Currently I have a Turbo 400 behind my 455 Olds motor. The bellhousing on the TH400 was configured to fit BOP (Buick / Olds / Pontiac). Is the R700 available in in the same sort of configuration?

 

No, Chevy pattern only. There are adapter plates to mate the TH700-R4 to the BOP engine pattern.

 

I wouldn't use a weak 700R4 or 4L60E behind a 455. The 2004R if built with billet parts or a near stock 4L80E is the way to go.

 

I would agree. The 200R4 has greater strength potential if your pockets are deep enough. I tell people you can install every aftermarket upgrade into a 4L60 trans, it will still be weaker than a stock 4l80 with a good shift kit. If your engine requires a stout overdrive, the 4l80 is the only way to go

 

Does the 200 R4 directly bolt to a 455 Olds? Also is the 4L80 Olds compatible? My motor dynoed at 635 ft/lbs TQ on the engine dyno so it should have a stout trans behind it. The lower first gear may make getting away without tire spin an issue but I can hopefully can develope a lighter right foot!

 

The 4L80 is also a Chevy only bellhousing. There are adapter plates available to allow a brand “X” trans behind a Olds engine.

Your definitely well beyond the torque capacity of either the 4L60 or the 2004R trans. The 2004R could be rebuilt to handle well beyond what your engine makes, but the money would be better spent on the 4L80 and the required controller. Find a good used 4L80, put a CK performance shift kit in it, and enjoy.

 

At over 600 ft/lbs torque, the 4L80E is the only OD to consider. My build might be 500 ft/lbs so I want to try a 2004R with billet parts. My car being a factory TH350 car, it nearly a direct swap to a 2004R, basically emergency brake cables were the only modification. The 4L80E is a similar cost by the time you get a core, a controller, a quality converter and a manual speedometer tail housing as a beefed up 2004R but with much greater torque potential. If your car is a factory TH400 car, there is no direct OD swap like a TH350 car. Basically the 4L80E is a TH400, same gear ratios with electronic controls, a lock up torque converter and a .75 overdrive gear. Unlike a 2004R, the 4L80E basically needs line pressure mods to survive at your torque level. Get the heavier Transdapt adapter plate to bolt it to your motor. I believe there is a multi pattern Ultra bell housing that bolts to the pump housing as well.

 

Gents:
I read alot of info and talked to several transmission folks. All in all I came away much better versed at what is out there. That being said I have a perfectly good TH400 that was built to take what the motor puts out already in place. Nearly all of the alternatives with overdrive need extensive rebuilds to take on the high torque values. Others would require the purchase of an electronic controller to make them run right. In the end the simplest and ready to work unit out of the box is the Gear Vendor Overdrive unit. It is made to mate up to the TH400 and can handle much more than what my motor can make. Hopefully we get this done before the snow flies!
Stay tuned!

 

Since you already have the trans and converter, the Gear Vendor is probably the way to go. If you were starting with nothing, I’d go 4L80. The lockup converter and being able to program shift points exactly where you want them is a big bonus.