Thread: 700-R4 383 stroker

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I have a 84 camaro with the stock 305, and 700-R4 engine. I am planning to put a 383 stroker, and i was wondering if the transmission could handle that engine. Thanks.

A 700-R4, if properly set up and in good condition will work. I'm putting one in a 440+ hp '34 coupe, and the one in my '93 Vette (300+ hp) works just fine. You may want to beef it up, however. The stock converter may not be right for your engine either.

You might want to do some reading here:

http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/index.shtml

I am going to do the same with my truck with the 383 stroker and a 700R or TH400, it will work fine. Just do what Henry said and it should be good.

After suggestions from Tech1 and Henry I have been looking at 700R4 transmissions and to my surprise the lowest units nearest stock as just rebuilt stock units are rated at only 275-300 H.P. which should be easily exceeded with a 383 SBC. I have looked at the Raptor Jr. the Megamonster and the Bowtie Level-2 units and it would seem that you will have to go to more than just a rebuilt stock unit for a 383. One other factor is that the Megamonster unit has a totally hydraulic lockup for 4th gear while the others use an electrical switch for the lockup. Then to my novice surprise and dismay I cannot use my TH350 torque converter with the 700 R4 so you will need to purchase a new torque converter and that brings up the usual question of what stall rpm do you want to use. Let me do a slight hijack and ask others about whether the stall rpm needs to be less than the 4-to-3 downshift? For instance with my tires and a 2.79 rear gear I might be in 4th gear as low as 1580 rpm, so if I use a 1650 rpm stall converter will I get immediate "slip" when the lock comes off the 4th gear and the trans drops down into 3rd? The guy at MegaMonster said it doesn't matter if the converter stall is above the 4th gear cruise rpm because of the lock but I wonder? I am just wondering out loud but I guess the motor would rev higher anyway when the 4-to-3 downshift occurs so there would be little slip. The simple question is: does the stall speed of the converter have to be lower than the rpm of OD cruise speed?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Camaroracer 16, No, it won't hold up. I put a stroker in my 84 Silverado with the 700r4 and took it easy with it & it still blew it. All my friends told me that it wouldn't, I did it anyway, and it did, so now I'm rebuilding it & looking for another motor to build for my truck.

Don,

The short answer is no. You need to be locked up in 4th gear, so stall speed is irrelevant. I'f you run in OD without a lockup, that transmission is going to be junk in short order. Bowtie wires their transmissions for electrical lockup with a defeat switch in the brake line. When you hit the brakes, the lockup drops out.

The 700R4 in my coupe is a level 2 (400 - 500 hp) with a 2400 stall High Performance converter. I went to that converter because I replaced the cam in my Fast Burn 385 with the service "Hot" cam kit, including 1.6 roller rockers. The cam is radical enough that I don't want to be lugging at the stoplight.

ok, well would it be hard to beef up teh tranny my self? casue i dont have a whole lot of money to be trowhin around here. Or do you guys know of a good CHEAP shop to do it at?

I put a newer revision 700 behind a stroker at 542 inches and have not broken it yet. The shop did insist on several modifications and the core had to be a late model V/8 version. They installed kevlar bands and played with pressures including reworking valve body. I do have a manual lock up sw. wired to shifter and an overide or manual sw to activate lock up. Limited traction has saved many parts but I love the 30 percent overdrive and tranny as a whole.
I am running a 3:55 rear gear and find the 3:30 low a total waste with the torque of the big block but leaving in 2nd is great if playing from a light. Otherwise just leave her in D2 or overdrive slot. It was a little $$$ but has lived so cheaper than building 2 or 3 times I guess. This is in a 2486 pound car. Cobray-C3 that I manufacture.