Easiest Tranmission Swap

From the looks of it, I think i'm gonna be switchin out the tranmission in the camaro that i'm out to buy before summer...it has a 350 crate motor with around 300 horses so i need something kinda tough...it has a 700R4 in it right now, and i think she is about to go, and i've decided i'm not gonna rebuild one of those and put it back in there, so what would be the best answer to this question? Maybe a 350 turbo, auto LT1 trans, etc? I dunno what to do...its an automatic right now, but I think I might have enough time to maybe switch it over to a 5 or 6 speed...whats your guy's opinions?

You lose overdrive going to A3 from A4. What is wrong with rebuilding what you have?

What are you using the car for? city driving and drag strip, you cannot beat the A4. Auto cross, you cannot beat T5 or T56

I would never pay to have a 700r4 rebuilt, I just wanna get that up out of there and put something new in...the car is a 89 camaro irocz...I think we are gonna go with a 400 turbo, how easy do those things go in? Anybody have any experiences with these in a third gen?

Originally posted by klumb15
I would never pay to have a 700r4 rebuilt, I just wanna get that up out of there and put something new in...the car is a 89 camaro irocz...I think we are gonna go with a 400 turbo, how easy do those things go in? Anybody have any experiences with these in a third gen?

What does the TH400 have that is so attractive? It is just a 4L80 without the overdrive. I mean, what do you think that you can get out of a TH400 that you cannot get out of a 700R4 that you have to go get a new DS and probably crossmember and lose the overdrive?

A 700R4 in good shape should be able to handle that motor, so long as you don't unreasonably beat on it :)
My vote goes for a t56 though :)

My car is a daily driver and gets beat on several times a day except when there is snow on the ground. The tranny lasted 3.5 years behind an LPE 383 motor.

yea the car is gonna be a everyday driver, so city driving, some hiway driving, and drag strip at night and maybe some weekends...I was thinking, and yea I probably do need the overdrive for the hiway, otherwise my gas mileage is gonna be really low...so i'm gonna have to go with a A4...How much would it cost to get a 700R4 rebuilt and beefed up? And how long would that take? Because I am getting the car on monday, and want the trans in as soon as possible...a buddy of mine has a automatic trans out of his LT1 camaro too, is this a good one? or should I rebuild the 700R4?

The 4th gen one is pretty similar to the 700R4 but its computer controlled. I would think it would be a big PITA to get it to work in a 3rd gen, especially when its nothing special.

Take the tranny out and send it to the people at www.rosslertrans.com who redid mine. I figure that if Lingenfelter uses them and recommended them to me, they can't be all that bad.

How much? How long will that take?

Originally posted by klumb15
How much? How long will that take?

It takes about 2 weeks to get back to you. How much, I don't know because it was that long ago that I had it fixed

do you have a ballpark figure? 500 bucks? Because you can buy a new one for like 900 that holds up to 450 horses...so it can't be to much to get it rebuilt...

Originally posted by klumb15
do you have a ballpark figure? 500 bucks? Because you can buy a new one for like 900 that holds up to 450 horses...so it can't be to much to get it rebuilt...

I think it was like 1300 last time I checked. How are you getting a new one that cheap? Rebuild back to factory specs by any tranny shop is about 1/2 of what GM wants which is about $2K+. If you can get a 700R4 that holds up to 450HP for $900, you'd better get the warranty in writing. A fresh GM rebuild under warranty held up for 6 months after I put a 383 in it.

Here's a good trans. for only 1450,00 http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/ChevyTransmissions/4L60.html

You did say easiest!

TCI streetfighter tranny's in jegs or summit the 700R4 goes for around 1400 bucks..and i'm sure thats with with a warranty..and if you shop around i can get them for closer to a grand, and some i found it for less than a grand brand new from my dad's friend, and the TCI is made for up to 450 horses....But i might not even need a tranny now...because when i test drove the car, it felt like it was slippin between gears, but he said on the phone that it had a 2200 stall in it...so i think what i was feeling was the stall, i'm not sure cause i didn't drive it that much, i'm going back to drive it again i think tomorrow before I buy the car...but the tranny in the post above me, thats for the LT1 right? That is computer controlled isn't it? Don't you need to do some work to get that thing to actually work in a third gen? and to get a tranny rebuilt back to factory specs is not half of what GM wants for a brand new one, its more like 300 bucks with a new converter, or at least that is what they are going for in about 3 shops in my area, maybe because its a smaller city, not a big city, who knows, but from the looks of the prices, I hope what i was feeling was the stall and not the tranny slippin, because i'm not lookin forward to getting a tranny rebuilt right away..

The 4L60 is the same as the 700R4, just better components.
The 4L60E is the electronic one. However with an electronic modual it too can be used in a third Gen.

just my .02

I have had 3 TH700r4 my next tranny will not be one...I hope:D if so I guess I will pay 2000.00 to get it bullit proof...

easy to put in would be the 700 first...then the 4L60...then the th350and th400 the manual would be the hardest to do...(your car is not manual now):rolleyes:

BUt a Munaul would be SWEET! and a lt-1 T56 is very strong....stock will hold 450HP all day long....just get a stage III clutch:D

as far as TUFF!! a powerglide and a then a TH400....you WILL not break that with a L98 even if you ran 11's with NOS....that is serious hardware... a th350 uses less HP then a th400, but a glide use less than a th350.... BUT all of those trannies have less gearing than you 700R, so your 1st gear ratio will change for the worse...and your gas mileage will suffer....

BUt a T56 will give you good gas mileage and good gear ratios.... and well has uses very little HP.... BUt will cost the most.

If you are strickly looking at a track car...1/4 and Th350 with a 3000stall will Kick butt with a pair of slicks....


Well you have alot to think about.....


just my .02 cents :bow:

Rebuild from Rossler Trans cost about Stage $1295 Stage 2 $2195 Stage 3 $2695

400 for stage 1 Stage 2 and 3 are machined for higher power and have different clutch pack sizes. Call them

well i decided not to buy that car, it needed a lot of work, and I didn't think it was worth the price. I bought a 86 camaro iroc z with a 350 TPI from a vette. it was driven buy a older guy that just recently died, so i know the car was treated nice. But thanx for all the info on the transmissions, I might need it in the future.