i found this number right above the fluid pan(36D194183) on the driver side, does somebody know what year it is and is it worth upgrading when i rebuild the tranny.

 

3 is oldsmobile
and 6....
76 or 86?
76 would make more sense because most cars were 200metric in 85 up cars

The letter is the manufacturing plant i believe.

It's a good trans. Put a hardened steel intermediate sprag in it and slam away.

 

Correct. A 1976 trans from the Doraville, GA plant. Olds did not use any TH350s in 1986, and the 3 in the first position confirms that this trans came from an Olds, so it must be a 1976 trans.