I'm thinking about going the easy way out and putting an automatic in the modified. I am not a Chevy guy and don't know the interchangability or pros and cons of th350's and 700r4's. I'm running a '64 Chevy 194 inline 6 with a banjo rear end. I have two choices of banjo gears, 4:11 and 3:55 (of course). I'm running 8.15's on the back. Teach me about these trannys please. Sizes? Mounting? Performance? Durability? Interchangeability? Compatibility with the L6? What flexplate etc. will I need????? Thanks guys!!!
the 350 is probably the easy way to go, they cost less, weigh less, don't require an accurate throttle cable connection (but they do use a kickdown cable), shift nicer, and do not have overdrive. 700 gives you overdrive, which may not be real helpful with the small engine, although with the 4.11s it might work out ok. either trans should bolt up to the engine without any trouble, use a normal Chevy flexplate, probably the 153 tooth would match the engine more easily, using the long/short bolt starter. If you go with the 700 make sure you get the throttle cable working properly, it's critical for proper shifting and tranny life!
I have a friend that swears by the 700R4. He has two vehicles with them. Allows you to run a lower rear gear for acceleration & still get good gas mileage &/or top end. Whats not to like? Does depend on if you know someone who knows how to build them. ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver" Remember 1/2 of the population is below average.
have some one build it right and the 700r4 will work. But get the cable right or else! The kick down wont work right so u start frying the transmission, just dumpin fuel in the motor with out the rpms, and etc etc. I had one built bad in my truck and i fried clutchs in it because of the cable. And since it was built like shit in the first place and i didn't know it. the front pump seal went out causing fluid to go into the plastic rock guard which in turn fell out on my headers and caused everything to catch on fire. So....get everything built right and adjusted in that 700 and it'll last from what i've heard!
The 200 4R is a lighter weight transmission in a smaller package that gives you the advantage of the overdrive. Overall length is the same as a short case 350. If you locate one with 10 mounting holes it's drilled for both Chevrolet and BOP engines. Everthing said above about the throttle valve cable (TV) applies to this transmission also. Despite all of the dire warnings it's not all that complicated. You just need to make sure that you get the correct amount of travel and that the cable bottoms out at the same place as the throttle. Don't let anyone talk you in to changing the TV cable travel as a means of changing the shift points.
That site answered alot of questions.Didnt know 700r4's had a steeper first gear set. Fantastic link Moparsled, thanks for sharing it!!
Kirk, a 200R4 is the best for you vs 700R4. The 200R4 is smaller, plenty strong, and has the OD. Run a 3.73 or so rear gear. The 700R4 is overkill for your application, it is quite big and heavy. The 350 is the easy solution, the 200R4 only slightly more difficult, and then 700R4 is about the same as 200R4.
kirk in my opinion the 350 is the easiest i have one in my r/pu with 3 97's hooked up no problem buy one from the guy that always sells trannys at pleasanton or from summit dont buy a used piece of junk from craigslist get the warranteed rebuild from a reputable source for the extra $200 bucks its worth it
OK, another question. Do you have to hook up a kickdown for a th350 or can it just manually be down shifted? What about with a manual/automatic setup?
You don't have to hook up the kickdown cable on a 350, but it's a good idea to do so, especially with a small engine that needs all the help it can get. You can downshift manually if you want. I'm not sure what you mean about a manual/automatic setup.
ahhh...they're all automatic/manual, but there are also full manual valve bodies, recommended mostly just for racing use.
The Jalopy Journal
