700R4 to 4 or 5 Speed Swap...TV Cable Bugs

[HAULIN IT]

Tim, Can you post a pic or two?
When you are at full throttle, you should have no slack at all & not be able to pull the cable anymore. If this isn't happening...something is wrong & needs to be corrected for the transmission to work properly. I have mentioned before that I have fought the Holley rear bracket (the stupid little one with the ONE bolt & the tab bent down), it would move, bow, flex, bend. I have also noticed flex in the upper portion of some gas pedal assemblies when using a Holley carb (double pumper) & that effected the TV adjustment when done from inside the vehicle. The Holley's seem to take conciderable more "effort" to open them than the Q-jets & Edelbrock/Carters do. Have you tried adjusting the TV cable by hand at the carb? This may eliminate your 1/4" gap. Hope this helps! Lorne

[timl1978]

Is it hooked up to the tv valve correctly in the valve body? You might want to check and if ok install the correct tv cable.

How would I check that?

[timl1978]

Tim, Can you post a pic or two?
When you are at full throttle, you should have no slack at all & not be able to pull the cable anymore. If this isn't happening...something is wrong & needs to be corrected for the transmission to work properly. I have mentioned before that I have fought the Holley rear bracket (the stupid little one with the ONE bolt & the tab bent down), it would move, bow, flex, bend. I have also noticed flex in the upper portion of some gas pedal assemblies when using a Holley carb (double pumper) & that effected the TV adjustment when done from inside the vehicle. The Holley's seem to take conciderable more "effort" to open them than the Q-jets & Edelbrock/Carters do. Have you tried adjusting the TV cable by hand at the carb? This may eliminate your 1/4" gap. Hope this helps! Lorne

I can take some pics this evening.  The gas pedal does get the carb to WOT so I don't believe it's the pedal.  Adjust it by hand do you mean shorten the cable where the teardrop connector at carb is?

[HAULIN IT]

Tim, Ok...Good, you checked that the pedal opens the carb fully. What I have found is that in some cases the pedal & cable bracket doesn't have enough stability to "adjust" the TV cable to the correct spot. Try this, Push the button & slide the cable back toward the firewall to remove all of the slack, let go of the button, then turn the throttle fully by hand (the cable will adjust). To test, you can unhook the "teardrop end" with the throttle closed...pull out the cable until it's tight, now open the throttle & see that the pin where the cable end goes on is exactly where your holding the cable to, Understand? From inside the pedal will typically work fine, it's just the jolt trying to get the cable adjustment to jump seems to be the problem. Try this & report, Lorne     

[timl1978]

Tim, Ok...Good, you checked that the pedal opens the carb fully. What I have found is that in some cases the pedal & cable bracket doesn't have enough stability to "adjust" the TV cable to the correct spot. Try this, Push the button & slide the cable back toward the firewall to remove all of the slack, let go of the button, then turn the throttle fully by hand (the cable will adjust). To test, you can unhook the "teardrop end" with the throttle closed...pull out the cable until it's tight, now open the throttle & see that the pin where the cable end goes on is exactly where your holding the cable to, Understand? From inside the pedal will typically work fine, it's just the jolt trying to get the cable adjustment to jump seems to be the problem. Try this & report, Lorne     

I've done all that.  When I compare me pulling the cable by hand to the WOT pin on carb I get the 1/4" difference.  The cable pulls a full quarter inch past the pin on carb linkage.  Thanks for the help!

[timl1978]

Here the photo at no throttle and at full throttle.  When at WOT you can see how much further I can pull it by hand.

[zieg85]

Measure the total travel from idle to WOT and compare it to the factory quadrajet.  I went out to look on either of mine but they are stick carbs with no provision for the trans cable.

[eventhorizon66]

There are a few different length TV cables.  You must have too long a cable.  Have you pulled your pan to observe the TV plunger travel, as Vile suggested?  This is what it should look like at WOT:
Source: http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/0307cl_best_cable_tv_signal/index.html

I am also wary of that bracket.  Does it flex at all as you pull the throttle open?  I would reinforce it with a gusset, if not replace it altogether.

[timl1978]

Well I think I need to get a new TV cable system and throttle valve assembly.  Does anyone have recommendations on a specific vendor to get these from?  I already know of Bowtie Overdrives, are there any other reputable companies and what have your experiences been with them?

[HAULIN IT]

Tim before you do that I still have a problem with what I see...Looking at your top picture there is a good 3/4" the cable could go back to take out the slack. When the throttle is closed, do you have slack in the cable then? You should be able to tell "by feel" when pulling on the cable if your moving the plunger or just slack. One thing I've seen in the Sonnex catalog is a clip that goes on to remove that slack...I've not used one, however there parts usually are thought out & work well. That would be my last resort though only after you verify that everything else is correct. What I'm having trouble with is that if you have no slack with the throttle closed...How's come the self-adjuster wouldn't make the cable stop adjusting before you get to where you at (How can the self-adjuster, adjust it too long) even if that meant holding the throttle closed a little? Lorne   

[VileZambonie]

Yep, in your pics the cable adjuster is not pushed back in.

[justinm]

can you include a photo of the setup at the carb? There should not be any slack in the cable at the carb so that the pressure rises as soon as you touch the throttle. If it is not shifting right I would not drive is more than you absolutely must. This setup can be a pain until you get use to it.

[timl1978]

Yep, in your pics the cable adjuster is not pushed back in.

I know it's not in, that where it ends up when I push the accelerator.  I've go through all the correct steps (i think) to adjust the adjuster.  The shifting isn't good no matter what I do.

The slack will come out when the adjuster is all the way to the firewall, but the shifting is even worse.  Immediate soft shifts with no downshift when the throttle is pushed hard.  I did leave the adjuster as its shown in the photo and take the slack out with a fishing sinker.  This took the slack out and got the cable to tight at WOT.   The shifting doesn't happen as quick, better but not good, and no downshifting under throttle, only downshifts when off the throttle coming to a stop.

I bought this truck and didn't drive it much prior to installing the new motor. So I don't know if it was right to begin with. 

I understand what everyone is telling me and have tested the adjuster location every which way to sunday.  I don't know if it's with the brackets, the TV cable, adjustment, throttle valve, etc.

If I have to pull the pan I probably should replace the throttle valve and spring right?  It's frustrating.  Brand new perfect motor but can't use it to it's potential.

[eventhorizon66]

I would start with a shorter TV cable.  But I would check the TV plunger with the pan off during the change.  After you remove the cable, check the condition of the TV link (the small rod that connects the TV cable to the plunger lever mechanism), and make sure that you can push the plunger in all the way with your finger (it should be smooth but with good resistance from the spring).  If you try a shorter cable and you have the same problem, Sonnax makes a shortened TV link (#77872-01) that may fix your problem.  Also while the pan is off it might a good idea to remove the TV plunger/sleeve and check the spring.  My current Sonnax spring #77968-01K has an at rest length of 2.190" (nice firm shifts - TV cable adjusted to max TV).  My stock spring is 2.062" (weak soft slipping shifts - TV cable adjusted to max TV).  The spring provided with the BTO TV Made EZ kit is 2.246" (overly harsh light throttle shifts - TV cable adjusted to max TV).  Also the stock spring is the softest of these springs; the Sonnax is slightly firmer and the BTO springs is much firmer.

It may be a good idea to replace the TV assembly and spring, but I would address the TV cable issue first and avoid stacking problems until this one is resolved.

BTW: to remove the TV plunger/sleeve, you simply pull the roll pin (shown in the pic below), and use the TV plunger as a slide hammer to slowly work the sleeve out.

[timl1978]

Where would I get a shorter cable?  Do I get a universal one or OEM?