so I'm gonna jump in and do an overdrive trans. right now i have a built thm350, and i probably want to do a 700r4, like the overdrive idea and who couldn't use a little lower first gear? the car is mostly street use with maybe 6-8 passes a year. anyone done this? anyone got a trans they like monster has a "complete" conversion kit for 2000.00 and my guy will do the job for about 700.00-800.00 or he will build one and install it for the same money. any input? jim
Searching the board will help. (Re: overdrive automatic) Dear Jim and V-8 Buick overdrive tranny fans, This is a topic that gets a lot of attention!! You might want to do some searching of the board to get some sense of what others have done. The board search is a little weak. A better search technique is to use Google and restrict it to only searching V-8 Buick. You can do that with this command typed into a Google search field: 700r4 site:v8buick.com If you want a better search, consider that there are lots of ways to "spell" the GM tranny designation and also folks truly misspell it. So 700R4, 700-R4, etc. If you want a little fun on the names have a look at this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbo-Hydramatic I assume you know that you'll need an adapter place to go with the 700R4. If you went with a 200-4R you can skip that step. There is a lot of debate over which tranny is better. Clearly you can make either one do what you want. Have fun! Cheers, Edouard :beer
A 2004r would be a better option then 700r4 due to being essentially drop-in affair and no need for adapter plate Also will handle more power if you get it from a specialist..and better gearspread to keep engine in powerband. theirs a few really good specialists for the 2004r also and worth it to go with them versus any other vendor if you plan to make big power, 4l80e is best ..theirs also a couple companies that makes/sells them with a BOP bellhousing, and they can also be converted to manual, so no need for electronic or bellhousing adapterplate company that has 4l80 with SFI bop bell http://www.extremeautomatics.com/transmissions/4l80e.html I've read Jakes performance is now offering a Spragless valvebody for the 4l80/E and is only company to do so ALSO has SFI BOP bellhousings http://www.jakesperformance.com/ if you're looking for a 4l80e with 5 or 6 gears..way better then TCIs version http://www.transmissioncenter.net/4l80e.htm 2004r specialists http://www.extremeautomatics.com/transmissions/2004r.html http://www.ckperformance.com/ Bruce website is down so Bruce WE4 PTS Xtreme 916-739-0510 last but not least http://www.cpttransmission.com/
yeah i tried to run a search and had a hard time so i figured i would just throw it out there maybe the 200r4
Now a days you dont need to worry about finding the better br code 2004r as they make a better aftermarket valvebody new.its one of tbe companies ive linked above..think ck ---------- Post added at 08:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:25 PM ---------- Should be listed on tbe gbodyparts.com site
If you have a car that had a 350 originally, 200r4 will work. A full size or a 455 motor, 700 or 4L80e.
I run the 200r4 and it is great, I use lockup and have ran nitrous on it lots of times into the high 11's low 12's and had no problems with it. This is a bolt in part.
700r4 is weaker then the 2004r..atleast when built..just skip 700r4/4l60e I dont think theirs any reason to use the 700r4/4l60e unless its going in a 4wd.. and even then you could jist go 4l80e
2004r is only good as its builder and most other vendors put a hefty hp rating on it like its built when its basicly a stock rebuild Which is why ive posted some links to the best builders. Good luck with your decision Mike
I have had both, a 700-r4 and a 200-4r. I prefer the 200-4r because of the gearing. It has evenly spaced gears which keep you in your torque band and a nice overdrive ratio. I was running 3.42 gears and it made for a really good driver all around. Definitely get a reputable builder. It is a must in my opinion to dual feed 3rd gear and that requires some hard part upgrades to live. If you want to understand all the needed improvements I recommend CK performance's manual. It is a good read even if you are not going to build the transmission it will arm you with knowledge of what everyone is selling. I built a 700-r4 and broke hard parts and many converters. I was never satisfied with how it drove either.
found a guy jimmys trans in mundeline good deal all built and installed just need to get rid of this pesky snow now anyone interested in a built low mile thm350
Was going to suggest Jimmys Transmissions to you, but couldn't complete post earlier for some reason. Jimmys used to be one of the good builders of the 200-4r in the past. Lots of Chicagoland GN/TRs running them. Knows how to build em.
Just my $.02, but I have a 200-4R in my car. It's great and was a pretty straight forward install. I will say it's pretty well built to handle the torque of my engine and my total cost was around $3600 with a converter and other needed parts like for the carb, TV cable, driveshaft work, etc.
I would like to see a 2004r in a full size car like a Riviera with a 455 before im sold. Im not brave enough to try it myself. Or add a 1000 lbs to your car and do a few hard runs. The 700 is still in service, still being upgraded and developed. GM dosent do the 200 anymore, If somebody can do a road test with a thousand lbs of sand bags added to their car with the 200 im very interested in the results. The main thing is if u build it right it can work. Price and parts availability for the 700 are more favorable. The throttle cable is easier to deal with in a 700, don't have to drop the pan for the governor. The one thing I don't like is the spread between 1st and 2nd.
What makes the tv cable easier to deal with in the 700r4? There are plenty of Turbo Regals running the 2004r, and many are putting out twice the power the bbb in the Riv is. What makes the price and or the availability of the parts better for a 700r4? The availability of a competent builder, that I'll give ya. Plenty of parts out there. Once you get the governor dialed in the gov under the pan becomes moot.A good builder should be able to get it in less than two tries. At least he has Jimmy local. If you have a local guru(Don Wang, drw transmissions http://www.drwtransmission.com/index.htm ) you would be wise to check out the 2004r. If not there are plenty who will ship.
On a 200 you loose throttle pressure with no cable , which .. There is a spring and detente rod that pokes a metal ball up to give full line pressure if cable breaks, , but I have seen those not work on a few. On a 700 its just full pedal full cable.
I used Janis Transmission in Akron Ohio and he is a big GN guy. He has been in the business for over 35 years.
I agree with you. The epic debate rages and unfortunately there is not hard data collected. Fellow buick enthusiasts run a 2004R, but upon further inspection of signature are running 3.7x gear or lower and a high stall converter at 3k lbs or 4k lbs etc. Likewise at what time is the engine combo applying the most power (3K RPM, 4k RPM, etc etc) All this matters on how the forces are transferred through the transmission.
