The truck valvebodies shift harder from the factory and cannot be J-modded. The car valvebody can be J-modded which actually makes it a better setup.
Alan

 

I have found a 97 factory rebuilt trans that I'd like to put in my 2000 4.2L. It's out of a 4.2L and it's a factory rebuild. will it work? I hear the 97 is a unique trans and only a 97 will work for a 97.

 

Well that isn't exactly true. You can take the electroinics out of the 97 and install them in the 2000 and the transmission will work just fine. To do that you are going to have to remove the valve body to replace the case connector/internal wiring harness. It's a very easy job though.

Or, you can repin the truck wiring harness to accept the 2000 transmission. Less labor to do it this way but a MUCH greater chance of screwing up.

Darrin

 

Darrin,
I want to go the other way...put the 97 in my 2000. Will I have to take the valve body out of my 180K miles 2000 tranny and put it in the rebuilt 97? What else do I need to do, and where can I find the directions?

I'm a mechanic, but not too familiar with auto transmissions. Doesn't the valve body control the entire transmission? Is this a good idea?

The only reason I need to change the trans is because the torque converter is going bad. Maybe I should just pull that and replace it.

Thoughts?

 

don't use a '97 transmission in your 2000. the '97 transmissions were bad.

the torque converter should be ok though

 

Even a factory rebuild? Are the Torque converters the same?

 

I have rebuilt 97 transmissions and had no problem with them when they are done right. They have a good case and the hard parts, with the exception of the intermediate stub shaft and intermediate one way clutch setup, are the same as a transmission from the same application until they made changes in 03. The valve body changed sometime in 01 m/y though.

The biggest issue is that some of the clutch materials got a huge upgrade in 98 along with a factory hardened stub shaft and including a mechanical diode one way clutch instead of the old roller type and a new electronics setup.

If the 97 is rebuilt to 98 and newer specs then it's fine. But I doubt that is the case honestly. Usually shops rebuild them for the application instead of upgrading them without reason. I honestly don't know what the factory rebuilds use for clutch materials.

If it was rebuilt to 97 specs then it definitely has the older electronics and most likely has older style clutch friction material and a much weaker intermediate stub shaft. It might have the new style intermediate one way clutch because some of the 97's did, but I wouldn't count on that at all and that's a HUGE disadvantage if it has the old style.

They were making changes left and right from 93-98 on these transmissions and these changes were to prevent failures. In 98 the transmission ended up being a pretty good unit so they left it alone until 01 with the valve body change.