I posted this question in General but didn't get too many replies.

This past weekend I removed my Th350 tranny and am anxious to replace it as part of my winter project list.

I've done my duty and read every post on the 2004R tranny. Sounds like a relatively painless upgrade to my 79. I've also been keeping up on the Keisler 5 speed posts. If money were no object, the Keisler would be the way to go but being older and more conservative, I can't justify the cost difference.

Would I be doing the right thing by going to the 2004R?

Given that lots of our Forum Brothers & Sisters have had their 2004R's installed for some time, what's been your level of satisfaction regarding performance and durability?

 

 

Mine has been in only a short while but I really like it. Mild shift kit and 2200 stall.
The only thing I would do different is NO shift kit to make it shift hard and probably only a quality standard torque convertor.
The little woman complains about the hard upshift from 1 to 2 and the hard downshift from 2 to 1. I can control both if I want to take off a little fast and on the downshift I can keep the r's at about 2200 and the downshift is smooth. After the downshift just let off the gas as normal.
I am especially happy with the gear ranges of the 200r. In 4th I cruise at 70 and 2200rpm......55 is about 1650.
275's on rear with 370 gears powered by gmpp383crate....these motors have quite a bit of torque in a wide range of rpm's and the 200r works well with this engine. Hope this helps.

 

you know i'm not convinced that the 2004r is any better then the 700r4....why do you want to use the 2004r?

 

This is a good thread...I am in the process of purchasing an auto C3 and would like to upgrade to 200r4 or 700r4
Mark

 

The 2004R is a bolt right in. More work for the 700R4 A 2004R from BowTie is rock solid.

 

http://www.transmissionhead.com/#Parts

New site to ME, posted in another thread.....

NOW, look at all those specialized parts, and kits and think about what about 1/2 the offerings are about, i'ts the 3/4 clutch pack with about 100 differant fixes just for THAT failure or close related items.....

does THAT speak volumes about what a mistake the 700 is???

does to ME, and I mistakenly have a 700 in my '72,,...it runs ok, but showing signs of the third 3/4 clutch pack going...I allready have another setup, but frankly am tired of it, thinking of going 2004r for the gut reliability hell with the expense....

too boot the 2004r is lighter weight by about 50 lbs...go figger...
better gear ratios too...

GENE

 

I don't agree with you on this one... supply and demand will account for alot of that.....the 700r4 is a very popular transmission and that probably accounts for all the parts....the similarity would be saying there is obviously something the matter with the design of the SBC camshafts because there are so many aftermarket suppliers of the cams...

 

I have had no problems with the BTO lev 2, 200-4R I put in two summers ago. I went from a TH400 that leaked no mater what I did to it. I gained gas mileage, from 11mpg to 17mpg on the highway because it droped the rpm's from 3200@70 to about 2200. I think it was the best mod I could have done.

 

Dropped a BTO 200-r4 into my '81 nearly 4 years back & also think it's the best possible mod I could have done (OK, maybe a 427.... but then I'd find the stock Th350 gearing even more infuriating). It's handled everything my slightly modified L81 can throw at it ( ), gear changes are great (you can adjust the firmness), economy is vastly improved & at cruising speeds (80mph) my ears are no longer suffering from the exhaust noise. Chose the 200 over the 700 due to the better gear ratio spacing, lighter weight & ease of installation (though the '81 has issues with the x-member that the '79 doesn't). Also, because common wisdom has it that the 200 is weaker than the 700, I just wanted to be awkward Would I do it again? Yes, without any hesitation! The only downside of the trans is that it will sit in OD at very low rpms, causing the engine to lug. You have to manually shift it into "3" at low speeds (I shift down at anything below 60mph) & back into "D" when speeds increase, but that's no great problem (especially if you're used to stick shifts). If you do fit one then be prepared to fit a SMALL trans cooler as the temps ramp up under heavy throttle in low gears. Fitting a temp gauge is a good idea & buying a fluid pressure gauge from BTO makes setting up the TV cable a piece of cake.

 

I did the 2004r swap and it is the best mod I have done so far. I had my 2004r done locally and it ran just under $1,600 for everything except the new detent plate and the crossmember that I bought from Bowtie.
I have an 80 so I needed to either buy the new crossmember or modify the stock one. I had a shift kit installed in my 2004r and really like it alot. Nothing like cruising down the highway at 80 at 2000 rpm.
You might see what you can have done locally. The reason I say this is that if you should have trouble with your tranny and it was done locally you can take back and have it fixed right away. If you use an out of town vendor you have to go through all the BS of shipping it back and that cost buckos.
Also I think that if you install the tranny yourself and you have problems you might get the excuse of well did you install it right.

Hope this helps, Kona

 

i am not saying the 2004r is a bad trans......and those things you mentioned along with no special crossmember and drive shaft shortening are positive features....In fact i'm thinking about this trans for my hot rod project since it will use the TH350 mounting bracket so i could use the TH350 i have now and upgrade later when i get some extra bucks

the sitting in OD at low RPMs is common in both trans...

there is an advantage to the new 700r4 cross member and that it that it gives you lots of room for exhaust systems....the other down side to the 700r4 is since its longer the tail shaft/yoke/ujoint is a really tight set up.

 

If I were to do it again, and I just might, I'd convert from auto to a Kiesler 5 speed manual.

 

I think the 82 and 84 Corvette were 2004R derivatives, but called 700R4. I got ahold of one of these really cheap because they were pretty unreliable the way Chevy delivered them. Mine bolted right in, I only had to shorten the driveshaft, and could use the Turbo Regal torque converter. I think the later 700R4s used a different converter. You can really beef these up. I broke my Turbo 350 twice, but never broke this tranny. Low, low 1st, and overdrive 4th are well worth the trouble. Back in 85 I had to figure things out, and do some engineering. Today, everything is figured out and available off the shelf. Go for it.
Bee Jay

 

Thanks all for the feedback.

 

If a 200R4 can live behind a 650HP Buick GN then it will do fine in your Vette. Art Carr builds some of the best 200R4 transmissions.

 

I couldn't agree more...
Art Carr builds great transmissions, I think he was the pioneer of building performance 700's & 200's. Bought one of his 700's back in '98 to back up my 496. It was the only OD transmission option, auto or manual, available at the time and it lasted until recently when the 3/4 clutches failed. If I had to go with an auto again (converted to Keisler 5spd) I'd also go for the 200. A more compact unit, lighter with a more favorable gear ratio spacing. I felt the first gear in the 700 was too steep for my application.

And no I don't work for him and I'm not related to him, just a satisfied customer.

 

i am a satisfied 700r4 user but i would not disagree with your assessment. let us know how the install goes. you havn't talked about your rear end ratio? what is it? if its a 3.08 you may want to change it to something a little steeper.

 

The install is complete and the rear ratio is in fact 3.08. With the 700's 3.07 1rst gear I couldn't hook up at all after about 1/2 throttle. With this manual I can nail it off the line as hard as I want and it just catapults out of the hole, I like it, I like it allot.

 

good job. the higher gear ratio will help with the OD issues in lockup...when you hit the 35-40mph range in lockup and your turning 900rpm