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200r question

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  tnsmith10 
#1 ·
hey i was curious if i put a 200r4 in my el camino if it would be a plug and play kind of thing its mated to a 350 but i just wanted to make sure the wiring would be the same before i bought it
also is there anything i should keep in mind (sorry kind of new to this game)
or if there would be a better trans you would recommend for a mild street strip build (i also have a turbo 400) thanks for your help
 
#2 ·
Tranny

the 400 is a better tranny if your looking to beat on it, but the th350 is fine for normal stuff and a hammer now and then. the 200r is a direct fit and same d-shaft most likely. u gotta make sure u use a lock up converter.. the th350 converter WILL NOT WORK. if u want to use the o/d on the 200r u can just install a sw to lock it in.. or u don't do anything and it'll work just like the th350, 3sp only. the sw is fine as long as u don't forget to turn it off, for u will be starting out in o/d at that traffic lite. u can get kits that will tie into your brake sw to do this for u.... i did the same change as your doing on my first bucket.. BUT, little did i know the brand spank'n new converter i got was for a 350... 2 days of trying to figure out why and a call to the parts company...Oops we sent u the wrong converter.. well tks...
 
#3 ·
thanks alot so what it sounds like you would still just recommend the turbo 400 if i plan on beating on it and the 200 from what i hear is pretty good for like cruisin with a little higher gear? (like i said a little new to all the trans stuff) thanks for the advice though
 
#4 ·
It all depends on whats in front or behind it. Its kinda silly to give you a transmission recommendation without knowing what your power goals are, what kind of motor you have in front of it, what your rear axle is and what you intend to do with the car/truck

the Grand National guys will tell you a 200-4r can take an immense beating if its prepped for it. The 200-4 is my favorite GM OD trans. Its simple, it can be built to handle healthy power, its the size of a short tailshaft TH350 3spd automatic and it has a nice close 1-2 shift and the 1st gear is a 2.57 which is great for 4.10s and pretty good for the 3.73s and 3.55s and its okay for 3.23s...all with a .70 overdrive.

Yes its a bit more specialized to build; and a little higher initial investment, but if you have a short TH350, you can recoup some $ because you don't have to change the driveshaft length, you shouldn't have to change the crossmember, you can keep the 3.55s, 3.73 or 4.10:1 rear gears, and make it comfortable on the street. Also, you don't need some computer box to run the thing either.

Just my long-winded $.02
 
#6 ·
delawarebill said:
the 400 is a better tranny if your looking to beat on it, but the th350 is fine for normal stuff and a hammer now and then. the 200r is a direct fit and same d-shaft most likely. u gotta make sure u use a lock up converter.. the th350 converter WILL NOT WORK. if u want to use the o/d on the 200r u can just install a sw to lock it in.. or u don't do anything and it'll work just like the th350, 3sp only. the sw is fine as long as u don't forget to turn it off, for u will be starting out in o/d at that traffic lite. u can get kits that will tie into your brake sw to do this for u.... i did the same change as your doing on my first bucket.. BUT, little did i know the brand spank'n new converter i got was for a 350... 2 days of trying to figure out why and a call to the parts company...Oops we sent u the wrong converter.. well tks...
this info is incorrect. the electrical is for the torque converter clutch application ONLY. it has nothing to do with overdrive.
as far as the converter goes, they do not interchange. 200-4r must be 200-4r or metric 200, or a early 700r4 (27 spline) converter.
the 350 has a different spline input shaft and stator than the 200-4r.

to the OP, the 200-4r is a good tranny but in stock form, unless it came out of a grand national, isnt typically strong enough to last behind a whole lot of hp.
if the car isnt going to be driven on the freeway much or at all, then id say your best bet would be to throw a th350 or the 400 you have in.
just know that if you throw the 400 in, that you will need another drive shaft yoke, and obtain a kick down switch that attaches to the carb so the trans will have passing gear.
more than likely, it will also need to have the cross member relocated to properly support the back of the th400.
one last question, what year is your elcamino? some of these came with a 200-4r from the factory and you mentioned something about making sure the wiring is the same. what trans did the elcamino have in it?
 
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