weird tranny scenario see what you think

[91chev350ss]

ok, a few months ago i put a used 700-r4 into my 91 4x4. the linkage was kinda screwy on it( like reverse was where park should have been and i couldnt get park without crawling underneath and doing it manually). two days later all i had was first gear. i have moved it several times and always had just first gear and reverse. i decided i was gonna use my tax money to get a turbo 350 for it and today when i go to pull it in to yank the old one, it miraculously shifts through all the gears just fine! any ideas why this is? could it be because the linkage is messed up? im all set to buy the 350 if i have to, but there are better places for that money to go. any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[nawlinjoe]

How does the tranny shift? If the transmission is shifting okay you might have to adjust your linkage or the cable on the steering colume. You also might have to make sure that the rod that is on the linkage is inserted all the way through the attachment on the transmission. If its not inserted all the way through the attachment, this will cause the transmission linkage to bind and not go through all the gears.

[91chev350ss]

it shifts ok, slips a little from 2nd to 3rd but its an early 80's tranny and lot of them slipoped like that. the linkage is messed up on the tranny side. there is all kinds of play in it and i dont know why. if it sounds like the linkage is the problem then ill just take it to the shop and have that fixed. but i dont wanna spend my tax money on other stuff if this tranny isnt gonna last long.