My 200-4R swap adventure (1970 Buick GS 455 TH400==>TH200-4R)

Discussion in 'The "Juice Box"' started by Cutlass, Nov 4, 2018.

  1. Mart

    Mart Gold level member

    Keep it simple. I fabbed up this stainless bracket to keep things low profile. Simple right angle bolted to original carb bracket. Nothing interferes.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    I searched the board, he runs the TV-cable to the gas pedal.
    I might consider this, but for now I put that on the backburner until I have the car back in the garage.

    But in order to get that done I need to fabricate a spacer.
    @ Ken: In your thread you mention something about spacer of 0,75" with the stock intake. Is that with a 350, or good as well for the 455?
     
  3. techg8

    techg8 The BS GS

    That was on a 350.
     
  4. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    Can anyone do me a favor and measure the distance in height between gasket surface and the socket below the linkage on the primary shaft. I need to figure out the height of a spacer for enough clearance TV-arm to stock manifold. Thanks IMG_3737_low_mod.jpg
     
  5. weinh

    weinh Well-Known Member

    Does this help?

    [​IMG]
     
    Cutlass likes this.
  6. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    With slippage you generate heat. The issue is addressed by using a good trans cooler, especially if you are hot rodding around. Some folks add a temp gage to the trans pan to keep track of temps.
     
  7. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    If you are just driving a few KMs you can get away with no air cleaner.
     
  8. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    Absolutely, thank you!
     
  9. Bill Nuttle

    Bill Nuttle Well-Known Member

    Watching. Getting ready to do the same with my car.

    Where at in Michigan are you? I’m in Fenton between Brighton and Flint.
     
  10. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    Well, I used to live in MI, thats when I had the plate from my avatar on my then 350 Skylark. 12 years ago I moved back to my homecountry, Germany.
    Funny, that you live in Fenton, thats where the Buick I currently have was owned, before I bought it last year and had it shipped to Germany.

    I will post all my experience I am going to make (good and bad), so that everybody who is interested can learn from my mistakes :). And there will be a few, even though there is already a lot of good information out there. One can read everything about how to ride a bicycle, but that does not mean that one really can ride the bike. It takes practice and typically some scratches on the ellbows and on the knees.
     
  11. Bill Nuttle

    Bill Nuttle Well-Known Member

    Good deal. I was station in Germany back in the mid 80’s when I was in the Army. Little town called Bad Kissigen.
     
  12. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    The world is small, I now live about 30 minutes away from Bad Kissingen.
     
    Bill Nuttle likes this.
  13. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    Done with the spacer and also fabricated a gasket at the same time:
    IMG_1891_low.jpg IMG_1884_low.jpg IMG_1888_low.jpg
    The hardest part was to take all the dimensions off the baseplate. In (my) metric world you typically set dimensions in mm, tenth and hundredth. So when you measure something it is relatively easy to interpred what dimension the designer had in mind (in particular when it is such a simple geometry like the baseplate). The Buick-baseplate however obviously was designed imperial. So I measured the dimensions with my digital caliber (which I can switch from metric to imperial) as decimal inch. Then I used excel to convert the decimal numbers in one- and two digit fractions. Then I picked the ones which looked most familiar to me, converted those back in metric and compared them with the metric dimensions I had also measured. Did that back and forth until I found a good match. Sounds complicated - was complicated. For you guys who grew up imperial it probably would have been a piece of a cake.
    I am glad, that I obviously made the right choices. The spacer and the gasket fit perfectly with the baseplate.
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2019
    techg8 likes this.
  14. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    Installed the carb with the spacer and everything works as it should. :)
    IMG_1898_low.jpg IMG_1899_low.jpg IMG_1901_low.jpg
    The spacer is 10mm plus the additional gasket with 2mm. So total of about 1/2" is sufficient for enough clearance TV arm/stock intake.
     
    techg8 likes this.
  15. sailbrd

    sailbrd Well-Known Member

    Universal fit.... fits nothing without modification. I trimmed the intake (sp-1) but looks like the bracket might be better choice.
     
  16. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    Ralf - was that done by hand or computer? If computer, can you send me the G files or .DXF'S?
     
  17. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    Hi Bill, no, I did not create a drawing with CAD. Basically all I had to do was to come up with the coordinates of the 8 holes (4 for the bolts, 2 prim and 2 sec). As I have digital readouts on my mill I did set the front left hole for the bolt as 0/0 and used X/Y coordinates for the remaining 7 holes. I can provide you with those either metric or imperial if you are interested. Let me know.
     
  18. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    That would be great - PM sent!
     
  19. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    Thanks!!!
     
  20. Cutlass

    Cutlass Platinum Level Contributor

    As it looks like, it will be really difficult to procure ring&pinion for my 8.2 Buick only axle. I am not giving up yet, but starting to think about a Plan B. That would be the 8.5 axle. So here is my thought:
    The TH200-4R is shorter that my TH400, so theoratically I would need a longer driveshaft
    The 8.5 is longer than the 8.2 Buick only, so I would need to shorten the driveshaft.
    How are the chances, that both modifications together will even out and no change of the driveshaft will be necessary?
     

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