Hey guys I've got a 1970 cutlass with 350 will hopefully be building engine soon the tranny is pretty well shot from leaking fluid and being ran low. I've called 2 local shops and gave me a price of almost 2k to pull and rebuild I feel like this is realy high and should be closer to the 1200 mark but please correct me if I'm wrong. I've also looked at getting one from online the tci is a good price but I've read some negative things. Do any of yall have suggestions on a new trans or possibly a place to get it rebuilt? I live in southeast Louisiana near Covington LA. Thanks in advance for any input. Also once rebuilt expecting around 350 hp 380 ftlb

 

Good lord!! Two grand for a TH350?! Are they buying you dinner, filling your tank, and washing and detailing the car also?

I just can’t see that much labor. Parts for 350 are not that expensive.

If you can rebuild an engine, a 350 trans is pretty easy. The “special” tools are easily fabricated.

 

Agreed. I had the TH350 in my car rebuilt a couple years ago for around $800, which was $200 more than me pulling it, bringing it in, and me reinstalling it. For $200 I let them do it.

 

I bet if you carry it over to a shop when you go to rebuild the engine, the cost will be closer to $600.

 

Yeah when they told me that price I knew that was high i mean i had a 4l60e rebuilt a couple years ago for 1200 and they pulled it and reinstalled it. I've never rebuilt a trans but I'm sure there is a bit more to doing a 4l60 than a th350 so no i figured it was a RIP off

 

I build lots of 400 and 4L80 transmissions, it has been a while since I have done a TH350, but I have seen this many times before. Lots of people bring their 400/4L80 stuff to me after getting a 600-800 labor estimate. I’m guessing because the 400 and 350 transmissions are obsolete, today’s builders don’t have the experience or familiarity with them. Maybe that’s why they are pricing them so high, they figure the time spent with uncommon unit repair needs to be offset by a crazy labor up charge. I don’t know if that’s true, while I have done lots of 4L60E builds, some fwd 4T60//65E stuff, the old transmissions a a breeze to build compared to the new stuff. Too many little parts and pieces!


Maybe I need to start raising my rate? Hmmm

 

Well I talked to a somewhat local shop nothing but good reviews online and hes wanting 1k with converter 50k mile 1 year unconditional warranty with 3 year labor warranty. I gotta pull it though but that's no big deal. This was after talking to another shop that told me my trans is to old to rebuild and I just need to get a new one... hung up pretty quick after he said that

 

Don't know where you are, Silverado, but we have a auto trader paper that comes out once a month, and there is a guy on there that says he'll rebuild a t350 for $350.00 if you take it to him. As others said it's a real easy transmission to rebuild. I would try it yourself if you have the place to do it. I rebuilt the t350 in my 71 Cutlass and the t375 in a Vista and a torqueflight from a Mopar- all worked out great and I am not a transmission guy. It actually was fun and very satisfying...

 

Look up the Th350 DVD on ebay. Watch it a few times. Get the ATSG book Get a Kit w/raybestos clutches. A few tools (spring tool/bushing tools) - probably be done for less than $500. Couple of hundred more if you need a convertor.
You can find the rebuild kits on Ebay/Amazon or RockAuto. I like the raybestos clutches. I've done a few 200-4R's for the same reason(s). Labor costs are high and such plus I get all the tools. I built a trans stand out of 2x4's and used that to stand the case upright. Hard part on any of these is pressing in bushings so you will need a press/bushing tools. Bushing tools are the one item that is the must have. I don't like doing pumps much either and send those out to be refinished as they have to be perfectly paralleled if something is wrong with it. Pumps can be hard to find.

Here is what you are getting into:
https://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/...0_rebuild_tech

 

Before I bought the fancy tools for bushing replacement I used my camshaft bearing tool. D sad once you won’t have the machined stop with the factory bushing drivers you will need to take some measurements to determine how far into the bore the bushing sits.


the old cast pumps are pretty easy and forgiving to build. Find a polishing stone to make sure the Pump halves are free of burrs. Clean the outer edges of the pump bore, assemble the pump with the bolts loose, and set it into the case upside down. Tighten the bolts, pump halves are aligned.


Raybestos or Borg-Warner clutches are all I use. Don’t bother spending the extra money for the Kolene steels. I just don’t care for them.

 

I have toyed with the idea of trying but currently all my wrenching is done under my carport and my "shop" is the pump room which isn't very big. It's a huge upgrade from working on dirt, grass, gravel but it's not quite enough room to pull a trans apart and be able to lay everything out. Will be bringing it to my friends shop to do the engine but hes got alot of work coming through the doors so space is at a premium there and I dont want to be in the way of him making money. But when I build a new house a real shop is at the top of the list then I'll try my hand at a transmission.

 

I live in south east Louisiana. Where are you located?

 

Fabricate a stand from a study piece of thick plywood. Cut a hole big enough for the output shaft to go thru, use the extension housing as a pattern. Bolt the transmission case to the plywood, using the bolts for the extension housing. Make your home made stand big enough for a bucket to fit under. As long as you have drained the pan, and most of the fluid, you won’t make a mess. As you remove each part, follow the procedure in the book for overhaul. Cover the transmission with a trash bag/tarp/whatever. Once your finished with a subassembly, wrap it in plastic grocery bags and store it someplace out of the weather. Remove another subassembly, rebuild, and so on. Eventually you will end up with a empty case. Clean that up with a power washer or coin operated car wash. Once it’s cleaned up and the bushings replaced, start the assembly process.


you can go the tear down under your carport, the subassembly work in your pump room (I assume that’s your laundry room/utility room?). Take lots of pictures and notes on where bearings and thrust washers go.

 

Do you guys know if a 200 4r will bolt in without issue? I'd realy like a extra gear

 

The 2004R trans is as close to a bolt in as can be expected. You can use your existing driveshaft, the trans crossmember needs to be slide back to the location that the TH400 trans used. That also requires new parking brake cables to keep the parking brake working. The biggest hassle is the TV cable. The linkage and geometry has to be correct, “close enough “ isn’t good enough. If you want the trans to upshift and downshift correctly, the cable has to be right. There are many kits and linkage adapters for most carburetors.