A Fabricobbler's Guide to the Turbo Buick Galaxy- Cutlass Rehash

[64nailhead]

Govna: cut down one out of this trans to GN BRF disc
Servo: the big sonnax one
Boost valve: tbd. Whatever husek sells me probably.

I'd like to support CK as Im borrowing your book but their parts in stock and communication leave something to be desired

I’ve been trying to contact them for a week. I firmly believe that they refer to an answering machine that saves them from having to answer the phone haha.

The worst part is the guy is one of the 5-10 guys around that knows his poop. For example, how’s that manual? It’s the best service manual I’ve read for a transmission.

FWIW, Junior ran his 200 at 450+ whp and never broke a thing over a year and 10-15k miles without the billet input and OD planetary. IIRC - that was 3+ sets of rear tires 😉

 

[81cutlass]

Well I'm trying to get this trans done.

Called Husek at 7pm hoping to get an answering machine and I was going to say sell me a kit and he picked up. Wasn't expecting that service late at night! lol. Ended up talking about all sorts of stuff for an hour and a half so hopefully I'm one step closer. I'm used to 'get people off the phone so they can pay and I can continue my day' service, not 'let's BS with some dude in MN who doesn't know what he wants' service, but I'm not complaining.

He's clearly peak turbo Buick guy, not that that's a good or bad thing, just something to know. He has his calibration, his parts, nothing is set in stone, he builds it to your spec, but he comes highly recommend so what else do I do. I'm used to finding a link on summit, click order, get parts, and that's just not the experience you should expect with anything turbo Buick related. You put a lot of time effort and money in but get good service. I prefer and an used to pay a little in and get little service haha.

As I've always said, you don't buy turbo Buick parts, you pay to have the privilege to be their caretaker.

The only thing I'm concerned about, which I can get beyond is
A) he bashed the CK book that I said I used to understand how the trans works and baseline the upgrades I want to make. Basically he said I should throw it away or sell it and use the ATSG manual. Ive never heard anything bad about CK products, just their service. I think it's more they are both proud New Yorkers and are artists in their own way. They disagree and have a friendly rivalry and a difference in opinion. I'm just not a fan of business that have bad things to say about other businesses. But there are limited shops that do 2004r's so I just gotta find someone and go through it. CK doesn't answer the phone, I'm not sure Jake's does 2004r's anymore. Extreme Automatics/Lonnie does but I expect to get the same service as Husek.

And B) I just want something basic and dont care about precision RPM shifts tuned exactly where Lord GM intended a turbo Buick to live. More line pressure so it doesn't eat the clutches and not so much that it snaps stuff is what I want. The calibration on a turbo Buick valve body is obviously different than a Olds or Chev 5.0 but I don't care. If it shifts decent I'm ok if it's a bit goofy. The good thing is Husek makes it RIGHT. He has high standards. The BRF Buick valve body is his right way for what I'm doing. My Standards are medium. I don't need high standards. Getting perfect performance isn't worth the $500-$1000 extra in parts but again I shouldn't expect an artisan to provide Summit Racing generic service.

So I took some pictures and gotta send them his way and try to get a kit coming.

 

[64nailhead]

It’s amazing how these guys can bash each other. There are some classic knock down drag outs on LS1Tech between Chris and Jake. Over what? Who did what 1st and who is stealing whose idea.

99.9% - who cares when you’re just looking for something that works. And sometimes the something is only knowledge,

Hopefully you found what you were looking for.

P.s. don’t throw out the book hehe

 

[81cutlass]

It’s amazing how these guys can bash each other. There are some classic knock down drag outs on LS1Tech between Chris and Jake. Over what? Who did what 1st and who is stealing whose idea.

99.9% - who cares when you’re just looking for something that works. And sometimes the something is only knowledge,

Hopefully you found what you were looking for.

P.s. don’t throw out the book hehe

Haha, the book is not going in the trash!!

Yeah it's unfortunate these 6 main trans guys feel the need to bash each other, from what I understand there is more than enough business for all of them, and absolutely, each has their own 'craft', from a user/customer experience I think most of all of them work (Maybe minus some of the CPT/Art Carr ones where they crank the line pressure to 11 the whole time and snap stuff?), but I don't hear anything bad about a Husek vs. CK vs. Extreme Automatics/Lonnie vs. a Jake's vs. anyone else's rebuilds.

 

[81cutlass]

So to add to it:

The world of 2004r is not super transparent.
With an 80e, t400, 727, etc you kinda know what you get. The build (shift kit and hard parts) for a 2Jz supra t400 that makes 700hp, a sloppy turbo LS that makes 700hp and a big power NA BBC is essentially the same despite the torque curve being entirely different on each

But the 2004r builders say the BRF buick valve body calibration GM made in 1984 applies to a modified turbo buick today? An olds or chev valve body in a 2004r is somehow drastically different than a turbo buick valve body. But, the same valve body that's put in a 1987 K30 box truck is the same valve body that's put in a 1966 BBO 442 and both work in a sloppy turbo LS that makes 750hp with some mild upgrades. Why is a T400 agnostic of torque curve or what vehicle it came out of but a 2004r is so critical?

Each builder will say their valve body calibration is so critical on a 2004r, but people don't give 2 craps on an 80e or t400.

A trans-go shift kit for a 2004r is $200 in stock at summit
A TCI rebuild kit $300 in stock at summit
Plus the sonnax servo and pressure regulating and boost valves are another $300 or so

So it's the question of what value does a Husek supplied $2600 of parts 200r4 differ from a $800 2004r kit that you source from summit? He sources a lot of his own 4140 type materials from his supply base vs. the typical rebuilder shops. He shoots for perfection which is great, but does a 12 second 375hp car need perfection?

Blah.

 

[81cutlass]

Called Husek again. Got some more questions I had to answer and did a few more teardowns to see what shape parts I have and what may or may not need to be changed. For those who are going to use Husek, he knows his stuff, but schedule at least 30 minutes to talk at minimum. I have got him watching TV one night and in the shop another night.

Rebuilding a unique trans like this and dealing with the rebuilders to source parts does take an investment in time.

For my purposes more than anything-
I have a 10 spring direct clutch retainer. Performance stuff got 16 springs and I am supposed to change to a 16. Husek makes new 16 spring ones however if you are in a pinch and have an extra 200 sitting around I don't see why you couldn't rob 6 springs and snap them in.
I have a steel direct apply piston vs. aluminum which is good
83+ 2004r have a hardened sun shell, apparently the rebuilders just take your old one on a core charge and if its not an 82 they just send it back doing nothing. Sounds like a scam.
The Direct center support, drum, and pump bushings take most of the wear. Husek only changes the back ones if they are bad, the back half of the trans is probably fine but im just going to order the entire kit
My direct drum has .0015" step on the first sealing ring groove, which I think is reverse. It's probably OK if I just run a hone through that to clean it up as even if I get a bit of leakage it's only when the trans is in reverse

A CA valve body has a #G TV valve, #14 1-2 valve, #15 2-3 valve, and an #F 4th valve along with a separator plate that can be used. It sounds like Husek has some half assembled BR GN valve body cores that he can use part of my CA valve body springs and valves to piece together. It's expensive at $450 but he swears by GM valve bodies and basically won't put a trans-go in. The only way to get a complete valve body is to trade in a core for parts. He said he has had the OEM valve body springs repopped that he changes back to stock if a trans has had a trans-go shift kit already put in.

I've been spending a few hours a night for the past few days at my computer desk digging through the parts diagram, the CK book, my notes from Husek and trying to decipher what parts I need.
Cat has been a help

The telescoping gages I picked up are coming in handy.

 

[81cutlass]

Too much time
Too much effort
Too much money

But damnit I've got parts!

I could a bought a terminator X with etrans control and a 4l80e with a shift kit and adapter plate for what I'm going to have in this 2004r but I'm ignoring that.

 

[Texas82GP]

Too much time
Too much effort
Too much money

But damnit I've got parts!

I could a bought a terminator X with etrans control and a 4l80e with a shift kit and adapter plate for what I'm going to have in this 2004r but I'm ignoring that.



View attachment 220994

Looking forward to seeing the progress!

 

[carnutjw]

I could a bought a terminator X with etrans control and a 4l80e with a shift kit and adapter plate for what I'm going to have in this 2004r but I'm ignoring that.

And a 2.48 first gear vs 2.74, 1.48 vs 1.57 second in the 200-4r. You're doing the right thing.

 

[81cutlass]

Got the front half of the drum assembly 'remanned', I welded up the slop/wear that formed in the ears and cleaned up the drum apply surface

So some wins!

And a fail. I put the OD piston in the lathe to remove .080" of length so the clutch pack would accept a 3rd friction. Got about half done and it tossed a big snarl of chip into the cutting tool and tossed the piston out of the chuck, so I need to buy another one.

I don't mess up much but I'll be transparent, I brake stuff sometimes too..