Several months ago I bought a 200r4 with the intention of building it to hold up to my 455 im building. I read that in order for one to hold up to a big block they need all the best parts. Im wondering for those of you who run 200r4s what you had to do to it to hold up to your BBB.
How much power are you planning on? I would want a billet shaft forward drum. The rest is pretty standard fare, sun shell, stator support, good drum, band and clutches. Probably good to 500hp. You planning to assemble or have someone else do it?
Since I have never rebuilt a trans I am having a local transmission shop do the work (rebuilding this trans wouldn't be the best idea if I miss something lol). The shop don't specialize in 200R4s and I want it to handle around 600hp to the input in my 70 Electra 225.
To have a 2004R, with the converter built to handle 600 HP is going to cost you 3000.00 + It cost Phil 3200.00 back in 2005. See post #7. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.p...0-GS-A-Tutorial-Pictoral&highlight=70+gsconvt
Try transmission Depot on EvilBay. I have one in my 69 Firebird. http://www.ebay.com/itm/2004R-200R4...NIT-/222041164896?vxp=mtr&hash=item33b2af4c60
Plenty of converter builders can hook you up for much less. I never built one before, and mine works. Do you have a clean place to assemble it? Common hand tools? Desire to build one? Have the ability to pull a trans and put the new one in? Get the ckperformance manual, and maybe a low/rev puller installer tool and you can put your own together. I would definitely find someone who "knows" the 2004r or you will likely regret it. Plenty of sad stories of those who used the local th350 guru and now their 2004r wont shift.
This 2004R is going into a heavy 70 Electra (4500-5000 lbs.) and is going to be fed 600 HP. Unless this car is going to be driven easy on the street, I'm thinking it is going to need all the good stuff.
Having been down this road I can only try to save you the pain I went through. Only buy from a shop that specializes in racing 200-4R transmissions and has a good reputation.
How hard does one "beat" on a deuce and a quarter? If the planetaries are in good shape(within spec), the drum is in good shape, a new hardened stator support and sun shell, the most like part to fail is the shaft on the forward drum. $400 or so for a billet shaft forward drum and you can skip the park and six neutrals. All that is left is careful assembly to the specs. Should work just fine.
It's not the horsepower, it's the shear mass of the thing. lol. Takes a good trans to get that much mass moving without breaking something.
The 70 weighs more then the half ton dodge that hauled it home (1 long ride I care not to repeat) lol. Since it has tall gears (2.76 or 2.73), the low first gear in the 200r4 would help it get moving.
There will be one behind the 455 in my GS one of these days. And it will have what I stated above. I fully expect it to be able to do power tour and drag week as a/c is also in the plans. Hey a th400 and overdrive unit works well, or a 4L80e is becoming much more affordable if you don't think the 2004r will do. Trust me, and Dean will back it up, I've broken more than a couple 2004r transmissions in my time. I have a set of clutches/steels welded into a cylinder, smoked bands, and such. The new stuff is much better than the products from the eighties.
FWIW, I have a bone stock 200-4r from an 84-ish Olds in my 69 Sport Wagon (~4000 lbs) with ~420 hp. I pulled this trans in unknown condition from the junkyard and swapped it into my wagon a couple years ago. 2nd gear lasted about a week before letting go, but it's been busting it's butt otherwise since then without a hiccup really. I usually just cruise and haul stuff with it, so not really much racing around, but have towed a bunch including 14,000 lbs once when the quarry accidentally loaded too much gravel on the trailer I had hooked up. I think one of these trans' built up should be decent enough and last a while, so long as it's a reputable builder that knows their stuff.
This is how my 200r4 was built by CK: "CK Performance STAGE 2 2004R TRANSMISSION THE STAGE 2 2004R IS BUILT FOR ENGINES PRODUCING UP TO 800 FOOT POUNDS OF TORQUE. EACH TRANSMISSION IS PROFESSIONALLY ASSEMBLED AND THEN GIVEN A THOROUGH ROAD TEST IN OUR TEST VEHICLE TO GUARANTEE FLAWLESS OPERATION PRIOR TO SHIPPING. COMPETITION COMPONENTS E4340 STEEL BILLET SHAFT FORWARD CLUTCH DRUM.E4340 STEEL BILLET INPUT SHAFT.E4340 STEEL BILLET OVERDRIVE PLANETARY CARRIER ASSEMBLY.E4340 STEEL BILLET OVERDRIVE RING GEAR .HEAT TREATED STATOR TUBE.HEAT TREATED SUN GEAR SHELL.OVERSIZE BILLET ALUMINUM SERVO ASSEMBLY.ROLLERIZED OVERDRIVE RING GEAR,CENTER SUPPORT,DIRECT DRUM,FORWARD DRUM,SUN GEAR SHELL,LO REVERSE CLUTCH HOUSINGAND REAR INTERNAL GEAR. THESE BEARINGS REDUCE INTERNAL FRICTION AND HORSEPOWER LOSS CREATED AND CONSUMED DURING NORMAL INTERNAL COMPONENT ROTATION.THEY ALSO INCREASE THE THRUST SURFACE AREAS BETWEEN ROTATING INTERNAL COMPONMENTS CLUTCH AND BAND UPGRADES OVERSIZED ALTO RED LINED 2ND GEAR BAND. CUSTOM DIRECT CLUTCH PACK WITH 6 ALTO RED LINED FRICTIONS AND 6 OVERSIZE STEEL PLATES. UPDATED OVERDRIVE CLUTCH PACK WITH 3 BORG WARNER TAN FRICTIONS. CUSTOM CNC MACHINED BILLET ALUMINUM DIRECT CLUTCH PISTON . HYDRAULIC UPGRADES ALL BUILDS START WITH A BRAND NEW GENERAL MOTORS FRONT PUMP ASSEMBLY.THE PUMP IS THEN REWORKED AND ASSEMBLED WITH STEEL VANE RINGS,DUAL HIGH RATE PUMP SLIDE PRIMING SPRINGS,A NEW HEAVY DUTY PRESSURE REGULATOR SPRING ,AND OVERSIZED CNC MACHINED TV AND INTERMEDIATE BOOST VALVES.THESE MODIFICATIONS IMPROVE AND INCREASE LINE AND LUBRICTION PRESSURES. ADDITIONAL PASSAGES ARE ADDED TO THE CENTER SUPPORT FOR IMPROVED THRUST SURFACE LUBRICATION. "
I went with the 4l80e, red eagle clutches and a TSP converter. These transmissions move 1 ton vans, loaded with material. It would work well with your 225. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?302742-Got-jiggy-with-it-4L80E-behind-455-BBB
If you are not going to lower the gear ratio in the rear don't run an OD transmission, especially if you're building an engine making enough power to require a 2004R to be heavily modified. Unless you plan on spending a lot of time cruising at 75-80 mph on the freeway the engine will be lugging whenever the transmission is in OD during normal driving. Also, 2004R's can be finicky and will lurch in and out of OD when cruising along at low rpm/light throttle.
