Who knows about the 700R4 in a 82?
01-26-2013, 02:14 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Who knows about the 700R4 in a 82?
Lately I have been addressing all the little problems on my 82 since it's winter and I have a heated garage and now I noticed the tranny pan was leaking so I decided to replace it. Once the pan was removed there is a grey powder substance clinging to the bottom and would like to know if this is normal wear or something more serious. Transmission shifts fine but have heard alot of bad things about the first gen 700R4s so when it's time for a rebuild I will upgrade to a 87' or newer but would like to prolong that as long as possible. Car has 91K miles and the fluid was changed about a year ago with the same substance in the bottom of the pan. I know if I call a transmission shop they are gonna give me the gloom and doom story which may be the case but would like to hear it from all of you.
Thanks,
AL
Thanks,
AL
01-26-2013, 09:49 AM
#2
Instructor
Member Since: Dec 2008
Location: w. jordan utah
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i asked my brother about this , he is 1 of the trans guys at a local chevy dealer [over 30 years]. what he said was the gray substance is coming off the clutches in the trans a little is normal alot is not. also said the early 700-r4's had a problem with the trans fluid getting to the overdrive part of the trans and needed to be serviced regularly or the grey stuff will clog the passages and ruin the trans. hope this helps
01-26-2013, 10:22 AM
#3
Racer
We need to know if this material is magnetic.
If it is ferrous then it's just normal wear from the internal parts. If it is aluminum the source is most likely from the stator in the torque converter. That would not be a good sign.
If the material breaks down into even smaller pieces while rubbing between your fingers then it's clutch/band material and time is not on your side.
If it is ferrous then it's just normal wear from the internal parts. If it is aluminum the source is most likely from the stator in the torque converter. That would not be a good sign.
If the material breaks down into even smaller pieces while rubbing between your fingers then it's clutch/band material and time is not on your side.
01-26-2013, 10:32 AM
#4
Team Owner
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It's normal. There is no reason to swap to any other transmission.
01-26-2013, 11:35 AM
#5
Team Owner
That gooey blackish stuff is just an accumulation of clutch disc particles that wear off normally during operation. After 30 years, there will be significant amount in the pan.
First thing is to use your fingers to 'squish' through that stuff to see if there are any shiny, hard metal particles caught up in it. Bright metallic particles (large or very small flakes) are indications that there are some other parts [bushings, bearings, bearing cages, splines, etc] that are wearing, also. If there are very fine copper-like particles in with the clutch gunk, that could be long-term normal wear of bushings/sleeves, and could indicate that it's time for a rebuild before the tranny has major problems. If you find bright metal flakes or chunks, significant damage is already in progress and a rebuild should be done.
No bright metal? Clean out the pan, carefully wipe off the underside of the valve body and separator plate, change the filter, check for any lost insulation on wiring but don't move it around, as the insulation has hardened and movement could damage it.
If no other problems, flatten any wavy/bumpy conditions on the sealing rail of the oil pan, clean up the outside and all the cables/brackets that attach with the pan bolts, put it back together and fill with the same amount of oil that you 'lost' when you dropped the pan. You could install a drain plug in the pan, if you think you might be working on it again in the near future (NAPA, less than $10).
Remember that you should NOT overfill the sump, and get the oil level right once the engine has warmed up completely and you have shifted through all the gears at idle [to fill the clutches with oil].
Lastly, the '82 700R4 was the first year of that tranny. There were several improvements to the 700R after the first couple of years, as there were some areas of the trans that had problems taking repeated high loading. But, if your car has not been abused...or used 'hard' frequently...the trans is probably fine. Don't rebuild it just to make it stronger--unless you were going to rebuild it for other reasons. Then, of course, make all the upgrades.
First thing is to use your fingers to 'squish' through that stuff to see if there are any shiny, hard metal particles caught up in it. Bright metallic particles (large or very small flakes) are indications that there are some other parts [bushings, bearings, bearing cages, splines, etc] that are wearing, also. If there are very fine copper-like particles in with the clutch gunk, that could be long-term normal wear of bushings/sleeves, and could indicate that it's time for a rebuild before the tranny has major problems. If you find bright metal flakes or chunks, significant damage is already in progress and a rebuild should be done.
No bright metal? Clean out the pan, carefully wipe off the underside of the valve body and separator plate, change the filter, check for any lost insulation on wiring but don't move it around, as the insulation has hardened and movement could damage it.
If no other problems, flatten any wavy/bumpy conditions on the sealing rail of the oil pan, clean up the outside and all the cables/brackets that attach with the pan bolts, put it back together and fill with the same amount of oil that you 'lost' when you dropped the pan. You could install a drain plug in the pan, if you think you might be working on it again in the near future (NAPA, less than $10).
Remember that you should NOT overfill the sump, and get the oil level right once the engine has warmed up completely and you have shifted through all the gears at idle [to fill the clutches with oil].
Lastly, the '82 700R4 was the first year of that tranny. There were several improvements to the 700R after the first couple of years, as there were some areas of the trans that had problems taking repeated high loading. But, if your car has not been abused...or used 'hard' frequently...the trans is probably fine. Don't rebuild it just to make it stronger--unless you were going to rebuild it for other reasons. Then, of course, make all the upgrades.
01-26-2013, 12:16 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
i asked my brother about this , he is 1 of the trans guys at a local chevy dealer [over 30 years]. what he said was the gray substance is coming off the clutches in the trans a little is normal alot is not. also said the early 700-r4's had a problem with the trans fluid getting to the overdrive part of the trans and needed to be serviced regularly or the grey stuff will clog the passages and ruin the trans. hope this helps
01-26-2013, 12:21 PM
#7
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
That gooey blackish stuff is just an accumulation of clutch disc particles that wear off normally during operation. After 30 years, there will be significant amount in the pan.
First thing is to use your fingers to 'squish' through that stuff to see if there are any shiny, hard metal particles caught up in it. Bright metallic particles (large or very small flakes) are indications that there are some other parts [bushings, bearings, bearing cages, splines, etc] that are wearing, also. If there are very fine copper-like particles in with the clutch gunk, that could be long-term normal wear of bushings/sleeves, and could indicate that it's time for a rebuild before the tranny has major problems. If you find bright metal flakes or chunks, significant damage is already in progress and a rebuild should be done.
No bright metal? Clean out the pan, carefully wipe off the underside of the valve body and separator plate, change the filter, check for any lost insulation on wiring but don't move it around, as the insulation has hardened and movement could damage it.
If no other problems, flatten any wavy/bumpy conditions on the sealing rail of the oil pan, clean up the outside and all the cables/brackets that attach with the pan bolts, put it back together and fill with the same amount of oil that you 'lost' when you dropped the pan. You could install a drain plug in the pan, if you think you might be working on it again in the near future (NAPA, less than $10).
Remember that you should NOT overfill the sump, and get the oil level right once the engine has warmed up completely and you have shifted through all the gears at idle [to fill the clutches with oil].
Lastly, the '82 700R4 was the first year of that tranny. There were several improvements to the 700R after the first couple of years, as there were some areas of the trans that had problems taking repeated high loading. But, if your car has not been abused...or used 'hard' frequently...the trans is probably fine. Don't rebuild it just to make it stronger--unless you were going to rebuild it for other reasons. Then, of course, make all the upgrades.
First thing is to use your fingers to 'squish' through that stuff to see if there are any shiny, hard metal particles caught up in it. Bright metallic particles (large or very small flakes) are indications that there are some other parts [bushings, bearings, bearing cages, splines, etc] that are wearing, also. If there are very fine copper-like particles in with the clutch gunk, that could be long-term normal wear of bushings/sleeves, and could indicate that it's time for a rebuild before the tranny has major problems. If you find bright metal flakes or chunks, significant damage is already in progress and a rebuild should be done.
No bright metal? Clean out the pan, carefully wipe off the underside of the valve body and separator plate, change the filter, check for any lost insulation on wiring but don't move it around, as the insulation has hardened and movement could damage it.
If no other problems, flatten any wavy/bumpy conditions on the sealing rail of the oil pan, clean up the outside and all the cables/brackets that attach with the pan bolts, put it back together and fill with the same amount of oil that you 'lost' when you dropped the pan. You could install a drain plug in the pan, if you think you might be working on it again in the near future (NAPA, less than $10).
Remember that you should NOT overfill the sump, and get the oil level right once the engine has warmed up completely and you have shifted through all the gears at idle [to fill the clutches with oil].
Lastly, the '82 700R4 was the first year of that tranny. There were several improvements to the 700R after the first couple of years, as there were some areas of the trans that had problems taking repeated high loading. But, if your car has not been abused...or used 'hard' frequently...the trans is probably fine. Don't rebuild it just to make it stronger--unless you were going to rebuild it for other reasons. Then, of course, make all the upgrades.
Thanks!!
01-26-2013, 12:22 PM
#8
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
We need to know if this material is magnetic.
If it is ferrous then it's just normal wear from the internal parts. If it is aluminum the source is most likely from the stator in the torque converter. That would not be a good sign.
If the material breaks down into even smaller pieces while rubbing between your fingers then it's clutch/band material and time is not on your side.
If it is ferrous then it's just normal wear from the internal parts. If it is aluminum the source is most likely from the stator in the torque converter. That would not be a good sign.
If the material breaks down into even smaller pieces while rubbing between your fingers then it's clutch/band material and time is not on your side.