Please talk me into the 700R4. I have been wanting to take the easy way out on my conversion 6cyl to V8 & Powerglide to TH350. Now that I find out I need to beef up the driveline and toss the 40 year old yoke. I 'might as well' think about the 700R4 (which I really want).

Here is my dilemma - the set up. I know ZERO about a TV cable or how to get this tranny to work. I pulled up a thread where DJD links up TV made ez, but even that is a little confusing. I am a motor-guy and NOT a tranny guy. Other than a kickdown cable and a converter swap here and there I am a total Novice.

PLEASE convince me not to waste my time with a TH350.

Oh, and the rear end is a 3.70 posi - 9".

Go to bowtieoverdrive .com. They have all the info and parts you will need for the conversion. I used their cable and bracket and it worked great. I then converted to EFI, so I've got their set-up just sitting in my garage. PM me if you want to go that route.
Good Luck,
Jerry

You have a good rear end gear to take advantage of the overdrive. The 3.73 combined with the low first gear will have you jumping out of the hole and able to cruise all day long. Combined with the locking converter (in an appropriate stall range for your cam) and you will enjoy better economy than had you used a TH350 (it can pay for the installation in a few years depending upon how much you drive and the price of gas).

There really is no good reason aside from racing to go with the TH350. For economy and convenience you can not beat a 700R4 or 200R4, and if you want to row through the gears a 5 or 6 speed is a must. Just remember they are torque limited so keep that in mind if you are thinking of installing a 500+ cid BBC, or a stout SBC with a power adder.


Larger Dave

Is there a choice here? lol
Strick, how many friends and how much knowledge do you need to do this? ANY ? you have you can get an answer right here, from us. all of your friends.
AE2
I have set them up as a teenager. Its alot more simple than you think.

Why not consider a 200 4R? The 200 4R is the same length as a Powerglide and Turbo 350. You will not have to get your driveshaft shortened. You can use your stock crossmember as well. Art Carr http://www.artcarr.com/page/home.acpp
makes these units plenty strong. It is as easy as installing the Turbo 350 plus you will have Overdrive. The answer is a no brainer. Go with the 200 4R.

The only downsize Ive read about on the 200r is if you travel much long distance and have any issue with the 200r, the parts are not as available on the 200r as they are on the 700r. Thats what my tranny builder told me anyway. Just my 2cents. I love that low first gear, what a head slammer :)

I think a 2004R would be a better match with your 3.70 gear. With the 700R4 first gear would be very very short.

My 700r4 turned out to be pos. They dont like big blocks.

My 700r4 turned out to be a pos. They dont like big blocks.

Neither a 200-4R or 700R4 were originally equipped behind a big Block from GM. I don't believe the turbo 350 or Powerglide were either. The Turbo 400 & 4L80E were. That's all I will say on that.

IMHO, As far as the 200-4r Camaros_n_Chevelle's is correct. Jim is also correct in that 200-4R parts are getting very pricey and a 200-4R is now about what a 4L80E will cost. Larger Dave and the others are correct as well. Very good info by all.

A stout 700R4 will cost you less than a stout 200-4r. But a big issue with the 700r4 is the 3.06 first gear ratio which some also refer to as the 1-2 gear spacing. It stinks.

The 200-4R can be built very strong as there are now plenty of Grand National's in the high 9's & low 10's that use a 200-4R. The choice is ultimately yours. But if you have something like a 468 BBC, 572 BBC or anything making insane horse power & torque you may want to go with the baddest & most stout of 200-4R, 700R4 or maybe even a 4L80E. Or as some guys on here will tell you a Turbo 400 with Gear Vendors overdrive unit or US Gear V2OD unit.

Just my 2 cents here---But why not a turbo 400 with the 3:70 gears? I had a well built turbo 400 in front of my 3:73's year's ago. It was fine with my 396. If you have a mild big block or mild small block a 200-4R or 700R4 should be fine. If you go with a 700R4, just try to get a 700R4 that was made post 1987. The early 80's models were prone to failure and that later 1980's models had some internal upgrades from GM.

As far as your throttle valve cable set up, hopefully jakeshoe sees this thread. He's a very knowledgeable trans guy and his comments are always well thought out & well written. same with kustomwerker and many others on here as well.


Good Luck!!

Talley: 4 kinda for 700r4
2 Against
2 say 200 4R

As are as a TH400 goes, I had one in a '74 Vega that I drag raced back in the late 70's (10.86 best E.T.). I had one in my '55. Never broke!

I had a TH350 in my '36 Ford, no issues.

I have always heard how the TH400 robs 15% more hp than the TH350. I would really like to see a test on all the automatics mentioned here in this thread to see if there really is a hp difference.

I actually have a stock TH350 right now I could use, but have a Summit tranny on order that says it is built to handle 450hp. At my altitude-I will not get 450hp to the tranny.

I must comment on the 3.06 first gear (700R4) - it is not a lot different in final ratio than my '55 with 4.10's and TH400 (that I just sold). I can live with a short first gear (for showing off reasons).

See --> once again there is no consensus here. That is why I will probably wind up with a TH350 for a while.

I really REALLY do appreciate all the replies. This is the kinda of feedback and critical thinking I need. Keep them coming if you like!

Thanks!

Watch out... Harley might show up at your doorstep with his toolbox... :yes: Feed him and he'll work on your car for days... :) Feed him artichokes and he might not leave... :p
Is there a choice here? lol
Strick, how many friends and how much knowledge do you need to do this? ANY ? you have you can get an answer right here, from us. all of your friends.
AE2
I have set them up as a teenager. Its alot more simple than you think.

I'm trying to decide to go with a 700 or a 200 myself. I have a 700 just waiting for the car so I think that may be my selection. I have a 3.08 pegleg tho...

Watch out... Harley might show up at your doorstep with his toolbox... :yes: Feed him and he'll work on your car for days... :) Feed him artichokes and he might not leave... :p

....
I'm trying to decide to go with a 700 or a 200 myself. I have a 700 just waiting for the car so I think that may be my selection. I have a 3.08 pegleg tho...

HAHAHAHA!!! LMAO!!! You supply the vittles... no telling what might get done.....I say 1991 700r4. 200-4r's are getting pretty pricey....O/D sure is nice. You know that Strick. Especially in a classic....JM.02

Is there an easy way to tell when a 700R4 was built? I have one sitting on an engine stand waiting to go in my 67.

i have a 700r4 and i do like it...i have a posi 12 bolt with a 3.73...

I have a 700R4 that I built up and has lived happily for a year behind a 500+ horse 406 SBC. I went through three 700R4's in one month behind my 582 BBC putting out nearly 750 Hp NA with another 250 on tap if I need it to fend off those pesky 1.2 liter NOS powered foreign cars. The 582 has 4.56 gears that I drive on the street because I have a 4L80E overdrive tranny that has lived for five years now with that combo. My economy daily driver is the 406 which spins 3.73 rear cogs, so I can hardly tell when it is running, it idles down so low at cruise speeds. Unlike the others that have mentioned fly weight cars both of my drivers are Impala 4 dr sdns at 4,300 pound they are sleds. The 406 runs 12s and the 582 is in the 9s (and those are my street cars).

Larger Dave

O.K. now, the above thread speaks volumes. Larger Dave - what converter on you using with the 406/700R4?

Thanks!

I chose the TCI StreetFighter® part number 243200. But there are newer products available. TCI has not been spending a lot of the money they make on research and development of new products. I have 10.4:1 compression, 234° cam, free flowing exhaust and 3.73:1 rear gears so a 3200 RPM stall works for me on the street were this thing lives.

Larger Dave

Is there an easy way to tell when a 700R4 was built? I have one sitting on an engine stand waiting to go in my 67.

Does anybody know this answer?
I want to know, because I have 2 700's and I never can remember to ask my brother, who's been doing tranny's 40 years.

The transmission’s identification code letters are stamped on the top of pan flange passenger side. 1982-’85 has a two digit code, and 1986-’93 has a three digit code. If the tranny is on the ground, you want to verify it has a thirty spline input shaft instead of the older and weaker twenty seven spline input shaft. The Corvette version is the strongest and is an inch and a half longer than the passenger car version. All of the Corvette parts will go into the passenger car version and there are aftermarket parts that are stronger still.


Larger Dave

Thanks Dave

Why not consider a 200 4R? The 200 4R is the same length as a Powerglide and Turbo 350. You will not have to get your driveshaft shortened. You can use your stock crossmember as well. Art Carr http://www.cpttransmission.com/
makes these units plenty strong. It is as easy as installing the Turbo 350 plus you will have Overdrive. The answer is a no brainer. Go with the 200 4R..