200-4R, overall length and output shaft splines of the TH350, mounting point of the TH400 and can be built to handle just about whatever you want to throw at them. PLUS they have better gear ratios than the TH700-R4.
seriously useful link: http://internetautomart.com/gallery/v/overdrive/ scanned pages of Chevy high performance January 2000 issue. They didn't have the article on their site.
Something I realized while I was at work messing with a 455-powered Olds with a 700R4.
The TH350, TH200-4R, and TH700R4 all use a TV cable. The TH400 just has a vacuum modulator and a WOT switch. If you are putting something where a TH400 used to be, you either need to do some throttle linkage hackery to accomodate the TV cable, or you need a full manual valvebody so that you don't have to worry about getting line pressure wrong. The TV cable is extremely important to have adjusted properly.
PS - There's something sweet about three upshifts in quick succession with a ~3000rpm stall speed converter. It's almost CVT-like around town.
Its just a kickdown cable on the TH350, it doesnt hurt anything to drive with it disconnected other than no downshift when you step on the gas hard.
Travis_K wrote: Its just a kickdown cable on the TH350, it doesnt hurt anything to drive with it disconnected other than no downshift when you step on the gas hard.
i've actually seen one TH350 that had a tv cable and no vacuum modulator. it was in an 85 GMC 2wheel drive truck with a 305. it didn't have a plug in the side for the lockup torque converter.
it was a really odd duck..
when i junked that truck and pulled the motor and trans out, i had to look at that trans for a little while to figure out why it didn't look "right" to me..
every other TH350 i've seen has had a kickdown cable and vacuum modulator..
USED, ORIGINAL, NEVER-REBUILT 700R4 and 4L60 seem to be hard to get to last a long time,
Fixed that for ya.
USED, ORIGINAL, NEVER-REBUILT 700R4 and 4L60 seem to be hard to get to last a long time,
My 4L60E lasted 190K in a 4wd drive S10 
Unfortunately it didn't give any real indication of impending doom prior to losing 3rd and 4th 50 miles from home.
Rob_Mopar wrote: The 350/350 combo is the ubiquitous swap combo. Even I've done it. A TH350 is pretty tough, and pretty simple. If you are planning on highway gears in the back and 350-ish horse it's stone ax reliable and will cruise all day long. If you are planning to run anything numerically higher than say 3.42's you'll want overdrive. Hey, it's a Jag after all. Unless you are planning for something really stout in front of this transmission a TH400 is overkill. I have been in a TH400 equipped LeMans that accidentally got shifted into reverse at highway speeds. The car tried changing directions. Trans never complained. The rest of the car did... The TH200 Metric trans is an abomination. I doubt there are many left on the road. The 200R4 was much better and has OD. I don't like the gear spread on the 700R4. First is very steep and a big drop to 2nd. It's a truck trans that got put in cars. If I were going to play with a GM cruiser I'd build up a 200R4 with aftermarket parts.
As I was reading through this thread (no offense to anyone) I was discouraged at the misinformation. As someone who manages three transmission shops and is a certified GM freak, I think Rob Mopar hit the nail on the head.
THM200C - don't waste your time. gut it and use it as a dinner bell.
THM200-4r - Same basic design as the 200 with OD. Vastly better than the 200. Nearly perfect gear spreads. If you have the money, it can be built stronger than the 700r4 despite its smaller size. The 200-4r was used in Grand Nationals from the factory, and I personally know many guys who are putting 600+ hp to the ground with a 200-4r. Its weakness is overall diameter. Its stronger than it looks, and fine for a heavy car/modest torque, but not wise for something like a 3/4 ton pickup that tows 8000 lbs.
TH350/TH350C - The "C" indicates lockup converter which started in about 1982. I personally prefer the non-lockup since the lockup circuit is an added complexity that sometimes fails. When it does, the converter doesn't unlock. Strong if built well, but only three speeds
TH400 - The biggun. Great for HD trucks, bullet proof in cars. Never available with a lock up converter. Good gear ratio spreads. Simple design that works great.
TH700R4 - A derivative of the TH350C, but many differences. The first gear ratio is 3.06 and second is 1.62. That is the largest ratio spread of any automatic transmission ever produced. Unless your torque curve looks like Kansas, its not my favorite. Plenty strong if built right. I recommend replacing the input drum with a billet unit for anything over 350 lb-ft of input torque.
4L80-E - There was never a non "E" 4L80, so it will require either a manual valvebody or a standalone controller. This is in many ways the TH400 with OD. Beefy. Nice. Overkill.
4L60/4L60E - 4L60 is simply another way to describe a 700R4. The 4L60E is simply a 700R4 that is electronically controlled.
On a side note - Most of the 200s were cast in either chevy OR BOP. Most of the 200-4Rs were cast with a universal bellhousing (usually called fit-all). TH350s and TH400s were cast in chevy or BOP. 700r4s were rumored to have had a few cast with the BOP pattern, but of the few thousand I've seen, none were BOP. All 4L60E and 4L80E are chevy pattern only.
FWIW - Supposedly, a very small handful of 307-engined cars (fullsize wagons?) came with 700R4s in 1989 or 1990. So therefore, supposedly allegedly, there are some BOP (or dual!) pattern 700R4s out there. Bigfoot drives one.
It's like the Ford 400 with a small block bellhousing pattern, except people have actually seen those. The Chevy to BOP adapters are under a hundred bucks, I'd just as soon do that.
curtis73- there was also a th400 switch pitch that had a dual stall converter setup. Very rare, but very cool to run.
Very cool indeed.... and pretty reliable too.
My 4L60E lasted 190K in a 4wd drive S10 Unfortunately it didn't give any real indication of impending doom prior to losing 3rd and 4th 50 miles from home.
Hey, im right with ya.. ive had numerous chrysler a604s past 200k..
But having worked in a trans shop and rebuilt a lot of 700s and 4l60s, they do break.. quite a lot. Most of the early deaths come down to 2 factors.. the 3/4 clutch pack (as in your case) or the sun shell. Putting those two fixable issues aside, id say its no more unreliable than many other transmissions. But it has to be gone through to put those two issues aside, thus my assertion.
there is someone out there that makes a different first gear for the 700r4 that isn't so damn deep- i think it's the same ratio as a TH350.
that being said, i've never head any real problems with the ratio of the first gear in a 700r4. it helps my V6 powered 86 Camaro pull out into traffic, and it was a godsend in my 305 powered 86 Caprice that had 2.56 gears..
novaderrik wrote: there is someone out there that makes a different first gear for the 700r4 that isn't so damn deep- i think it's the same ratio as a TH350. that being said, i've never head any real problems with the ratio of the first gear in a 700r4. it helps my V6 powered 86 Camaro pull out into traffic, and it was a godsend in my 305 powered 86 Caprice that had 2.56 gears..
Hmm, my 79 camaro had 2.56 (possibly 2.41) gears in it with a th350 and a 305. Never had a problem pulling out into traffic with it. It later got a 350, but wasn't as fun IMO.
There is a 350/350 swapped 74 Jag XJ6 that has been for sale in Columbus here for over a year (well a year ago it was for sale by one owner and about 4 months ago it resurfaced with another seller). $1000 but I have never actually gone to see it.
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