700r4 tv cable

JohnnyBgood

JohnnyBgood

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Supporting Member
New issue. My tranny won’t kick down when I step on the gas and the shifting is kind of soft. Making a kind of grinding noise when I give it gas...all bad symptoms...Just started yesterday. Thinking the tv cable is not set right. I have a Holley carb and the Lokar cables and mounts for the gas and tv cables. Lots of options on the net as to how to set it up. Anybody actually done this? Any advice would be great before I start monkeying around with it..
 
Due to a lack of patience on my part I went and monkeyed around with the cable before I got any input. Put the carb in WOT. Pulled on the tv cable as far as it would come out.There was about 1 in. of extra cable at the end. Moved the cable stop up one inch and took it out for a drive. Shifted fairly stuff..and I got it to go into passing gear..once...couldn’t get it to go again. Took it home and moved it up a little more. Car held the shifts longer and shifted really hard. Actually chirped the tires a few times...still no passing gear...going to move it back down just a little bit less than the first spot I tried and see what happens...gotta cut the lawns first....I think I’m on the right track..just hope I don’t burn something out...
 
I’m interested in what you find out here too. I have the 2004R. I assume they are probably similar. The transmission shop that built my transmission said to adjust the TV cable: open the throttle to WOT, pull the TV cable “piano wire tight” (that’s their description) and that’s it. Mine doesn’t shift properly in my opinion after doing what they said to do. It’s a lokar TV cable. Lokar adjustment instructions are similar.
 
I moved it back about a 1/16 . Almost thought I didn’t move it. Got my passing gear..doesn’t chirp the tires but I still think it holds the shift a little too long. The problem with the Lokar adjustments is the set screw really squish’s the cable. Very hard to make small adjustments because of the cable getting a ridge beside the flat part that the set screw leaves. I’m going to drive it for a few 100 k and see if it settle in. If it’s good I’m going to buy a new cable just to make sure.I'm thinking I might have weaken it from the set screw squishing.. I’ll say this Ken47..if you think moving and figuring out the pinion angle was frustrating...wait till you start dinking around with the tv cable...you will wish you were doing the pinion again..pinion if your wrong you get vibration..tv cable if your wrong you can burn out the tranny...just for good measure I think I’m going to find a good tranny guy just to have a second opinion...never hurts to have more info...
 
I sure don’t disagree with your comments 😄. I think on the lokar cable you can make small fine adjustments by moving the thimble? where it attaches to the bracket behind the carb. At least that’s what I’ve been told. I start with that thimble centered so I have a bit of adjustment either direction.
 
Not sure what you are calling a thimble. Mine has a metal piece with a set screw in it on the end of the wire. .pulled on the wire and marked where it has to attach to the carb linkage. Moved the metal with set screw and tightened it down. Slid the Lokar sleeve back in place and attached to carb. There is also a adjustment at the end of the cable cover. Looks like a hollow bolt with a nut on it that the cable runs through....it just moved the casing and not the wire...didn’t do anything that I could see so I just pulled the cable...might have been that mine needed so much adjustment that the nut one didn’t do nothing...
 
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I guess thimble was the wrong term. It’s the threaded part that attaches the end of the cable sheath to the bracket. It has a long threaded center piece with the that the the TV wire goes through. Then there are two nuts that clamp it to the bracket. You can move the Center piece by loosening/tightening the nuts on ether side of the bracket. This moves the sheath and will in turn move the cable I hope this makes sense.
 
Yeah same as what I have..but it didn’t move the cable...just the outside sheath. Anyways I’m going to try it like it is and see what happens....good thing I’m retired and as my wife says do nothing...gives me lots of time to do nothing on my car..ha.
 
Well I got everything adjusted to where it drives proper. I did use the adjuster on the end of the Lokar cable for my final setting. I just hope I didn’t burn any of the clutches before I figured it out..Thanks for the input guys.
 
Hi Johnny. I’m glad you got it working the way you want. Would it be possible to list the speeds that yours is shifting at under “normal” acceleration? Mine seems to work ok but goes into 3rd gear pretty quickly after second.
 
Shifts to second at 20 kill....third at 38 kill. and od. Around 80. I’m running the vacuum operated switch for the overdrive. It goes in and out until about 88k. I should have just put in a toggle switch to engage the overdrive....still might do it...
 
This is all good stuff that when time comes, I can use to set my 700r4.
 
Some co. makes a unit that does away with cable adjustments on both R4's & Ford's aod old & new. You have to install when it's being built but can't recall who makes it. Posted it here several years ago.
 
I checked the shift points on my 2004R and they are:
First to second at 20 km
Second to third at 50 kmh
Third to fourth (OD) at 80 kmh
So it appears mine is shifting ok.
I don’t have a lock up torque converter. I’m told I should run one. Any thoughts?
 
The R4 or 4R transmissions are electric overdrive. They lock up to give you the overdrive. Unless I’m totally wrong in my understanding of how they work im not sure how you get yours into overdrive. I am by no means a mechanic or tranny guy so this is a mystery to me and of interest. What torque converter are you using?
 
My 2004r is not electronically controlled. I’m not sure either what kicks into OD but it definitely does goes into OD. I’m running a 2500 rpm stall non lockup torque converter. Don’t know the make. Seems to work ok. My understanding is that the non lock up converter will generate more heat due to slippage of the fluid in the turbines blades in the converter. Heat is the enemy of automatic transmissions. The lock up in OD eliminates this slippage and heat. I’m not a transmission guy either just relating what I’ve heard, been told and read. 😄
 
Yeah was just reading it can be controlled by a computer....or not..depends on where you read about it. Looks like it’s a very good tranny and almost a direct replacement for the turbo 350. Don’t even have to change the drive shaft....my daddy used to say...if it ain’t broke..don’t fix it. If it’s shifting I’d leave it as is...maybe someone with some real knowledge about this tranny can give some advice...
 
Something has to send a signal to the overdrive. I have a small box about an inch square on the side of my carb. There is a vacuumed line and 2wires running to it. This is my electronic lockup switch. Runs on vacuumed and opens and closes the electric circuit. You gotta have something ....somewhere....
 
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