Transmission Dilemma

[Bar50]

What motor and induction do you have?

What rearend gear ratio and size tires?

 

[pontiacgp]

http://web.archive.org/web/20070128173316/http://members.aol.com/powerrslid/thm2004r.html

 

[Opie Knievel]

'86 Monte Carlo. 4.3 TBI
2.73. Right now, 215/70/15 or something close.

 

[Opie Knievel]

http://web.archive.org/web/20070128173316/http://members.aol.com/powerrslid/thm2004r.html

Thanks. I actually stumbled across that one a few minutes ago.

 

[pontiacgp]

Thanks. I actually stumbled across that one a few minutes ago.

anything to keep your hands off my standard transmission...😀

 

[Bar50]

To just work, by all means get one from whatever.

The poor reputation the 200-4R has is based the 150 normal versions for every 1 performance version.

One thing to consider is that there is point of diminishing returns, you have to have enough torque and horsepower to comfortably maintain a given speed. Guys with V8s have more available torque to overcome nearly lugging a vehicle when you have an overdrive with a numerically low rearend gear ratio.

Or, to compare, a 4.3 S10 will have a 3.42 gear and a 225/70/15 tire with a 4L60E.

 

[Bar50]

You car has the frame mount for the 200-4R crossmember.

 

[Opie Knievel]

We don't have any 200-4R's at my work. One of the guys that works the counter has a son who works at a different yard that does have one from an '86 Monte Carlo SS. He's trying to get it for me for $200.

 

[Opie Knievel]

We don't have any 200-4R's at my work. One of the guys that works the counter has a son who works at a different yard that does have one from an '86 Monte Carlo SS. He's trying to get it for me for $200.

No luck there. That particular SS had a TH350 swapped into it. I'll have to keep looking.

 

[Opie Knievel]

Well, I was hoping to buy a 200-4R and rebuild it before I put it in but that plan isn't looking so good now. The Geo has some wheel bearing and brake issues that are gonna have to be taken care of as soon as possible since it's my daily driver right now and the money I had put aside for the transmission is gonna have to fund that. So, it's looking like my only affordable option right now is gonna be to rebuild the TH350 that's in the car. I figure it makes more sense to rebuild mine and have new internals than to get a used trans with unknown internals. Rebuilding the TH350 isn't what I really wanted to do but you guys know how the budget determines things for you sometimes. Plus, I've always heard that a TH350 is a good automatic transmission to learn how rebuild for a first timer.

So, my new transmission budget is gonna be about $400. Not a lot to work with but that's what I've got right now. Can you guys recommend rebuild kits and torque converters for a non-lockup TH350? Any special tools that I will absolutely NEED? Which factory rebuild manual to get and which aftermarket/performance rebuild manual to get? Any tips or tricks to rebuilding a TH350 that you guys know?