Anyone use a gear vendors over drive unit with an SP400? good idea, or overkill? car will be mostly street driven, 455 in a regal....?
Larry70gs runs one with his SP400...PM him for more info. Im am planning on going this route one of these days.
We put a built 200r4 behind my bros 575 hp 462 BBB in his 78 TA and he couldnt be happier. there are alot of BS rumors that a 200 cant handle the power. I got news for you they take it WELL, heres the best guys I know for 200's, call Vince Janis of Janis transmissions at 330 753 6609 You can tell him I sent ya. he knows these trannies well and builds many many for the fast (9 second) TR guys.
Not going 200r4, i have a brand new SP400 and was just wondering about the gear vendor unit.... I already have controll of the stall wich is nice, but to make it vertually a 6 speed would be awsome, specially for street driving. i just wanna know if it makes sence and is worth the money,
I am by far no expert by from my research it is a good deal for TH400 owners who want to keep there existing Tranny and want a to run lower RPMs on the HWY. This was my reasoning behind looking into the purchase especially when I frequently travel on 95 between DC and NC where I have been in regular traffic easilly going 85-90mph. The only reason I am bot going that route because it is cheaper to get a built 2004r then to have my th400 rebuilt and get the GV.
Brendan, do a search and use Larry70GS for the posts by user. He's talked about his on here and he loves it. ajjones44, another advantage of the 2004R is weight savings. The 400 weighs more than the 200 to begin with and then you have to add the GV.
Brendan i run a 400 sp best converter to run is JW's its 1800-3200 larry and i used it for years http://www.trishieldperf.com/transmissions.htm look for the WIZARD he runs the gear vendors works great.
I run the ST400 and a GV. The GV is for all intents and purposes, bulletproof. It is rated to 1200 HP, and can be modified to withstand 2000 HP It costs as much as a built THM200R4 when all is said and done. If you are starting from scratch, I'd say 200R4. If you have a good 400 trans and converter, just add the GV. If the 400 needs to be rebuilt, it's 500-700.00. The GV should never break, but if it does, GV will fix it inexpensively (they say). The GV has a .78 OD, the 200R4 is .67 with a lockup. The GV will work with a moderate stall converter. The 200R4 will require the lockup to make the most of that .67 OD.
Hey larry. I have a brand new SP400, new converter and all that jazz. I am DEFENATLY staying with the SP400. I just want accounts of how the GV is. worth the price, funtionality. can be made to run fully automatic? all the important stuff. if it's not worth it, i'll just stay with the sp400 as is. Most importantly, is it fun? I totally dig the idea of having a "6" speed auto in the regal. And i'd like to be able to take it on slightly longer drives than Just around town, as there's a fiarly local car show every tuesday during the season, but i'd be using to much fuel to get there and back in the regal with the 350 gears....
The main downfall I see with the 2004r vs the SP/GV is if you want a say 3500 stall. The 2004r is going to act like a regular car with a loose stall around town. The lock up is going to be used on the highway. Now with the switch pitch you get the benifit of a tight converter(low stall) around town and a when you wanna launch....highstall. Also if you hurt the 200...its gonna cost a bunch compared to a TH400. Most likely send it back to the "200" guru so shipping will be a mint. Now anyone local can rebuild 400 for dirt......JMHO
Worth the price?, without a doubt. Yes it comes with a switch (floor mounted dimmer switch). That switch turns the GV on and off. There is a dash mounted Manual/Auto switch). Leve it in auto, it acts like a 4 speed automatic. 1-2-3, 4(OD) comes in around 40 MPH. Or, leave it in manual when you want to gear split. To be truthful though, I found that gear splitting is not really an option at the track. Things happen much too quickly, and you must activate, and deactivate the GV. It simply does not shift fast enough. There is a lag of a second or so between the time you hit the switch and the time it shifts. Come off the line and the 1 to 1 over happens automatically at 40 MPH. When the THM400 shifts into 2nd, you must deactivate the GV to be in second not second over. Then activate the GV again to be in second over, then deactivate the GV when the 400 hits third. It can't be done accurately because of the lag. The GV is completely separate from the functions of the 400. The OD will activate at 40 MPH no matter what, unless you leave it off and turn it on when you want it. One possible option at the track would be to leave the shifter in 2, and then activate the GV to go though the traps in 2nd over. This would be an advantage with a rear gear of say 3.08-3.42. It would allow you to go through the traps at a higher RPM than you would normally in 3rd. I am very happy with the GV. The only thing that I have noticed, is that sometimes the GV computer doesn't boot if you cycle the ignition switch too rapidly. Then the GV will not work. If you turn the ignition on, then wait a second, then crank the engine to start, it works everytime.
I really like this part of the GV manual. They basically tell you that you can't hurt it no matter what you do to it.
So Larry, looking at your signature, you still running 3.73's? What rpm do you see at about 65-70 mph? Thanks
thanks for the info larry! It looks like i'm saving up for a GV unit now! just gotta get the driveshaft i have shortened once i get it all together!
You're right about the price for the 2004R but the convertor I'm not so sure. The only experience I have with a high stall convertor is the CK Performance 3400 stall in my 2004R now. I LOVE this thing and it is not loose. Around town when driving normally you can't tell it's a high stall. It drives like a regular convertor. When you get into the power, the rpms jump right up like you want them to. The stall speed is torque specific. Mine was custom built. I don't know if they're all this way or not.
That is the difference between a cheap converter and a good one. The good ones are tight enough and efficient at light throttle, but stall to where they need to be when you get on it.
