What do I need to put my 200-r in my car in place of the turbo 350

Here's the deal: 1953 Chevy, internally stock 1978 350 Chevy V-8 and Turbo 350 trans, 3.42 rear end. No surprise: I'm spinning 3200 rpm at 70 on the highway.

I was planning to put a 2.73 rear end in the car, which SHOULD have been cheap and easy. But salvage yards around me no longer have parts for anything more than about 10 years old. (I THINK a G-body rear end would replace the S-10 4x4 rear nicely, but can't find any. Even 2nd-gen Camaro rears, which are a bit wider, I can't find in decent shape for a reasonable price. Spent months scanning Craigslist with no luck. Found a couple out of town for $350 or so. Hate the idea of driving an hour or two to pay that much for a part that in my mind should be maybe $200!)

I also have a 200r transmission and converter sitting on the floor of my garage, traded for it a while back. It may or may not be good, so I'd be looking at a rebuild before installing it (local estimate = $900 with converter).

So I am mulling over and over if I want to spend a few hundred bucks to swap out the rear end OR spend a few hundred more and swap out the transmission instead. The rear end swap would be easier and cheaper and current my trans is fine and has less than 75,000 miles on it, but the overdrive transmission is just sitting right there mocking me.

What I really need to know is: what else would I need to change over in order to put that 200r transmission in my car? Shifter?? Linkages?? Or can my shifter and linkage be modified to work? Is the driveshaft yoke the same? Transmission cooler lines?

I don't have much free time these days so I want to really think it through and have everything lined up before I launch into any more projects.

Wild card thought that just occurred to me: can I put 2.73 gears into the carrier of the 3.42 S-10 rear end? If so, how much might that cost me??

 

First off 3200 @ 70 is perfect. Well maybe not for you.

You should be able to make your shifter work alright. I don't know what you have but it should be workable with little modification.

Ypur trans mount may not in a different place so be ready for that as well as you are going to need a different length drive shaft.

 

I know the rear transmission mount is a little farther back on the 200-4R. Are you sure your speedo isn't off, because I ran the same setup and at 65 was turning about 2700 tops? I would think you could modify whatever linkage you are using now if it works with the TH350. The S-10 rear end is different than the old 8.5 GM so it's a no-go on the gear swap.

 

The transmission crossmember/mount would be the biggest issue, also you need to replace the th350 detent cable with a 200-4R throttle valve cable. This cable needs to be set up and adjusted just right...there is no vacuum modulator on the 200, it's cable controlled.

Did you shop for gears for the rearend you have in it now? Getting new gears installed by a shop would cost less than getting the new trans rebuilt

 

I have a couple of 350 transmissions in the back room. You can borrow one to compare to the 200r and take some measurements. I would like to know myself what you will need to change.

Of course that would mean you would have to stop by for a visit. I plan to be around but I will gone late next week to run the Studebaker on the Ohio mile.

John

 

3200 at 70 is way high IMHO. Swap in the 200r, you'll never regret it. It's an easy swap. You can monkey your linkage to work, like squirrl said about the cable. Make sure you can hook one up to your carb linkage. If not you can fab something. There is a thread on it. ****** mount will need to be modded, not a big deal. Cooling lines good, drive shaft will need to be shortened a tad. That's about it.
I'm running 2000rpm at 75mph..............

 

I would think a 3:42 and a 200 4R would perfect for highway and give a good quick take off. Your 350 selector in Dr should work for the 200 4 r in OD. Very doable change over. as someone else said your rpm seems high. My coupe with 2:76 gears and a 350 turbo turns about 2350. But is slow to respond unless you down shift for p***ing.

 

th200 takes the same yoke as a th350 and takes the same length drive shaft. The trans mount is close to the same location as a th400 which is farther back than a th350 (about 6" comes to mind). Trans cooler line fittings are slightly farther back but the same as th350. The detent / TV (or kick down cable) controls the line pressure to the th200 so it HAS to be hooked up and adjusted right. run a Trans Go shift kit in it NOT a B&M. They shift way better and it will help it live in the heavier car. put in a good Superior servo in it as well. The 1-2 shift is the sloppiest and needs the most help. There is all kinds of upgrades for these ******s. Just ask a turbo buick guy! You will have a .67 over drive in 4th and a lock up converter as well. There are a couple of ways to hook up the lock up either by speed or vacuum. clear as mud? carry on!

Or just go here and read all about it. http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/49798_th200_4r_transmission_swap/index.html

oh and a th200r4, 3:42 gear and a 26" tall rear tire is a perfect all around set up. Cruises nice and launches nice.

 

Do the trans swap! I love the 200R in my 650 hp Willys. You should be able to flip the trans mount for the 200R to fit - it sits about 1-1/2 inches further back than the TH350. Driveshaft should not need to be modified....

 

drive shaft depends on if you have a long or short tail

 

No kidding. I remember when we used to gear HOT RODS at what we called 2 for 1. 70 MPH was 3500, 60 mph was 3000 - that's what we shot for with HOT ROD motors with real compression and BIG cams. Good acceleration and still reasonable RPM for highway. Once New cars got Overdrive everyone got scared of turning any RPM like overnight!

 

spinning at 3500 on the hwy maybe ok in a built race motor,except for teh gas bill. he has a stock used 350 in a custom. i think that may be a bit much myself. my little truck with well built 289 is at 3200 doing 70 and it totally ****s on a long trip. looking into doing a t5 myself.

i think id swap out to the 200 r myself
talk to gayle at gayles tranmission off 7th in town, hes done a few trans for me lately and knows his stuff. old dude, been doing it for years.

my lifts are tired up, but call me if you need a hand.....

 

I seem to recall that I got tired of the 4.56 gears in my pickup right about the time I got a job 75 miles away. And the speed limit was still 55 on the freeway back then.

 

I can't tell you how to do it in your car......but my 39 has a 28" tall rear tire, 3:70 gear, with a 200r. It gets 25-28 on the highway and will burn the tires off. I have a 2200 (or so stall converter and around 375 HP sbc. I love this set-up! OH BTW, it's built to Buick GRand National specs (extra clutch etc) with the trans go kit

 

A 200 will have an extra gear so you will likely have to modify your shift indicator on the column.

 

Heavier car? A '53 Chevy weighs about the same as a mid-80s Caprice and a 200R4 lived fine in those, except for the one I killed towing all kinds of heavy **** with the car.

The shifter, I can't see any difference in anything I ever have taken apart except the indicator, you might have to play around with the arm that goes to the trans, but you may not. Even the Suburbans I've ripped apart I see no difference in TH400 and 700R4 and there's a lot of difference between those two transmissions. Worst case you go cable with it - that's not hard to rig up with stock parts.

As for the TV cable, I'd rob linkage off a mid-80s Monte Carlo, Caprice or whatever to make it work.

 

I did a 65 Cheby van Yrs ago, installed a Buick V6 and needed better hiway gears. The rear was good and better gears were not available for that rear, so I went with a 2004R. Had no electronics for the converter so I installed a va*** sw on the converter and it would give me a kick down when I floored it. Crusing was a dream, she would run an easy 75mph at just under 2 grand. Iceman

 

I installed a Bowties Overdrive 200 4R in my '68 Camaro with mild 350 V8. Previous owner had a TH350 with 3.08 gears peg leg. Installed a 8.5" with 3.42 posi and at 70mph=2050 rpm, with 225/60x15's. My driving habits are a bit fast, but getting 20-22 mph, only on the freeway. Wish now it was a 3.73 rear. It's important to set the TV cable before driving the car or you will burn up the 200 4R in a few miles. Also, I chose to use BTO's crossmember since the ****** mount is further back. Did not need to modify the driveshaft until I put the '74 Nova SS 8.5" rearend in. Remember it needin to be shortened 3/4", or risk cracking the ****** case.

 

good swap..trans mount is 6 5/8" back from a 350 turbo. drive shaft is the same. flex plate is the same cooling lines will work but you'll have to rearange them the biggest thing is the shift "bung" is not in the same location slips my mind how much it is forward. these overdrives run HOT!! put in a better cooling system!! the TV cable is a big issue........DON'T WALK IN TO AN AVERAGE MECH AND EXPECT HIM TO KNOW HOW TO SET THE TV CABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he'll say some thing stupid like put it to wide open and push the ****on... walk out and find a hot rodder.. all your time and money turned to ****!! if you can't set the TV cable

 

these guys can help with linkage. http://www.shiftworks.com/ conversion is worth it.

 

Isn't the 200 -4R also BOP bell housing only and not Chevy? You will need an adapter plate to Chevy. Hell I have 2 200 4Rs in my garage right now, I would have thought I'd know that for sure. Tomorrow I will..

 

Put one in my 38 Chevy out of an 80's Cadillac Seville. I used the Cadillac Tv cable and a Tv cable bracket off of an 80's full size van that came with the; it mounts to the rear carb mount and all fits like factory. You also need to do something about converter lock-up if the ****** is left stock. I used a B&M adjustable lock-up control.

 

Cadillac is both patterns. Or get one from a Chevy.

 

Actually some are BOP. some are Chevy, and some are both, and after 25 odd years of them being around you never know what you'll find in a donor car outside of whichever case doesn't fit the block in that car.

 

3.42 is the highest gear you would want to run using the 200-4R lockup. My 71 had 3.23's and would not like it at freeway speeds. Went to 3.55's and worked well - 3.73's would be even nicer.

 

Actually, they are all BOP or multi pattern cases.


Someone mentioned the shift positions...
On a column shift , you'll have 2nd ,3rd, and 4th
You might get 1st, if it's sloppy enough...Most do .
If not, file the detent notch...Easy enough ..We ARE hot rodders, aren't we?

 

Okay, so it certainly sounds like the consensus is spend the money to swap in the 200r.
I hadn't thought to ask about the trans mount, but changing that won't bother me in the least.
My shifter is on the floor, out of an old Vega (looks just like '50s Corvette!) and I don't mind modifying the detent plate on that, either.
I do know the length is the same as my long-tailshaft Turbo 350. I do know my trans has the Chevy bolt pattern (maybe both, but it was bolted to a Chevy motor before I got it). And I think I even have the TV cable. I believe this trans came out of a G-body but I could be wrong about that.

Ryno: is Gayle's the shop that sits a block off Main Street, between 8th and 9th street? If so, they rebuilt the Turbo 350 in my '85 Chevy pickup and I was not too thrilled.

 

Actually, my speedometer had me at 3,000, but on the way to Dewey I was using my wife's GPS and found out I wasn't really doing 70 until I hit 3,200-3,300 RPM!

Like Ryno said, this is a bone-stock used late 1970s motor (although with less than 75,000 miles on it, but still...) and I don't think it likes spinning that fast for hours at a time. The donor car had a 2.73 or 2.56 year in it (Impala wagon) and that worked well, but those ratios don't exist for S-10 4x4 and like I said I can't find a rear end from the '80s or '90s around here anyway.

I may have to hold my breath, open my wallet, and boldly step into 1980s technology! Give me another decade or two and I might be looking at fuel injection or something.

 

Yes. Gayles is the one,yellow building.
I've had him do a few or me and he's always been way helpful and fair.
Only guy I know of,especially around here that even knows what a hydramatic out of the cadillacs is,let alone the parts in his storage to rebuild it. He owns like the whole damn block of warehouses around there,loaded with parts.

 

Talk to Danny at A&A AUTO in Independence Mo. they build overdrive transmissions for rodders, racers. $750 out the door, with warranty. phone 816-461-3234