So....the 2.78 gear experiment didn't work out so well (thanks Chris for the gear). Who knew gears and carriers are hard to match on these bad boys (OK, ok....so I was the only one who DIDN'T know). Ended up getting a new carrier for the 3.55 gear and am now looking to do an OD tranny for the least amount of pain. My current set up.... 67 GS400 with a 430 block with newly rebuilt TH400. This is a grocery getter/cruse night car. Other than the occasional burn out I'm just looking to get to freeway speed without my ears bleeding and having to stop for gas every trip. Stock engine with no (current) plans to gear head to higher HP. My questions.....I understand the 2004R is a direct bolt up. I did check the Gear Vendors OD, but for the price and ease of install is a new tranny the best option (and, I've got a new rebuild 400 to sell to help offset costs)? With the 2004R in these cars does the shift lever/console stay the same (4 gears with a 3 gear lever)? Is there an 'off the shelf' vendor for the swap, or is it a hunt and peck mission to get the 2004R working? Thinking a 2kish budget....in the ballpark? Any "oh crap, don't do it like that" advice? I also see the 4L80 might be an option....thoughts/recommendations? Thanks in advance. I know there's a lot of info here on the swap, but just wondering if there are a couple of 'call this guy' options that are Buick specific. Again, think 'painless'.... KO
My 2 cents - Talk to Lonnie (or anyone) at Extreme Automatics. They can build you a nice unit for under $3K. Then get a good converter - TriShield sells a nice unit- $1K. So you can get into it with new stuff for $4K - or take a gamble and do the junkyard stuff/craigslist/ebay/etc. You will still need to deal with the TV cable and its hard or easy depending on the carb you have. Holley and Edlebrock/Carter is easy, Qjet not so much. The gear venders has proven itself to be a reliable "easy" solution, but the 400 gearing and weight are drawbacks. However since you have a nice 400 that maybe the way to go. The 4L80 is a "newer" solution. It would be interesting to see how many folks have put one in a BBB 67 A body.
Any clearance issues with the GV overdrive? Seems a pretty easy upgrade, and it can 'migrate' with me easily if needed. Also seems the reviews here for the GVOD are 100% positive. So...any haters of the GV unit out there?
A ‘71 and up 8.5 with 2.93s or 3.23s may be your easiest and most economical solution. That said, the 200-4R route is popular enough that someone makes a shifter base for it I think. Patrick
I have had mine since 2006. No complaints at all. My installer reworked my cross member to lower the transmission a bit. Otherwise, I think you need to make a few quarter size dents in the floor board. It will take 1200 HP in stock form, so you don't need to worry about hurting it. And yes, it will bolt to virtually any transmission.
I was looking at the cross member. Looks like it could 'bottom mount' to the frame brackets without too much dinking around to gain a bit of clearance. Might have to also bump out the shift bracket. And a couple hours on the magic interweb shows that the 2004R swap is easier-ish now as there are TV cable brackets available for the carb. Auto tranny's are foreign and mysterious to me (gimme a T56 and I can almost do it blindfolded), so looking to source one 'done'. I do like that other than the drive shaft the GV is bolt in and roll. So many options....so little time.... Do you use the 'between' feature on the GV so essentially you have a 6-speed auto? I'm not sure exactly how it all works, but the web site info was pretty clear that you have that option. And, if doing the tranny swap what's the story with torque converters? Lock up, don't lock up, high RPM, low RPM (stall?)....I know nothing.
After rereading the sticky swap thread (great thread) I found a 2004r semi-local from an 84 Monty Carlo. Is this a good swap candidate? Might be time to get over my fear of tearing into an auto tranny….
I have the 200 in mine and it's great. Went with a lock up on a switch which helps even more on the hwy.
I don't use that feature. I think that is more hype than anything else. To use it as a six speed, you would need to turn the GV on and off. I can't imagine doing that at the track. At WOT, you would have to turn the GV on to 1 over, then turn it off when 2nd gear hits, the turn it back on for 2nd over, then turn it off for 3rd. I don't know how I could do that during a pass. What you can do is leave the transmission in 2nd gear, and then trigger the GV for 2nd over, and go through the traps in 2nd over for higher RPM. I wanted the GV for less RPM on the highway, that is why I bought it. If I was doing OD today, I would go straight to the 4L80E, a 400 with OD gear and lock up. The 2004R was never designed for a BBB in a heavy car. Sure, you can beef it up, but guys still have problems despite that. It would be awesome if someone put a modern 6, 8, or 10 speed automatic behind a hot 455.
Soooooo......just inked a deal for an 87 GN 200-4R new rebuild. It's only a couple hours away, and the price seemed OK. My question is he has a Coan 3000 10" converter he'd add to the deal for $600. I know nothing about converters. My next post would/will be "Got a 200-4R, now what for a converter". Thoughts on the Coan 3000???
Depending on the combo yes that’s a good converter. They are specific for the 200 so the th350 etc ones won’t work. Ask if it’s a lockup converter. The lockup is great as it gives 100% lockup no slip on the highway.
I'm currently bone stock 430. Fresh rebuild, so it's got it's old spunk back. It is a lock up converter. Just don't know enough to know if it's a deal or not (it is based on price for sure...he's now at $450). And no idea the difference in drivability based on stall speed. I suppose the worst that can happen is an extra afternoon in the shop swapping it out.
I would buy the converter yes. The best part about the lockup converters is that they lockup 100% using a toggle switch or a speed sensor. So even if the converter is a bit loose it won’t matter once it’s locked up there in no slip. the lockup converters cost a lot, that Coan was likely $1000 new. It’s also important to use a high quality converter because the stock and low cost units have tiny clutches in the lockup. I run a triple disk lockup converter that was $1200 but it can handle 800+ Hp
There is no such thing as a 3000 stall converter. Stall speed depends on engine torque, car weight, and gearing. Depending on what that converter was built to be behind, it will probably act differently behind your engine. Coan makes a great converter, but there is no way for anyone to tell you whether it will be right for your stock 430. Most high end converters come with a free re-stall. I wonder if he could have it re-stalled for you. If I was you, I'd skip the converter and buy one from Tri Shield Performance a.k.a. Jim Weise. He can do a 2004R converter for your 430 and get it right the first time. Not that much more, and better than rolling the dice. https://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/updated-torque-converter-program.278923/
Thanks. I did pick up the converter with the tranny. I figure for $450 I'd at least break even on a resale. I will tag Jim next week to talk about options. Sourcing brackets now for the carb. And trying to do some learnin on lock-up. If nothing else at least I'll be able to follow along when folks are talking auto trans stuff after this.....
Quadrajet. Looks like a little dinking around to get the bracket mod done, but not too bad. Looking at the Everyday Performance kit(s). The trans came with the TV cable, but it’s a bit frayed so may replace.
