Transmission Upgrade

TH350 - 200-4R

In my quest for better mileage - I did some research and (despite many different stories) eventually decided on a  200-4r from a late 80's buick. I found one pre-inspected with a TC for $185 :)

WHY I did NOT choose a 700-r4..!! When the drum/shaft goes on a 700 unit, the trans is gone. If the same happens on a  200 - just the front part is gone. The 700 has  HUGE gap between 1st and 2nd gear.. another "not good". The 700 weighs MORE and costs +- 50hp more to engage! NOT going to work for my goals. PLUS - the 200 was a direct swap into my camaro (swap notes below). The 700 is longer and would require driveshaft shortening which also means re-balancing(!). No thanks.


TH350 removal:

You can do this with basic knowledge. Nothing will jump at you and be impossible to put back. This is a basic unbolt / redo procedure.
*** Follow all safety procedures / use 4 jacks under car / engage (working handbrake when jacking up)! Stand the nose of the car higher than the rear - when u remove/install the torque converter is loose and can not only slip out of its location but off and be a pain in the butt or cause serious injury. They are VERY heavy!

DISCONNECT BOTH BATTERY LEADS!

• Drain oil (overnight?), not a must. I didn't ..
• Mark drive shaft to coupler, undo 4 rear bolts, slide out & place out of the way. (watch for oil from trans here)
• I didn't but would recommend removing exhaust pipes if its not too much of a hitch. I managed ok - and only had a single exhaust.
• Remove bracket on cat converter (if its there)
• Remove plastic tc cover - 4 bolts
• Remove dizzy cap (as engine drops the cap could crack against body - and u will cry)
• Gently remove the kickdown cable from the carb and gently thread it down between the trans and engine till it can be lowered and not catch on anything
• My TH350 had an additional vacuum line attached to my carb - this was harder to get ready for dropping but not too bad - just be gentle.
• On driver side underneath disengage linkage and speedo cable. Disconnect anything else there.
• On passenger side - remove the 2 coolant lines from the trans - mark top/bottom (or fwd/aft). If u havent removed the exhaust like me u will struggle to get those off without damaging them. When U drop the trans go SLOW till u can get in there with a wrench. The lines can take a lot of (virgin) bending - just dont go wild and drop it to the floor etc..
  TIP: For all brake / oil related lines, I use a pipe wrench to get the first turn (esp a med or smaller one). I have previously stripped countless heads with spanners. A pipe wrench will do MINIMAL damage and usually get these loose on your first try.. If not, heat the nut for about 30-45 secs with a torch gun (cooking ones are fine) - hot metal comes off MUCH easier than cold steel :). Oil will leak out here so be ready to catch it (if u didnt drain yr trans)! Keep yr work place clean!
• My cross member had 2 bolts on either side though the chassis. Quite easy to remove. Wrench on top and a long socket underneath. Unbolt it from the rubber mount in the center. 
• The TC bolts to the flex plate with 3 bolts and they are accessible from the bottom. I managed fine by turning the engine by hand (in neutral) with gloves using the flex plate. To get the bolts loose I use a wrench and a hammer. A good thwack is a great way to loosen these - just make sure u dont hit anything, including yourself. These bolts are not special (as has been mentioned) - I found longer ones (high tensile only!!) at a local hardware store.. why? because there is a tc to flex plate clearance spec here which you can only gauge during re-assembly.
• Now jack the trans up a notch till its off the cross member, keep going up will you can get the cross member out. Its tight but will come out - MAKE SURE YOU KEEP THE TRANS SUPPORTED!
• Now the trans is basically attached to the motor and on your jack :) The TH350 and hydra matics have a nice flat bottom and balance VERY well on a jack compared to rounded cases - believe me!
• Undo the bolts on the engine (9/16?) - i think there are 4 or 5 of them. I did not touch the starter :) I usually watch the space grow as I undo the final bolt - this way u know u dont have a sticking trans that needs some light persuasion :)
• When that is out you now carefully drop the trans with the jack till it disengages from the engine. Pref have a friend ready here. I managed alone (removal and re-installation) but its way easier having a (pref trained) extra hand :)
• Make sure you have ALL the lines / cable disconnected before dropping it all the way and no cable is hooking / getting damaged - use a torch if you arent sure. Gently lower the trans and tc to the floor - make sure the tc doesn't slide off! its SUPER heavy and filled with a heck of a lot of oil! Once the its all on the ground - quickly pull the TC off and tilt the trans facing section up to keep the oil from spilling (even if u drained the trans, the tc will have plenty of oil!).. 

Your trans is off - you are quite amazed and google at the new pieces of weird hardware and go "WOW!! -beer time!".

Now is time to collect all the bolts and tings that fell and try remember them. Place them in small clear zip bags. Clean them with engine cleaner / soft metal brush to remove gunk / debris / oil and slightly lube them with some WD40 or some of that (clean) trans oil on the floor ;)

The cross member will not fit (u can use a TH400 OR weld yours like I did mine)

the TC will also not fit

You might as well replace the rubber mount - they are $8 and not worth skipping. This can be done quite easily though without removing anything later if yours is ok for now. Note than many ppl have had vibration issues because of these pesky mounts - keep them fresh :)

200-4R INSTALL::

Pre-install check (assuming the trans is ok - I took a chance and was fine)
Make sure the trans is clean!
Make sure your coolant threads / connectors / dipstick rubber and all things are good/working! Last thing you want is to be 80% in and realize a thread is stripped!
Make sure the spline on the front is good.
The front haft has a small amount of play and kind of clicks - this is ok


A 200-4R:



Make sure you have a lot of oil in your TC - no matter how much you take out (or put in), just about every time you tilt it 90 degrees, oil will keep coming out and keep coming out and.. ok - u get it. If its new - pour in the specified amount. Mine was quite full and didnt bother. Since the oil was super clean I was convinced it would be ok for the first few runs and not run dry.

SO - ready to rumble??

2 ways observed to install TC: 1:place trans (with tc slipped on to keep oil in!!) on tail, turn tc till u hear 3 clicks OR place trans in operational level, slip tc on and do it by hand (i did it this way) - u will not have space for your fingers when its right (ok, thats not helpful I know - its just one of those things). There is a clearance spec for the TC to flexplate just before you bolt the two back together.If u didnt get the TC in all the way you wont get the trans right against the engine AND/OR it wont spin freely before bolting it to the flex plate AND/OR the space will be too little in which case you can go back and fix that (which wont be fun, but @ least you wont fry yr TC :) - undo bolts - drop trans and check TC.

• Place trans balanced on jack in centre lines up for attaching to engine
• When its lined up - quickly slip on TC and keep turnig till its seated far back
• Once TC is all the way in and ur convinced uve figured out the finger spacing thing
• Go in stages and lift the trans carefully  till u can connect the PIA vac line that goes in right on top of the trans - this is near impossible to get in later! Everything else is not too hard except maybe the coolant lines
• Slowly line up the trans to the motor (feed the TV cable thru carefully now as well, and anything else) - ** keep an eye on that TC - it shouldnt budge at all, u want it to stay as far back as it can so no jerking, use slow methodical movements to keep it seated back (this is why the nose of the car is jacked higher, so yr approach angle keeps it in place)
• Once you have the trans on the engine - pop in the trans 2 engine bolts, as you tighten them make sure you can always spin the TC - if at any point it gets stuck - stop immediately, undo it and check yr TC. This is not hard - I managed first time I ever tried, just be careful.
• If the Trans is flush and bolted up flat and your TC is still spinning your good to go - well almost.
• TC SHOWDOWN: with the trans bolted in firmly - rotate the flexplate till one of the raised flanges line up with the TC: (pics courtesy of the net) - that gap there is the clearance previously measured. Too tight - and u risk trans damage from crank float - too much and you could disengage the pump and or strip it.. if yours is too much like mine -  what to do???

• WASHERS! Measure your gap and then do some research as to what it should be. Mine was about 6mm and I wanted it around 3mm (1/8th). Don't just buy any 3 washers - get a digital micrometer and get 3 identically thick washers - i marked mine in the store to make sure they wouldnt get messed up. Also - get the same bolt specs you took out (keep yr originals) - high tensile but one length longer, and while ur at it, some medium strength thread locker :)

• Place the washer(s - some ppl need 2 or 3, 1 was fine for me) between the TC and flex plate, apply some thread locker and screw the bolt nut in lightly seated and back a 1/2 turn (a bit loose)
• breathe, grip and rotate engine till the 2nd one comes round, repeat. I allow for the cylinder pressure to bleed of when things get tight :) Im no chuck norris. Some ppl use the started but this is dangerous and impossible to get right.
• Once all 3 are in and u are happy they go in fine - tighten them up. I tightened my 1st two - and the 3rd wouldn't go in!! For fear of stripping I had to turn it back, undo and redo a few times. This way saves u the hassle! u can actually get a socket in on the driver side, I found this out after doing most of it in the center..
• Once the flexplate is in - u are happy with the clearance, connect all the bits u took of before.
• Now for the crossmember(!!) I carefully grinded the tang off the crossmember for the TH350 (u weld it on backwards facing and its a near perfect fit). leave as much metal on the tang as u possibly can - else it will be too short. I actually grinded off the welding and still had a 2mm gap to weld up on one place. Weld the top part first and then the sides (this is where I had the small gaps)
• Install the crossmember under the trans and lay it in position - SCREW IN 1 bolt on either side of the x - member to line it up perfectly with the 4 holes on the sides(!!!) before u mark the tang
• Now jack the trans up as far as it would go - just starting to take weight.
• I then took the loose tang, and positioned it to where it needed to be welded UNDER THE RUBBER MOUNT BOLT. I left 1mm between the 2. If u weld it too high u wont get the X member in under the trans period - leave some space. So weld it where u can just get the trans mount pin over the tang to drop back in thru the hole. U will see what I mean when u are there. Try and place the gap in the centre, Mine was a bit tight and I had to hog out about 2mm of the mount to get the trans to drop completely.
• Mark tang VERY clearly - remove X member and weld the two together. Mine welded in perfect and I managed to get the trans in nice and snug.
• Your trans is in - your clearances are checked and everything is in (now feed the dip stick down and make sure it sits snug in the trans). I ran the motor a few times waiting for the oil to circulate checking the level all the time..
• Before you drive - MAKE sure you follow the correct TV installation for your car - this is crucial - VERY easy but just important. 
• OIL LEVEL:  Initially my oil level was a little over. After a few runs of the motor it vanished!! It was running out of the TC when I installed it (quick flip into trans helps!). Check it with ENGINE RUNNING. Yes - the TC will chomp oil until its finally right. Keep checking this till u get a constant level :)
• I havent yet - but checking your trans with a vacuum gauge is the best way to make sure its working right - fish around.. the numbers are out there..

LINKAGE ISSUE/FIX::

The 200 has an extra gear - or "click" as you like. My linkaged topped and bottomed out fine on the TH350 but did not have enough bottom travel on the 200 - I could not get to low 1st (manually). This is fine if you let the trans do the shifting - D is in the same position as before.. However - I wanted to have a full working ride with an option to shift manually- WHAT TO DO???

Before you jump in - MAKE SURE your shifter is not allowing you FULL range gearing.. "FRANMAN, HOW DO I VERIFY THIS?"... I pull out the pin holding the linkage into the trans (see the nail in the pic below) - this makes removal / testing easy. The P positions shouldnt give u hassles, its the lowest(column) or farthest back (floor) one.. 

Shifter in "P" (i think)

With the shifter in P - gently slip the "L" shaped lever above out - make SURE you dont shift the U arm on the trans. With it removed - now try and move the U arm (in the right direction!). It should be all the way at the end position - if it clicks once before locking - u are 1 position away (in R instead of P - HIGHLY UNLIKELY) and need to adjust the locking nut that comes down from the top (column shift) and slide it till the last gear on the trans lines up with the linkage - you want your trans at the END position AND the shift lever in P without anything HALF there..
MOST LIKELY
Now do this for the other end.. Reconnect the L arm, shift the lever ALL the way down, crawl back under and gently slip out the L lever from the U joint - (this is where I had an extra click on the trans b4 hitting the last position) indicating I was "out of reach" of my L1..


HERE IS WHAT I DID::

• I removed the lower horizontal link by undoing the lock nut (note approximate depth) and sliding out the cross arm (pic below)..
• I cut out about 5mm (the thickness of a GRINDING disc) of the lever arm (see pic) and re-welded it
• This would give the same travel on the shifter lever but MORE travel on the trans which is exactly what we wanted.
• It worked perfectly - I could now count the same amount of lever clicks with everything connected as i did on the trans with the linkage off/by hand.
• YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE you havent left the trans in a "almost there position" as a result of column lever travel limit - to test your new creation - just follow the procedure above. Shift to both end positions (P and L1) - gently remove the L lever - grab the U bolt and make sure the trans is in a perfect set position (ie not between gears)  - u have now sorted this one out - congrats!

Now if ever there was a good ol tutorial! Im rather chuffed :)

I hope this was informative and hands on - I might have missed something specific for your car / setup but it worked for me.