200R4 transmission swap

skylarker

Member
i have been reading up on this swap and have not yet seen any mention of the speedo cable or the gear indicator on 1960's vintage cars. anybody know anything about either subject?

thanks
 
2004R for Powerglide

I swapped a 2004R for the Powerglide in my 68 Skylark Ragtop. The speedo cable screwed right on. You just need to be sure the 2004R has the correct internal spedo drive gears for your wheel/tire size and rearend gears. The shift rod bracket from the glide went right on the shifter stud of the 2004R. Use the nut from the 2004R. Its metric. The glide is SAE. The gear selector indicator on the column will need modification to account for the additional gear.
 
thanks

thank you for your reply. did you modify the gear selector on the column and if so, how? also, did you use a lock up or non lock up set up. and lastly, how do you like the transmission?
 
2004R Transmission swap

I,ve not driven it yet. The trans is a PATC Raptor with a 2000 rpm stall speed lock up converter. I put 3.43:1 rear gears and an Auburn posi in the axle. In retrospect I think I should have gone deeper. 3.73s or 3.90s. I have driven a Grand National with a 2004R and 3.43s and it ran pretty well, so we'll see. Right now the 350 is out being rebuilt and modified. Cam, big valves, intake, Q-J etc. I've also got some body work to do which should keep me occupied until fall. I tried to reply to this earlier but I think I did it wrong, so if this a duplicate please excuse me.

Regards
 
Thinking of same swap.

My 69 CA GS with 455 and TH400 has a 3.90 HD Safe-T-Track in the rear and that 3 speed auto really piles on the RPMs at highway speeds, unknown RPMS, the tach arrives this week, but had this 200-4R I pulled from an old caddy sitting on the shelf for years and thought would be great to drop some R's and save some gas on the highway, let alone more top end...
Looked into getting the Trans-Go kit for pump and valve body, new converter, lost the old one, and a kit for the lock up so it locks in 4th, generic kit on eBay for around $50 I think it was, new lock-up solenoid and some other items, then since the TH400 is from a Centurion in there, need a longer driveshaft, of which I am hoping there is still one in my garage from a cutty, so having the shaft and trany, out of pocket costs for upgrade would be just over $300 with fluid. Not too bad I think..

Just rebuilt entire front suspension, all Moog except for Energy Suspension bushings and sway bar kit, used the 5400 springs, picked up a B4B and some Polston tall black valve covers, and recently added some 2" primary TA headers, prob do cam and work on oil pump when install intake and plug A.I.R. ports.

But the 200-4R would be great addition if beefed up a little, or if you can find those 3 letter coded tranies that were built better, this caddy had 80k on her, trany been on the shelf in garage nearly 20 years now, rolling dice not going through her all the way, but work has been slow, might wait until it picks up and do it right, but if I do have to pull it, at least not a FWD... :D
 
Looked into getting the Trans-Go kit for pump and valve body, new converter, lost the old one, and a kit for the lock up so it locks in 4th, generic kit on eBay for around $50 I think it was, new lock-up solenoid and some other items, then since the TH400 is from a Centurion in there, need a longer driveshaft, of which I am hoping there is still one in my garage from a cutty, so having the shaft and trany, out of pocket costs for upgrade would be just over $300 with fluid. Not too bad I think..



But the 200-4R would be great addition if beefed up a little, or if you can find those 3 letter coded tranies that were built better, this caddy had 80k on her, trans been on the shelf in garage nearly 20 years now, rolling dice not going through her all the way, but work has been slow, might wait until it picks up and do it right, but if I do have to pull it, at least not a FWD... :D

Don't "roll the dice".
Make sure you have an AA code trans from the Cadillac.
IMAG2650_zpsym3wgngz.jpg

will have this on the vb
IMAG4026.jpg
Get the internal pressures up with a .500 boost valve, a larger re/boost valve, and the 700 spring for the pump.
http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/TH700R4_TV_boost_valve_500_diameter_p/350-00035333a.htm
http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/700R4_Reverse_Boost_Valve_p/400-00k77898a.htm
http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com...Pressure_regulator_spring_p/400-007791708.htm
allow it to get the pressures up with the tv cable spring for the VB.
http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/700R4_TV_Plunger_Spring_1982_86_p/400-07796801k.htm
I would put in a new stator support before you put the trans in. This does require pulling out the pump. but is easier than pulling the trans back out and then pulling the pump if the splines aren't good on the one in the trans.
http://www.transmissionpartsusa.com/2004R_Hardened_stator_support_shaft_p/360-000036766.htm

plenty of places to get these parts from. I have bought from these people before with good results but i have bought from others as well.
 
Wow, almost 4 years later hahaha!!!! But... Have a few questions about this post. To switch over from Powerglide to either a 700r4 or 2004r, is there any modifications to the housing and the driveshaft? Also, what mods for the tree? Anyone sell kits like B&M, Hurst? Thanks all

Sorry, have a 62 Electra with 401 Nailhead
 
I did this to a '68 Skylark about 2 years ago. Pretty straight forward. Overall the Turbine 300 (Buick Power Glide) and the 2004R are the same length. So the drive shaft length doesn't change. The transmission tail shaft mount pad on 2004R and the THM400 are the same distance aft of the engine. So in my case, since my Skylark 350 had a Turbine 300, I had to move the transmission cross member rearward to the THM400 position. The holes were already there in the frame since THM400's came behind big blocks in GM A-Body cars. The shift linkage and the speedo hooked right up. There is plenty of shift lever travel but the indicator is a little bit off for gears below drive. I had to make transmission cooler lines since I couldn't find any stock lines that would match up. You will need a TV cable and a stud on your carburetor throttle plate linkage to hook it to as well as a bracket to secure the carburetor end of the cable sheath. I run an 840 Q-Jet that came with the stud and got the bracket from Summit Racing. The TV cable came from PATC-Performance Automotive. If you decide to run a lock-up converter, and I would, you will need to modify the transmission valve body controls with a kit from TCI. The part number is TCI 376600. You will also have to add a 4 terminal brake light switch. One set of terminals is normally closed for the brake lights and the other is normally open for the torque converter clutch. When you hit the brakes the switch goes to the open position and drops out the converter clutch. Painless Performance part number 80176. In the TCI kit you also get a vacuum switch that won't let the converter lock-up unless the manifold vacuum is high. The TCI kit also limits converter lock-up to 4th gear. Be aware, the 2004R is a close ratio overdrive transmission. 1st gear is is not real deep like a 700R4, so deeper rear gears are necessary. I used 3.43:1's but probably should have gone deeper like 3.64's or 3.73's. At .75 over that's 2.80 effective final drive ratio so gas mileage should not be too bad even with 3.73's. The other thing you should do is get rid of the 2 piece rubber damped drive shaft and replace it with a single piece unit. I've been pleased with my conversion. It took a little fiddling with the vacuum switch to keep the converter clutch from hunting but after getting it tuned in (its adjustable) it has been great.
Hope this helps.
Jim
 
I did this to a '68 Skylark about 2 years ago. Pretty straight forward. Overall the Turbine 300 (Buick Power Glide) and the 2004R are the same length. So the drive shaft length doesn't change. The transmission tail shaft mount pad on 2004R and the THM400 are the same distance aft of the engine. So in my case, since my Skylark 350 had a Turbine 300, I had to move the transmission cross member rearward to the THM400 position. The holes were already there in the frame since THM400's came behind big blocks in GM A-Body cars. The shift linkage and the speedo hooked right up. There is plenty of shift lever travel but the indicator is a little bit off for gears below drive. I had to make transmission cooler lines since I couldn't find any stock lines that would match up. You will need a TV cable and a stud on your carburetor throttle plate linkage to hook it to as well as a bracket to secure the carburetor end of the cable sheath. I run an 840 Q-Jet that came with the stud and got the bracket from Summit Racing. The TV cable came from PATC-Performance Automotive. If you decide to run a lock-up converter, and I would, you will need to modify the transmission valve body controls with a kit from TCI. The part number is TCI 376600. You will also have to add a 4 terminal brake light switch. One set of terminals is normally closed for the brake lights and the other is normally open for the torque converter clutch. When you hit the brakes the switch goes to the open position and drops out the converter clutch. Painless Performance part number 80176. In the TCI kit you also get a vacuum switch that won't let the converter lock-up unless the manifold vacuum is high. The TCI kit also limits converter lock-up to 4th gear. Be aware, the 2004R is a close ratio overdrive transmission. 1st gear is is not real deep like a 700R4, so deeper rear gears are necessary. I used 3.43:1's but probably should have gone deeper like 3.64's or 3.73's. At .75 over that's 2.80 effective final drive ratio so gas mileage should not be too bad even with 3.73's. The other thing you should do is get rid of the 2 piece rubber damped drive shaft and replace it with a single piece unit. I've been pleased with my conversion. It took a little fiddling with the vacuum switch to keep the converter clutch from hunting but after getting it tuned in (its adjustable) it has been great.
Hope this helps.
Jim
Thanks Jim, very informative. Thanks for the part numbers. Will be very useful.
 
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