has anyone herd of a 200 4R transmission? - Page 2 - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Tx Firefighter · 03-04-2005, 02:41 PM

It is 200 4r by the way, not 200r4.

joelboxt · 03-04-2005, 07:20 PM

Longhorn, so how do i get the TV cable set right if i take it somewhere then? how do you know if its done right for sure? id hate to lose and transmission over something like that.

flip66 · 03-04-2005, 07:28 PM

I had a built one in an 88 Monte Carlo SS with a stong 350 it would bark the tires when it hit 3rd gear put 50,000 on it and not a single problem then sold the car.

joelboxt · 03-04-2005, 07:32 PM

the more ppl talk about these things the more i want to go out and buy one.. but i need some money if anyone wants to start up a donation thread for me i would apprecite it?

haha

thanks

joel

Longhorn Man · 03-04-2005, 07:40 PM

it is easier to show than to walk through, (and I'm a bit rusty....normally do this on allisons these days) but you remove a plug on the side of the tranny, and install a pressure guage. You fire up the engine (at operating temp) and observe the reading. Then, have an assistant place it in reverse...observe reading. Rev to X rpms in reverse...observe the reading again...then do the same in drive.
You compair the readings to the correct readings. The main thing is, you want the line pressure to jump up as soon as the throttle is touched. If it doesn't, then it'll be a paper weight in 30,000 miles...and with no warning usually.
If the readings are off, you can adjust the TV cable tighter or looser, and then retest. If there are still problems, then you need to address the rate of cable pull....think of it as chainging the gear ratio between the throttle shaft and the cable.
This is where bow tie overdrive comes into play. I have heard a couple things about there service now. (spoke to our tranny guy at work today...he's heard of issues with them too) however, the kit they offer is pretty much second to none.
Another thing you'll need is a way to lock and unlock the converter. You can't leave a lock up converter unlocked all the time, it'll slip exsesivly and burn stuff up. Some ppl will do a toggle switch on the dash. It works...but that's kinda crude. Besides, if you forget to disenguage it, it'll kill the motor when you stop....and in a panic stop it'll kill the engine too. And if someoen else drives it not knowing about it...then they will be runnin the tranny real hot.
There is a vacume det up that GM used on the TH350C that I have heard about....and I have heard both good and bad on it.
Then there is the aftermarket....B&M makes a cool one where you can adjust the speed that it goes into lock up from 45 MPH to 100 MPH (not sure on the numbers there...just an example) On that one, it is a set it and forget it. Mount the little black box in the glove box, and forget about it.

This is something I want to do with the caddy longhorn some day.

5150 · 03-05-2005, 08:13 PM

Can anybody give the applications that the 200r4's were in that will work with our trucks. Besides the grand nationals.

thanks,

Longhorn Man · 03-05-2005, 08:35 PM

any mid sized gm through the 80's pretty much.

*Gee_Emm* · 03-05-2005, 08:37 PM

Just make sure the bellhousing is a chev or has the dual configuration (two sets of holes)

joelboxt · 03-05-2005, 08:45 PM

what was in the old 442 cutlass's? in the early 70's? 4 barrel 4 speed dual exhaust?

whats 4 speed transmission?

joel

*Gee_Emm* · 03-08-2005, 02:29 PM

Found another good link in my favorites that I forgot to put in my other post
This one will tell you what cars to look in.

http://www.geocities.com/ramairgto72...ARD/TRANS.html

shortymac83 · 03-08-2005, 03:13 PM

they're good transmissions...hell, oldsmobile used them, they must have been good!

seriously though, they're about as strong (or weak) as the 700's, and they've got better gearing. They usually have the BOP bolt pattern though, so you'd have to run an adapter or have one with a chevy bellhousing.

incoma · 03-08-2005, 10:02 PM

I'm going to be running a 200R4 behind my 383 also. Bolts where the 400 bolts, and my driveshaft fit right in. I had to monkey with the gear selector to get it just right. I had a piece of plate welded to the side, and I installed a bolt about 1/4" further forward to get the perfect shift connection.

I can even shift it all the way down into D1 with my stock auto column. One thing that makes me wonder about the tranny is that it doesn't have a tailshaft housing. The tailshaft housing is part of the main housing, and I wonder how much of a pain it will be if I have to change out speedo-gears....

I also installed a drain plug in mine. I find those handy. I've got fluid in mine, but haven't driven it yet. I also need to figure out how to get the lockup converter to work... Does anyone here know if it hurts the tranny to not have 12-volt to the lockup converter while driving? I want to get other things tweaked before tackling that guy.

Also, did someone mention that the tv cable should be adjusted using vaccum? I'm still curious about how to get it properly adjusted. The guy I bought mine from said that it's just like adjusting the kickdown on a T350 / T400. You can feel it pull the valve open...just curious. I paid $700 for mine from a guy in Illinois. That included all the kevlar stuff and hi-perf insides and torque converter.

Longhorn Man · 03-08-2005, 11:20 PM

You can adjust it like he told you, but you need to drive straight to a shop and have it adjusted propperly with an oil pressure guage. (not vac)
Also, if you go with no lock up, the tranny will slip too much in overdrive. This will create too much heat and kill it.

shifty · 03-09-2005, 05:18 PM

You might find this article interesting (I'm just find all kinds of crap today!!)

Getting the Best TV Cable Signal
Easy Fix to Get 700-R4 and 200-R4 GM AOD Tranmissions Shifting Right:

http://www.classictrucksweb.com/tech...ble/index.html

incoma · 03-09-2005, 09:13 PM

Longhorn Man - So the tranny will try to shift into overdrive without the 12 volt hooked up? I see alot of kits that cut the power to the tranny when the brake is applied, or when towing. Do you also have an opinion on those kits?

Thanks.

And thanks for the link Shifty!!

71Longbed · 03-10-2005, 01:29 AM

ive also heard direct bolt in cept for the tv cable and also if you pick one out of the junkyard and its not from a grand national it cant handle as much horses so i would make sure your tranny shop builds it to withstand the horses you want

Longhorn Man · 03-10-2005, 06:06 AM

Coma...I can't say anything about these kits.
I will say however, that the lock up converter needs to disenguage as soon as you hit the brakes, otherwise it will stall the engine and can damage the tranny/converter.

incoma · 04-09-2005, 01:06 PM

One last question for the 200 tranny - will it shift into a gear without the tv cable hooked up? I got my engine running the other day, fluid levels look dead on, and the tranny won't go into reverse, drive, or anything. The linkage is right on, and it feels like I'm dropping it into gear correctly - just nothing's catching. I put it in all gears, got the engine up to temp, and the fluid is still ok...do I just have a bum transmission?

nevada70chev · 04-09-2005, 02:02 PM

good food for thought, i got a th350 now. i have been considering a new tranny, what would a 200 4r cost to rebuild? plus all the other parts to get it installed? thanks.

*screamin_c102* · 04-09-2005, 03:41 PM

Incoma, the TV cable is attached to a valve that controls fluid pressure in the valve body. If it is not hooked up or is adjusted improperly it will allow too much fluid pressure to bypass the valvebody either not letting it go into gear or making it slip. If your cable is not hooked up, the valve may be wide open bypassing your fluid pressure.

I would hook the TV up before you fire it up and run it for any length of time. If the fluid is bypassing then it is not getting to the rotating parts that use fluid for lubrication; and it will burn up quick, even without driving it.

Just my $.02

incoma · 04-09-2005, 03:57 PM

Thanks screamin_c10. That's what I was looking for. So it sounds to me that I may have screwed up the transmission by not having the tv cable connected while I was tuning the engine... I'll attach it in a few minutes and see if it shifts into gear. I don't want to pull the transmission out if I don't have to. That's a pain the butt.

*screamin_c102* · 04-09-2005, 04:07 PM

If you sat there an revved the pi$$ out of it then you may have screwed it up, but the pumpwas probably still pushin' a little fluid up in there. Smell your fluid and see if it smells burnt.

Don't worry too much about that, but don't repeat the process either.

Good luck man, let me know how it turns out.

incoma · 04-09-2005, 04:11 PM

I didn't rev it. not more than 1500 rpm - just to get it warmed up so it would idle. I think I've run it about 1 - 1 1/2 hours max. I'm going to go out to the garage now. Thanks again!!

incoma · 04-09-2005, 06:29 PM

Well, its not the tv cable. I set the cable so that it was a bit open at idle, and I'm still not getting anything. I guess this guy's going to come out and the T350 back in.

61corv · 04-09-2005, 06:41 PM

a very good site.... www.700r4.com , has awesome info and how to's. hope this helps. check on which years are the best to use, this is works for 700r4s too, . it does make a difference.

03-04-2005, 02:41 PM	#26
Tx Firefighter Watch out for your cornhole ! Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Azle, Texas Posts: 14,162	It is 200 4r by the way, not 200r4. __________________ I'm on the Instagram- @Gearhead_Kevin

03-04-2005, 07:20 PM	#27
joelboxt 71 Cheyenne SWB Fleetside Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Posts: 403	Longhorn, so how do i get the TV cable set right if i take it somewhere then? how do you know if its done right for sure? id hate to lose and transmission over something like that. __________________

03-04-2005, 07:28 PM	#28
flip66 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Garland TX Dallas area Posts: 658	I had a built one in an 88 Monte Carlo SS with a stong 350 it would bark the tires when it hit 3rd gear put 50,000 on it and not a single problem then sold the car. __________________ 1998 Pontiac Grad Prix GTP 1969 C10 396 TH400 3.08 posi

03-04-2005, 07:32 PM	#29
joelboxt 71 Cheyenne SWB Fleetside Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Posts: 403	the more ppl talk about these things the more i want to go out and buy one.. but i need some money if anyone wants to start up a donation thread for me i would apprecite it? haha thanks joel __________________

03-05-2005, 08:13 PM	#31
5150 C10 Club Tennessee Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: White House, TN 37188 Posts: 8,277	Can anybody give the applications that the 200r4's were in that will work with our trucks. Besides the grand nationals. thanks, __________________ Bryan www.gmtruckshow.com Project "Andes"-Halen's First Truck Project: Patina Burb for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Romans 13:4

03-04-2005, 07:40 PM	#30
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	it is easier to show than to walk through, (and I'm a bit rusty....normally do this on allisons these days) but you remove a plug on the side of the tranny, and install a pressure guage. You fire up the engine (at operating temp) and observe the reading. Then, have an assistant place it in reverse...observe reading. Rev to X rpms in reverse...observe the reading again...then do the same in drive. You compair the readings to the correct readings. The main thing is, you want the line pressure to jump up as soon as the throttle is touched. If it doesn't, then it'll be a paper weight in 30,000 miles...and with no warning usually. If the readings are off, you can adjust the TV cable tighter or looser, and then retest. If there are still problems, then you need to address the rate of cable pull....think of it as chainging the gear ratio between the throttle shaft and the cable. This is where bow tie overdrive comes into play. I have heard a couple things about there service now. (spoke to our tranny guy at work today...he's heard of issues with them too) however, the kit they offer is pretty much second to none. Another thing you'll need is a way to lock and unlock the converter. You can't leave a lock up converter unlocked all the time, it'll slip exsesivly and burn stuff up. Some ppl will do a toggle switch on the dash. It works...but that's kinda crude. Besides, if you forget to disenguage it, it'll kill the motor when you stop....and in a panic stop it'll kill the engine too. And if someoen else drives it not knowing about it...then they will be runnin the tranny real hot. There is a vacume det up that GM used on the TH350C that I have heard about....and I have heard both good and bad on it. Then there is the aftermarket....B&M makes a cool one where you can adjust the speed that it goes into lock up from 45 MPH to 100 MPH (not sure on the numbers there...just an example) On that one, it is a set it and forget it. Mount the little black box in the glove box, and forget about it. This is something I want to do with the caddy longhorn some day.

03-05-2005, 08:35 PM	#32
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	any mid sized gm through the 80's pretty much.

03-05-2005, 08:37 PM	#33
Gee_Emm Account Suspended Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 4,002	Just make sure the bellhousing is a chev or has the dual configuration (two sets of holes)

03-05-2005, 08:45 PM	#34
joelboxt 71 Cheyenne SWB Fleetside Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Posts: 403	what was in the old 442 cutlass's? in the early 70's? 4 barrel 4 speed dual exhaust? whats 4 speed transmission? joel __________________

03-08-2005, 02:29 PM	#35
Gee_Emm Account Suspended Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 4,002	Found another good link in my favorites that I forgot to put in my other post This one will tell you what cars to look in. http://www.geocities.com/ramairgto72...ARD/TRANS.html

03-08-2005, 03:13 PM	#36
shortymac83 hmm... Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Culver, Indiana Posts: 1,631	they're good transmissions...hell, oldsmobile used them, they must have been good! seriously though, they're about as strong (or weak) as the 700's, and they've got better gearing. They usually have the BOP bolt pattern though, so you'd have to run an adapter or have one with a chevy bellhousing. __________________ 1983 Oldsmobile Delta 88 1967 Chevy C-10 stripper www.fcrperformance.com - wanna go...faster? talk to FCR.

03-08-2005, 10:02 PM	#37
incoma Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 865	I'm going to be running a 200R4 behind my 383 also. Bolts where the 400 bolts, and my driveshaft fit right in. I had to monkey with the gear selector to get it just right. I had a piece of plate welded to the side, and I installed a bolt about 1/4" further forward to get the perfect shift connection. I can even shift it all the way down into D1 with my stock auto column. One thing that makes me wonder about the tranny is that it doesn't have a tailshaft housing. The tailshaft housing is part of the main housing, and I wonder how much of a pain it will be if I have to change out speedo-gears.... I also installed a drain plug in mine. I find those handy. I've got fluid in mine, but haven't driven it yet. I also need to figure out how to get the lockup converter to work... Does anyone here know if it hurts the tranny to not have 12-volt to the lockup converter while driving? I want to get other things tweaked before tackling that guy. Also, did someone mention that the tv cable should be adjusted using vaccum? I'm still curious about how to get it properly adjusted. The guy I bought mine from said that it's just like adjusting the kickdown on a T350 / T400. You can feel it pull the valve open...just curious. I paid $700 for mine from a guy in Illinois. That included all the kevlar stuff and hi-perf insides and torque converter.

03-08-2005, 11:20 PM	#38
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	You can adjust it like he told you, but you need to drive straight to a shop and have it adjusted propperly with an oil pressure guage. (not vac) Also, if you go with no lock up, the tranny will slip too much in overdrive. This will create too much heat and kill it.

03-09-2005, 05:18 PM	#39
shifty Questionable Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 13,376	You might find this article interesting (I'm just find all kinds of crap today!!) Getting the Best TV Cable Signal Easy Fix to Get 700-R4 and 200-R4 GM AOD Tranmissions Shifting Right: http://www.classictrucksweb.com/tech...ble/index.html __________________ If I've got anything up for grabs, it'll be here: 7-hole gauge cluster for a 67-72 p/u FREE (link) I can't check the forum daily. If I don't reply to you within 24 hours, drop me a PM! I'm (hopefully) still alive and will reply faster to a PM.

03-09-2005, 09:13 PM	#40
incoma Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 865	Longhorn Man - So the tranny will try to shift into overdrive without the 12 volt hooked up? I see alot of kits that cut the power to the tranny when the brake is applied, or when towing. Do you also have an opinion on those kits? Thanks. And thanks for the link Shifty!!



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03-10-2005, 01:29 AM	#41
71Longbed Not Mine But A beauty Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southern CaL Posts: 368	ive also heard direct bolt in cept for the tv cable and also if you pick one out of the junkyard and its not from a grand national it cant handle as much horses so i would make sure your tranny shop builds it to withstand the horses you want __________________ 68 Chevy Shortbed 454/400 2000 Chevrolet Camaro SS 6spd 2011 Silverado 5.3 6spd auto

03-10-2005, 06:06 AM	#42
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Coma...I can't say anything about these kits. I will say however, that the lock up converter needs to disenguage as soon as you hit the brakes, otherwise it will stall the engine and can damage the tranny/converter.

04-09-2005, 01:06 PM	#43
incoma Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 865	One last question for the 200 tranny - will it shift into a gear without the tv cable hooked up? I got my engine running the other day, fluid levels look dead on, and the tranny won't go into reverse, drive, or anything. The linkage is right on, and it feels like I'm dropping it into gear correctly - just nothing's catching. I put it in all gears, got the engine up to temp, and the fluid is still ok...do I just have a bum transmission?

04-09-2005, 02:02 PM	#44
nevada70chev Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: reno, nv Posts: 646	good food for thought, i got a th350 now. i have been considering a new tranny, what would a 200 4r cost to rebuild? plus all the other parts to get it installed? thanks. __________________ 70 LWB, 350/350 A/C, P/S, 3 Tone Paint (white cap, primer gray with black guide coat)

04-09-2005, 03:41 PM	#45
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	Incoma, the TV cable is attached to a valve that controls fluid pressure in the valve body. If it is not hooked up or is adjusted improperly it will allow too much fluid pressure to bypass the valvebody either not letting it go into gear or making it slip. If your cable is not hooked up, the valve may be wide open bypassing your fluid pressure. I would hook the TV up before you fire it up and run it for any length of time. If the fluid is bypassing then it is not getting to the rotating parts that use fluid for lubrication; and it will burn up quick, even without driving it. Just my $.02 Last edited by screamin_c102; 04-09-2005 at 03:43 PM.

04-09-2005, 03:57 PM	#46
incoma Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 865	Thanks screamin_c10. That's what I was looking for. So it sounds to me that I may have screwed up the transmission by not having the tv cable connected while I was tuning the engine... I'll attach it in a few minutes and see if it shifts into gear. I don't want to pull the transmission out if I don't have to. That's a pain the butt.

04-09-2005, 04:07 PM	#47
screamin_c102 Account Suspended Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Yoncalla Oregon Posts: 775	If you sat there an revved the pi$$ out of it then you may have screwed it up, but the pumpwas probably still pushin' a little fluid up in there. Smell your fluid and see if it smells burnt. Don't worry too much about that, but don't repeat the process either. Good luck man, let me know how it turns out. Last edited by screamin_c102; 04-09-2005 at 04:08 PM.

04-09-2005, 04:11 PM	#48
incoma Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 865	I didn't rev it. not more than 1500 rpm - just to get it warmed up so it would idle. I think I've run it about 1 - 1 1/2 hours max. I'm going to go out to the garage now. Thanks again!!

04-09-2005, 06:29 PM	#49
incoma Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 865	Well, its not the tv cable. I set the cable so that it was a bit open at idle, and I'm still not getting anything. I guess this guy's going to come out and the T350 back in.

04-09-2005, 06:41 PM	#50
61corv Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Location: nebraska -but missing texas! Posts: 30	a very good site.... www.700r4.com , has awesome info and how to's. hope this helps. check on which years are the best to use, this is works for 700r4s too, . it does make a difference. __________________ 69 swb, slammed, shaved and never finished.

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