

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Eibach Canadian Police springs. 3832.102P on the rear. I bought these back in 2011 from a place in Canada; I have no idea if any are still around.

View attachment 203583

I also bought a pair of these ”RCMP” springs, however mine were black coated. i ran them on my boxy caprice with Koni shocks, it was like driving a whole different car. They are still under my boxy but it has not had a drivetrain for a number of years now.

Just some info on the springs, the RCMP actually had a "Relife” program where they took 30-40 95/95/96 9C1s gave them new engines, transmissions, suspension, etc because the crown vic was such a poor performer. I had the chance to buy one of these relifed 9C1s and I regret not doing...

EDIT: I bought mine around 2013 from a performance shop in Toronto IIRC, P/N 3833.P40.

 

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My only regret about B-body windows is that there's no rubber isolation between the motor and the inner door skin, so the skin becomes a sound amplifier for the motor. Thus the motor ends up being really loud compared to other vehicles I've worked on. Oh well, the window goes up and down quickly and freely, with no wind noise at speed. Good to go; time to figure out what's causing that stupid B-body door rattle when you close them that makes them sound so flimsy.

I put sound mat (b-quiet) on the outer door skin (from inside the door) on my Squarebody pickup with power windows. The truck is quieter in general, as I put it on the floors and roof as well, but window motors noise went down. Wonder if this would help? My old man helped me while I did door bushings, weatherstrip replacement and general clean up on door hardware. he covered as much of the skin as he could, but i don't think that is necessary. a nice big square patch is probably all that is needed...

 

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the factory 5 pinion planet is not an "upgrade" and considered waste of money unless they were cheaper than factory 4 planet. 3-4 clutch clearance should be 0.020"-0.040". servo pin travel should be 0.060-0.080". i block 3/4 accumulator and leave out spring & piston. this will also lube the rear geartrain full time instead of just in 4th.What is your reason to retain it? I then run the transgo springs in 1/2 with updated housing which can't use the pinless accumulator. I'm also curious why you don't use torlon checkballs? they won't wear the plate like steel. All the 700s i've done have had the separator plate beat up, so i've always replaced with a Transgo. I haven't rollerize the forward hub but will on my next build.

I think for the amount of transmissions you build you should look at building your own vac tester. DIY Vacuum Test Valve Body - LS1TECH - Camaro and Firebird Forum Discussion

great thread/info as usual keep it up!

EDIT: sorry, i see you do mention the torlon balls.

 

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nature of coolant in an iron block is rust/scale. water and chemical flushes only help so much, but with the age of of these engines now, you will only get so much out. even sitting with coolant in them they rust, so its not just a high mileage thing. my example was the extreme. all im saying is a garden hose will only get whats loose. when I flush an engine thats what I use, but you will not get EVERYthing out.

 

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If a person were to, say, shove a garden hose inside the engine and let it run for an extended period of time... How effective would this be at... well... anything?

about 14 years ago i got my first sbc "rebuilt". i got busy so engine sat for a few years. time came around to swap engines so i figured i'd get it dyno'd before installing it. after dyno we went to drain the coolant from the block and found they were plugged from crud. ended up tearing down and found bearing clearances too tight, blah blah so it got rebuilt AGAIN. machine shop said the hot tanking would take care of everything. got the engine home and was about to install heads when I noticed around the cylinders was PACKED with crud. many hours later and many pieces of tig rod later i removed a sandwhich zip lock bag full of crud.

short answer: NO


BTW, that engine ran for about 100 hours, and then got sold to a friend for his boat. we figured it'd be a good idea to check bearings and what not before installing it. needless to say it ended up getting rebuilt a THIRD TIME.

 

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i have been running a 7 HE thick clutch pack with thin steels in a 700R4 I built almost 15 years ago. It works i was not denying that. i guess it wasn't clear that I was talking about the Z-pak. There seems to be a lot of internet lore that somehow the Z-pak is superior. it isn't.

I guess you're using performabuilt as your bench mark. Fairly sure frank hasn't used the Z-pak in his units for close to 15 years. Save your money on expensive clutches, the hydraulics are more important.

 

[tayto]

use the 4L70E clutchpack, throw the Z-pack in the garbage

 

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what clearance do you run the 3/4 clutch pack at?

 

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it would be no different than a sbc, both are iron blocks and iron heads.

 

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so crud doesn't fall in your cylinders or on your freshly prep deck/hradgaskets. never heard of this tip before but it is a good idea. normally when a cylinder head comes off (for me) it gets sent out to get overhauled and cleaned up so this is not needed.

solvent will not break down whats around the cylinders in the water jackets. this stuff is hard and must be chiseled out. it is from using cheap coolant and not doing regular flushes and YEARS and YEARS of running. the engine i mentioned above was from an ex-cop car turned taxi cab. had almost 300,000 miles on it.

 

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I hope you got your mobile welder back and at least threw a tack or 2 on that pickup! thank you for sharing your project with us! I can't remember if we talked before about the RCMP springs but have you found that the front end sits higher? I also bought a set and put them in my '88 boxy Caprice and noticed this. Now obviously different outer sheet metal but my front end was definitely higher than the rear.