200R-4 shifting issues
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
200R-4 shifting issues
So installed the 200r 4 trans and I can't get it to shift right .I did buy bowties tv cable set up for my edelbrock carb .My issue is it wont shift to 2nd till it hits almost 3000 rpm and it won't shift to 3rd till it hits 3500 rpm .I have tried setting the TV cable everyway I can .best I got it to change was from 1st to 2nd it would shift a tad over 2500 rpm but 3rd stays the same .
Transmission was ordered with a 2300 stall converter . I stress SUPPOSE to .I did not look to see if it was stamped with a marking .I does shift to all 4 gears but takes a lot of rpms to get it there .It also seems to downshift pretty hard too .
Wonderfull Facebook goobers say I have too high of a torque converter ,I have a 1978 with 3,08 rear end .
Will a lower rated torque converter lower my shift points as the facebook goobers say or are they blowing smoke to sound smart .
Thanks in advance for any help someone can give me before I pull all my hair out
Transmission was ordered with a 2300 stall converter . I stress SUPPOSE to .I did not look to see if it was stamped with a marking .I does shift to all 4 gears but takes a lot of rpms to get it there .It also seems to downshift pretty hard too .
Wonderfull Facebook goobers say I have too high of a torque converter ,I have a 1978 with 3,08 rear end .
Will a lower rated torque converter lower my shift points as the facebook goobers say or are they blowing smoke to sound smart .
Thanks in advance for any help someone can give me before I pull all my hair out
Last edited by IronMaidens2.0; Aug 12, 2018 at 09:50 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,116
From: Crossville TN
The TV cable is extended too far at low throttle... OR... the TV valve is stuck near "WOT" position... OR... the valve in the governor shaft is stuck near WOT position.
You should take your car to a LOCAL transmission shop (not a national chain store) and see if they can help. You need some transmission knowledge and equipment to resolve this issue.
Note: When at idle, the TV cable should be extended very little or not at all. When at WOT (manually tested at carb), the TV cable should be extended nearly to the end of its travel range. Setting this adjustment properly is a 'geometry' problem with carb linkage. Your transmission shop can measure TV line pressure to determine what is going on as cable is moved.
You should take your car to a LOCAL transmission shop (not a national chain store) and see if they can help. You need some transmission knowledge and equipment to resolve this issue.
Note: When at idle, the TV cable should be extended very little or not at all. When at WOT (manually tested at carb), the TV cable should be extended nearly to the end of its travel range. Setting this adjustment properly is a 'geometry' problem with carb linkage. Your transmission shop can measure TV line pressure to determine what is going on as cable is moved.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Aug 13, 2018 at 07:12 AM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
The TV cable is extended too far at low throttle... OR... the TV valve is stuck near "WOT" position... OR... the valve in the governor shaft is stuck near WOT position.
You should take your car to a LOCAL transmission shop (not a national chain store) and see if they can help. You need some transmission knowledge and equipment to resolve this issue.
Note: When at idle, the TV cable should be extended very little or not at all. When at WOT (manually tested at carb), the TV cable should be extended nearly to the end of its travel range. Setting this adjustment properly is a 'geometry' problem with carb linkage. Your transmission shop can measure TV line pressure to determine what is going on as cable is moved.
You should take your car to a LOCAL transmission shop (not a national chain store) and see if they can help. You need some transmission knowledge and equipment to resolve this issue.
Note: When at idle, the TV cable should be extended very little or not at all. When at WOT (manually tested at carb), the TV cable should be extended nearly to the end of its travel range. Setting this adjustment properly is a 'geometry' problem with carb linkage. Your transmission shop can measure TV line pressure to determine what is going on as cable is moved.
Also I can idle car up to about 1500 rpm and with the TV cable disconnected from carb I can pull the cable and at about full travel of cable I can see pressure on gauge I have on trans go from 150 psi at idle to 170 to 175 psi .
Last edited by IronMaidens2.0; Aug 13, 2018 at 12:54 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
You mean it takes 1600+rpm for the car to start moving at all? Requiring 1600+ rpm just to make the car move is a messed-up converter. It may be a really high stall or it may just be a bad converter. A decent 2300rpm stall converter would start moving the car at idle. Heck, even most of the cheap 2300rpm stall converters would. If the converter slips that badly then it could be causing the issue if it's adding a lot of slip all the time pushing your engine rpm way higher than it needs to be.
As for the pressures. Does the pressure change from about 70psi to that 175psi as you pull the cable while testing at around 1500rpm? You could test in each gear at no and full TV cable pull and 1500rpm and post the results.
As for the pressures. Does the pressure change from about 70psi to that 175psi as you pull the cable while testing at around 1500rpm? You could test in each gear at no and full TV cable pull and 1500rpm and post the results.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
You mean it takes 1600+rpm for the car to start moving at all? Requiring 1600+ rpm just to make the car move is a messed-up converter. It may be a really high stall or it may just be a bad converter. A decent 2300rpm stall converter would start moving the car at idle. Heck, even most of the cheap 2300rpm stall converters would. If the converter slips that badly then it could be causing the issue if it's adding a lot of slip all the time pushing your engine rpm way higher than it needs to be.
As for the pressures. Does the pressure change from about 70psi to that 175psi as you pull the cable while testing at around 1500rpm? You could test in each gear at no and full TV cable pull and 1500rpm and post the results.
As for the pressures. Does the pressure change from about 70psi to that 175psi as you pull the cable while testing at around 1500rpm? You could test in each gear at no and full TV cable pull and 1500rpm and post the results.
Last edited by IronMaidens2.0; Aug 13, 2018 at 07:09 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,150
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
In the response you answered it wasn't asked what rpm when foot braking, but that makes more sense and also makes it sound like the converter is fine.
150psi without the cable being pulled is not right so the line pressure isn't being controlled correctly.
150psi without the cable being pulled is not right so the line pressure isn't being controlled correctly.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Aug 13, 2018 at 08:11 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
And is it possible that this has one of the constant pressure valve bodies in it ?
Last edited by IronMaidens2.0; Aug 13, 2018 at 08:58 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
FYI update ,
I dropped pan and inspected governor and 1-2 accumulator nothing is stuck or sticking everything moves freely .So I do wonder what color spring is suppose to be in 1-2 accumulator.The one in it is colored red .Don't know if it is the oem one or not .
Also how can I tell if the governor and/or springs are the oem ones or the performance springs .
I dropped pan and inspected governor and 1-2 accumulator nothing is stuck or sticking everything moves freely .So I do wonder what color spring is suppose to be in 1-2 accumulator.The one in it is colored red .Don't know if it is the oem one or not .
Also how can I tell if the governor and/or springs are the oem ones or the performance springs .
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,422
Likes: 591
From: McHenry Illinois
That sounds like a TV valve stuck. With engine off, unhook the tv cable from the carb linkage, pull it out all the way by hand and let it snap back in a few times, then hook it back up and recheck pressure. You should be at 70-90 at idle then start to rise instantly when the rpms are increased.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
mine looks like the bottom one .I also finally got the company I bought trans from to answer my emails .I was told this trans has a shift kit in it .UGH .SO now I may just be stuck with it .I bought trans over a year ago and just installed it last week .If I change out governor with the GN one will this help the hard high rpm shifts or is it also a result of this trans shift kit .
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 207
Likes: 53
Before I dropped pan i did disconnect it and pull cable and let it spring back 2 or 3 times but it did not change
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,422
Likes: 591
From: McHenry Illinois
If you post your issues at this link, you will get tons of help, all the 2004R guru's are there.
https://turbobuick.com/forums/transmission-talk.12/
https://turbobuick.com/forums/transmission-talk.12/
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,116
From: Crossville TN
I know that early 700-R4's had a problem with sticking TV valves. There is a special kit to replace them with the new design. You might do some research on that for 200-4R's. I also believe that the valve is sticking. I don't believe TV pressure should be anywhere near 150 psi at idle. Figure this one out while the pan is off.
Also, you might consider buying a valve body rebuild kit for a standard-build unit and ditch the "shift kit". It is also possible that whoever installed the shift kit screwed up the TV valve.
Also, you might consider buying a valve body rebuild kit for a standard-build unit and ditch the "shift kit". It is also possible that whoever installed the shift kit screwed up the TV valve.