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You really can't look just at the trans or just at the rear end or just at the tire diameter. To maximize performance, you need to figure out the effective ratio in each gear from the flywheel to the pavement. Yeah, I realize that most people don't swap trans, rear, and tires all at once, but this is the right way to maximize performance.
The rpm drop between shifts is the transmission. I put all my info into my Drag2000 simulator and the RPM drops between all shifts with a TH400 are all the equal. The 700 has a huge 1-2 drop. I'll post pics of it when I get a chance. I see what you are saying though Joe. My rear gears at 4.10 are just a bit low with 28" slicks. 3.90 would probably get me a better trap speed. The OD will probably give me too much of a torque drop in 4th way before the finish line.
I agree Joe but the gear drop is the problem. I am swapping the 2004R into my 70S. I plan on running P225/70R14's with 3.90 gears. For now 2.78 gears and P235/60R14's. Problem is lowering the gearing to make up for the 455's torque, playing catch up after the 1-2 shift. The 4L80E is a better option than the 700R4.
The core being good is way more likely in a Cadillac than one of those more performance oriented cores. Who beats on grandma's Cadillac? I will recommend the AA core(Look on the tail tag).
I don't know how much power is going through it(I'm sure by now the op has the T56 in) but four hundred isn't that expensive to build for IMO.
Sonnax servo, sonnax slide spring with the stock "small spring in there too, .500 boost valve, large rev boost valve and the HP 700 spring(Might be pink or blue depending on where it is sourced). I'm ok with the seven vane pump but you do need the hard rings(there are pix around the interwebz as to why), and a hard stator support and hard sun shell. I like fancy clutches for the direct and a fancy band but used the tans in the rest. The steels from grandmas caddy looked good so I scuffed em and ran em.
To me the billet shaft input drum is like an insurance policy against park and six neutrals. Eventually you will break that shaft. When is the question. all the power goes through it and it is about the size of a finger or thumb depending on how big yours are.
Can you drop a whole lat of money into one? Sure, but there aren't many aspects of hot rodding where it is cheap to go fast and have it stay together. A 4l80e or th400 and gv od unit are dandy ways to drop a LOT of coin.
A 700r4 is a truck trans to me. Extra low first for towing and getting heavy loads moving. Will it work? sure but that cutting the driveshaft, getting an adapter and putting probably the same amount of money in to have it stand up to the 400 hp doesn't make sense to me.
Most know where my assemble thread is for the 2004r. I'm open for questions. I'm not a trans guy, just a hobby guy with a family and a budget. If you can get a trans in and out, you can probably overhaul one. It isn't magic as some would want you to believe.
Cores are getting hard to find. No one runs the low planet gear sets from the 200c as that adds $800. I just bought a caseless billet roller for $600. Many people just go to 4l80e and add all the fancy stuff. The 200r4 does not take much hp to run it
FWIW... Have a CK 200r-4 behind my 500 H.P 550lbs of torque 455. Put it in at the tail end of the summer ( put about 1500 miles on it) and its a beast. So far so Good!
FWIW... Have a CK 200r-4 behind my 500 H.P 550lbs of torque 455. Put it in at the tail end of the summer ( put about 1500 miles on it) and its a beast. So far so Good!
My attitude if you want things to last is to baby them most of the time and drive them like a normal car and only unleash the beast on rare occasion and showing off is for suckers.
I finally decided to order a 200-4R from Extreme Automatics. It looks like he has a really good reputation. On his stage 3 he replaces the roller clutch with a heavy duty Chrysler unit. I've heard that the roller clutch in the 200-4R is a weak point.
My attitude if you want things to last is to baby them most of the time and drive them like a normal car and only unleash the beast on rare occasion and showing off is for suckers.
I destroyed a lot to learn these lessons.
Are you saying This transmission isn't going to hold up?
Are you saying This transmission isn't going to hold up?
I am saying they can all be destroyed, and the 200r4's are no different. The TH400s are knowns as the strongest, and I destroyed both a stock one and a B&M Street Strip unit back in B&M's heyday. I also destroyed 3 new M22s and all within 18 months. I have also destroyed a Ford 4 speed in a Pinto and a powerglide behind a 283.
My last TH400 decades later lasted me 16 years, and when I gave it a friend it was still working fine, when I replaced it with a 200r4 I had built. The few miles I put on it until I got back home it drove like a dream.
The 200r4 are not as strong as 400s, but even the 400s can be destroyed with the right foot, and so can any engine. Drive it like you stole it and its liable to wind up in the impound of life. Full throttle is the nuclear option on all parts.......but part throttle is the norm and your friend, and you can go plenty fast that way for many years. They all only have so many runs in them. Enjoy but respect this.
Those TH400 were tough. I installed mine in 1985 and beat the crap out of it always. When my 3500 stall started to leak I put a 5000 stall in it. I finally broke the u-joint last summer which took out the tailshaft housing and rear bushing. Nothing special done to it just a shift kit. It had the better sprag in it. Transmission guy said it was a racing sprag.
Those TH400 were tough. I installed mine in 1985 and beat the crap out of it always. When my 3500 stall started to leak I put a 5000 stall in it. I finally broke the u-joint last summer which took out the tailshaft housing and rear bushing. Nothing special done to it just a shift kit. It had the better sprag in it. Transmission guy said it was a racing sprag.
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Thats about the way my last 400 was built mid 80s. Sprag and shift kit with a used 3000 B&M race converter, but it all depends on power and how abusive you are with them. I smoked the Street Strip, within a month and sent it back on warranty to B&M, and they called me and asked what I had after seeing the damage. Their response was, my god they are not made for that, and rebuilt it then with a manual valve body, and better clutches and sprag, and sent it back. Funny cars were using that basic build, and it held up for me for a short period, and 2 owners past me until a cooler line broke going to it years later. Loved it, and almost the perfect trans. But no super low first nor overdrive available, like with the trans choices now.
February 1st, 2017, 11:35 AM
