200c to 200r4 swap with a 3.8 v6 tv cable

[PearlRegal84]

Hello I am new to the forum. I just got an 84 Regal with the 231 v6, and the 200c transmission is on its last leg. I was thinking about upgrading to a 200r4. I know that it will fit in, but the questions i have relate to mainly getting everything hooked up correctly.
Is the TV cable for the 200r4 the same as the one to on the th200 and will it work with the 2bbl carb?
Also can I reuse my old speedometer gear and cable? any help is appreciated.

 

[PearlRegal84]

c'mon someone here has to know. Are the tv cables the same or not?

 

[DRIVEN]

There are some aftermarket universal cables that work for both transmissions. Not sure about the OE cables being interchangeable. Whatever bracket you have for the carb should work with either cable. The speedo cable will work. I think the speedo gears are different.
On a side note, I don't think your 3.8 is going to like the overdrive. Are you planning a gearing and/or engine upgrade soon?

 

[PearlRegal84]

Yes, one of the main reasons i want the 200r4 is i plan on upgrading the engine. However an engine upgrade is at least a few months off. If it cant handle the overdrive i can always leave it in third lol.

 

[PearlRegal84]

Ok, so i got the 2004r in place. It was pretty straightforward. The original cooling lines were a pain in the *ss to bend and screw in. The crossmember from a 307 car worked perfectly, except that now my original exhaust hanger does not work. Will a hanger from 307 work or are the exhausts different? Also there is a gap between the torque converter and the flexplate. Should i pull it up (will that unseat it?) or should i place washers between them?

 

[olds307 and 403]

If you pull it up tight, you will cause a leak. Ask me how I know. I used washers on a couple of builds, worked well.

 

[85Frankencar]

If you pull it up tight, you will cause a leak. Ask me how I know. I used washers on a couple of builds, worked well.

I don't know how much difference there is between the 200 & 200R4, but using washers doesn't sound right to me. If you do pull it up tight or have to force it, you can damage the internal pump on the trans - when I first (incorrecly) installed my 200r4 to the engine (350), there was a gap at first (where I used some lock washers between the trans bellhousing and engine block), because the torque converter wasn't seated all the way. The torque converter should click 3 times on the input shaft of the 200r4 before it's completely seated. When it's installed correctly, you should have minimal clearance between the TC & flexplate (the torque converter should spin freely, but when you tighten the TC to the flexplate it should not unseat the TC, there should be a 1/64 or 1/32" gap (which is a ballpark) but the point is the TC should not unseat when it's completely tightened up and torqued properly to the flexplate). This is just from my experience, feel free to correct me if you feel i'm wrong...
Not sure about the kick down cable....can you post a pic of the carb side?
Also, again, not too familiar with the 200c, but with the 200r4, I'd wire it up so you manually switch the OD on or off so your stock ECM doesn't go crazy (and also so you don't ruin your 200r4). There's a lot of info out there about manually wiring up a switch to activate in 4th gear. Sorry for the long post...I've done a lot of research on 200r4s...

 

[DRIVEN]

I used washers on a couple of builds, worked well.

Me too. The key is to be sure the TC is seated into the pump (pushed to the rear of the car). The gap between the TC and flexplate varies from car to car. I've seen everything from 1/16" - 1/2". It's okay to use washers to fill in SOME of the gap. Just make sure the TC has a little room to "float" in the pump. If there is tension you'll burn up the pump. Remember, once everything starts spinning and heats up there will be expansion a you need to leave room to grow.
Can't help you with the exhaust hanger. You'll just have to figure something out.

 

[PearlRegal84]

I have been busy lately so i didn't have time to finish until now. I got the transmission in, and the 3.8 handles the overdrive just fine. I ended up not using washers on the converter, after messing around with it for a while it eventually slid forward completely, i think some rust around the center was holding it back. The tv cable i got from the autoparts store ended up being too long, so i used a barrel nut to adjust it and make it tighter. The trans i put in ended up having no reverse so it looks like i'll be doing it over again. i will drive it like this for now. I haven't yet hooked up the exhaust bracket and the gearshift (it looks like i'm gonna have to use the attachment from the original transmission to make the geometry correct). I also don't yet have lockup, is there a way to wire up a switch without rewiring the inside of the transmission?