That maybe true but if one chooses to go to the track it's nice to know that he or she won't be leaving their planetary gears on the track.
A knowledgeable and reputable transmission shop will strongly recommend not to use that unit or may outright refuse to touch it at all and recommend a good 350 build.
To the OP, do your shift kit, fresh filter, and replace the front and rear seals and hope for the best. Anything else is putting good money into bad IMO.

 

If you say so.... Many 200-4R's installed and used before your time here....

 

And many have blown up too before my time here. Just because a lot of guys installed them in their car just to get lower RPM's at highway speed, which BTW tells me a lot how those owners use/drive their cars doesn't mean it's a good transmission. Ever heard anyone say "I swapped it for better reliability and performance"?
Now I'm no transmission expert although I've have rebuilt many automatics. I did have a co-worker that owned a transmission shop. We had a conversation about the 700r4 and the 200-4r. He didn't think very much about those units shaking his head.
I've had friends that had those OD transmissions and had nothing but problems with them and went back to non OD automatics. And lastly a picture of my 700r4 out of my 82 Corvette. You're probably drinking out of it now.

 

They are junk unless rebuilt with quality parts! Period!

 

The most likely reason for overdrive trans "blowing up" (not sure what that means, actually) is a poorly adjusted TV cable and fried clutches, as a result. That has NOTHING to do with the mechanical capability of the transmission as designed or as installed by users.

 

Opinion is just that... and reflected by a lot of things including what a person has experience with. Ask an old timer about carb vs EFI and many will have the same type of opinion that the EFI is junk. Or a clutch fan is superior to electric fans, or the stock power steering is better than a borgeson and the list goes on.
Ask an older transmission guy about the simple heavy inefficient but over built and stronger th400 or th350 he may have rebuilt for years vs the later more complex overdrive units that were far more likely to come back to the shop if something wasnt right or installed right and yeah... Many are not going to think too highly of them either. We all have a tendency to like what we are most comfortable with.

Different folks here have different priorities and goals for these old cars. Again its not always about building the strongest drag car or blowing up the next weakest link like the rear end instead. YMMV

 

Yea, and what is that going to cost? By the time you get done with that and a converter you're a good chunk of the way towards a Tremec TKX swap. And it will never be as reliable and fun to drive as a Tremec. Yes go to a transmission shop. Ask them if they would show you a planetary and a front drum from both a 350 hydramatic and a 200-4r. Then you decide what's the better transmission. You can't escape the fact that the 200-4r had it's humble beginnings as a 200 hydramatic and originally designed for the Chevrolet Vega. And don't forget buy the transmission guy lunch for taking the time to compare the internal components. If he's honest he'll tell you his thoughts.

 

This. Don't worry about the naysayers

https://turbobuick.com/threads/david-husek-aka-turbubuickperformance-com-builds-a-badass-200-4r.451568/

 

Agreed!

 

Depends on what parts used and who does the job, around 3 grand. You can rebuild a Turbo 400 and buy a gear vendors for the same amount and never worry about it. Check out the video’s on Precision Automatics in Texas, thiss guy knows his stuff.

 

Just like everyone says you can’t run in mid 10’s with a clutch fan and mechanical fuel pump and 3.42s. Bullcrap, I have timeslips to prove the naysayers wrong, swap everything out of the Gbody to my 82 Vette probably go low 10s due to the weight difference. As for electric fans I’m not against them, but they can’t be fixed easily on a road trip.

 

200R4's do have tiny planetary gears compared to about everything else including a 1987 Ford Tempo with a 2.5 four cylinder just to give you an idea of how small they are, they were designed as a 4-6 cylinder transmission and used for some of the low HP V8's like a 267 V8 Malibu wagons up to , 442's, Monte Carlo SS and Grand Nationals when early teething problems prevent the wide use of the 700 , back when those things (200R4) were new they failed all the time and we used to swap T350's back in them especially if it was a young driver in the family, those things didn't hold a teenage driver very well

 

Amen Brother!!!

 

Why come to someones thread to **** and bash on peoples choices because they arent what you would do for your goals?

 

I don't think its bashing but realistically the 200R4 is the Dana 44 of automatic transmissions (Corvette lingo) and there hasn't been a unit made in or close to 40 years so parts , cases, pumps will get scarce at some point, it gets recommended a lot around here but probably shouldn't

 

If you don't like the 200-4R's being used in Corvettes, just say so and say why....then just go to another thread where you have more interested. Your opinions are valuable and the OP has heard them to consider in their decisions. Your insistence that you are RIGHT and others are WRONG aren't that beneficial.

 

A quote from you from another thread :That's where you get your automotive knowledge from? David Freiburger(Doggie Daddy)and his sidekick Steve(Augie Doggie). I wouldn't trust neither of them to take out my trash. I never watch any of those stupid car shows that is geared towards the uninformed and have never brought a issue of Hot Rod magazine either.
Nobody here is bashing the OP's choice. It's YOU GUYS that are full of it giving bad advice from where, the internet, Engine Masters TV show, or now AI? You do know Freiburger in the pocket of his sponsors. I'm not Tinkerbell spreading pixie dust. I call it like I see it and being realistic. I do think a 200-4r is okay behind a plain Jane L-48 with a shift kit. Behind the horsepower the OP is making, no way! You guys love to spend other peoples money on the BS you read. Recommending a expensive $3000 rebuild only to have it fail in a few years. I hear it already, I got 200,000 miles on mine without any problems. Unless the person driving it has a vagina, I say BS. If you read one of my above post I recommend a shift kit, front and rear seals, and a filter. That it. What's that going to cost? A $100 and a afternoon worth of work? Personally I would stick with the 350 hydramatic which is a good, very reliable unit. I want to know that if I choose to rip on my car a 100 miles from my house, I can do it with confidence.
My goal here is to help C3 owners to have a positive and enjoyable experience with their cars. These expensive, useless recommendations will only lead to owners to leave the C3 car hobby. BTW as a child I watched Augie doggy.

 

Let me give you some advice. You of all people should not be giving any advice. You shoot from the hip and you are wrong a lot. Other members correct you. I've corrected you too. Like the Mass air flow sensor that needs to be cleaned on Crossfire injection car.

 

Again why so negative? Why the insults? And whats with the push to prove your opinion as the only correct one? What "bad advice" did I give in this thread? I have a 2004r in my car now I'm literally installing this week. I watch a lot of automotive tv, even vice grip garage and just because I do so doesnt mean I completly agree with the ideology or mentality behind everything they do or say or the approach they may take. There is a lot of useful information of these shows if you know what to take from it and what not to they are kinda like forums. as far as Freiburger being in the pocket of sponsers you clearly arent very familiar with his former shows. They dont push any brands that im aware of and if they do they aren't doing a good job of it clearly by using old used junk most of the time.. I think your thinking of hot rod garage... Doesnt matter motor trend and hot rod garage is belly up along with all those shows. engine master was a solid show in my opinion but I never took anything they found in their testing as gospel.

 

It very well maybe true that the 2004r is not as strong as a non overdrive th350 or the th400 In fact Id count on it. The fact remains though that its often recommended for an overdrive swap because it works great for what many here use these antique cars for as it dramatically improves the street driving experience and it wasnt that long ago that you yourself were considering using one. I know folks that think the C3 corvette is the dana 44 of musclecar era sportcars/ grand touring cars so fair enough..I guess the point should be made that the dana 44 is not an issue for a huge portion of corvette owners either..

If I did race my car or take it to the drag strip I would not be installing one.