TH350 to 200-4r Swap

[jordanfr13]

When I do this swap, what am I all going to need to do? I know the frame must be extended on the drivers side of my car, I need a new crossmember, I can use the same driveshaft, and I can't use the same torque converter. What other little things need to be done? My main concerns are:

1. Shifter linkage? (I have column shift)
2. Transmission cooling lines?
3. TV Cable brakets for carb/intake?
4. Speedometer cable hookup?

 

[jordanfr13]

Anybody? I need to know rather soon

 

[19cutlass79]

I did this swap twice now both with th-350's.

1. With my column shift in my 79 wagon, I didn't have enough rod to get both first and park without some binding, so I just welded about at 2" extension to give the linkage that extra little throw it needed works great now. I just used a bolt that was the same size as the linkage rod that was only half threaded like a control arm bolt cut the threads and head off and butt welded it linkage arm, grind down the weld and adjust in 1st and park till you can engage both easily.

2. Trans cooling lines, the upper line from the trans is pressure out so you want that to go to the bottom of your radiator and the top line coming off the radiator is the return line that you want to to run to the bottom of the trans. If your going to run a cooler like I did run the top line of the radiator to the cooler and from the cooler to the bottom line in the trans.

3. Tv, cable and brackets got mine from bowtieoverdrives.com, less headache, much easier and comes with detailed instructions, buy the whole kit comes with everything you need. Look in the t.v made ezee section.

4. Speedo cable, no need to worry it will screw right in with no probs.

and you might want to look into the lockup converter set up, you are going to need one, thought I'd mention it because you did not in your post. You can find info here on GBF using the search and there is alot at bowtieoverdrives.

good luck,\
wade

 

[86cutlassrules]

I an 86 Cutlass that originally had a 307 and 200r4 in it, the previous owner had crashed his 78 Trans Am so he pulled the Turbo 350, and 403 out of it and swapped them in. When I got it the trans was shot and the motor needed to be rebuilt. After the rebuild I found a good used 200r4 on the forum from one of the guys here. My swap was pretty simple I set everything back to stock. I bought a G force cross member because the 200R4 mount is in a different spot then the Th350 and I wanted duals, The previous owner just cut the gates off of the side of the shifter to make it work for the TH350. I just uses the stops in the transmission so you know what gear your in. It still works for the 200r4, the shift cables are different, and the cable brackets are different. The drive shaft is exactly the same, and I just hooked my computer controls back up and but on the CCC carb set up and now she runs like a stock 307 car just with triple the power. The torque converter bolts are different, and I think the bell housing was slightly thicker on the Th200r4, so I went out and bought 3/8 grade 8 bolts. The lever on the side of the transmission was the same and I lucked out. However I don't know if the lever that was on the Th350 was the original 200r4 one. As far as the TV cable I used the stock TV bracket and I just got a stock GM TV cable from the junk yard. Its easy to blow the transmissions if the TV isn't set right and the universal kits were just to universal for my liking so I kept it GM to keep it simple. I think that's everything. Just noticed you said the car was column shift, mine is floor shift but has linkage that turns the column to give you neutral safety and reverse lights. It fit with absolutely no problems at all, unless you have headers then it rubs the collector but I just kept grinding it until it cleared them. The easiest thing to do is try and find a car in the junk yard ans just run through it and grab a few things. Also dont forget that after changing transmissions you need to get the matching speedo gear for the rear end.

 

[jordanfr13]

Thanks for the help guys