Well, the trans is in, motor is in, now just a lot of little things to finish up before I can test drive her for the first time since last fall. Everything when together very nicely so far. I tried to make a bracket to hold the steering column lock cable but the after I got the shifter cable setup adjusted there was no room to put the lock cable on the pin. I am going to work on it some more tomorrow. Should be able to start her up by Monday.

 

redwingvette,
I need a favour!!! :) While you've got it up in the air, could you measure something for me? I've got my custom x-member installed & bolted to the 200-4r, but don't think it's correct. The engine looks to be tilted back & the fan is touching the shroud, so I think the trans mount is too low. Could you place a straight edge between the frame rails next to your x-member & measure how far above/below the top side of the edge that the trans mount, or pan, or yoke, etc, is from it. I just need a measurement that I can use to make a spacer to fit between my x-member & tranny mount to get it back to the correct height.
:cheers:

 

Hey Paul, I know this is a dumb question, but...

Do you have a trans mount in there? It should be the standard issue GM mount, about 1.5" high, methinks. :yesnod:

 

Sorry Paul, I just came in after a loooooog day of auto shop what not to do's. Between working on th Vette and helping my friend put a 350 in a 94 Camaro, I didn't even stop for lunch/dinner. I will measure it for you tomorrow. Anyway, I did get everything back together and started her up. She pered like a kitten. Not only am I installing the 200R4 but it was the first time it has run since I bought the heads. I love it when a plan comes together. I need to contact BTO to tell me if it is ready for the road. I put it through the first set of test they want done. I am looking forward to taking it on the road.

 

redwingvette,
No lunch/dinner? I thought that was a normal weekend occurance when modifying C3's :D Good luck with your pressure tests.

Page,
Good one! :lol: I've got a mount in there, but the engine/trans is angled down like it hasn't.

OK, this is what I've found so far:

The TH350 has 2 3/4" between the centre of the O/P shaft (the shaft sticking out the back!) & a line taken from the machined flat where the mount bolts on. I haven't got the corresponding measurement for the 2004r (yet).
The mount is 1 7/8" thick.
Taking a line from the underside of the frame siderails where the x-member is bolted to, the original x-member raises the perch for the tranny mount 1/2" ie the lower edge of the tranny mount is 1/2" above the lower edge of the frame at the x-member position.
It's hard to get a corresponding measurement for the new x-member with it in place. Tonight I'll just take the whole lot off & measure it accurately. As an initial guess it would appear that the perch is just under 1/4" lower than the lower edge of the frame.
What I need to do is work out the original height of the exposed shaft of the yoke when in the Th350 with respect to the frame. Then I just need to adjust mine new mount to get the same height (I'll just make a large spacer to sit under the mount).
What would be perfect, if either of you could do it, is the distance that the lower edge of the yoke shaft is away from a line drawn between the lower edge of the frame rails. Does the pre '80 x-member hold the 200-4r at the correct height after it's been modified (not trying to worry you or anything! I just want to get this right, so any info is gratefully received). I'm feeling the need for a few...
:cheers:

 

The pre-'80 x-member does indeed hold the tranny at the right height. In fact (don't kill me for this, Paul), I recall hearing tales of '80-and-up owners using a pre-'80 x-member to install the 200-4R...

I think redwingvette likely still has his car in the air, which should make it easier for him to do the measurement. If not, I'll drag my lazy butt under mine and measure it for you!

Go by the pub on your way home tonite and have some :cheers:

 

OK, a small package with a loud, ominous ticking sound is on it's way to you :lol:
I've sent Bowtie an email so I'll see if they come back with anything. Failing that I'll have to take the whole lot off & measure the new x-member & transmission & work out the height difference. The only snag there is the angle of the dangle on the TH350: as the mount was further back, then the height of the yoke will be different from the 5 1/8" above the frame lower edge that I measured due to basic trig. Hopefully redwingvette is in a position to measure his. Then again, if he's got his exhausts fitted it could be awkward to do.
Best suggestion I've heard in weeks!
:cheers:

 

Sorry for the delay. I measured from the trans base (the mounting surface for the mount) down to the surface where the crossmember bolts to the frame. I got 2 7/8". Hope this helps.

 

redwingvette,
Excellent :D Thanks for doing that for me. Can I verify exactly the measurement (I want to get this right!):

If a straight edge is placed under the chassis between the points where the x-member bolts on, then the mounting face on the tranny is 2 7/8" above this line? Or was the straight edge run across the frame directly below the mounting point on the tranny?

And are you (& Page :seeya ) both positive that the driveshaft yoke is now at exactly the same height as it was with the original TH350???

I haven't measured by new x-member & tranny yet as there's a lot of work involved to do it (half modified exhaust system tied in place for custom fabrication, etc) & I'm waiting for a reply from Bowtie. However, using "eyeball engineering", it looks like the perch on the x-member is about level with the lower edge of the frame rails. With the mount being 1 7/8" thick this makes my tranny about 1" too low :(
:cheers:

 

Here is what I did to measure it. I placed a 1 1/2" block on the frame where it bolts up to on both sides. Placed a striaght edge across at the point where the trans mount is. Measured to the mount (4 3/8"). I had a TH400 so I can't answer your question as to the TH350. It is the same height to the center of the yoke as the TH400.

 

Thanks for the info :)
And now for the next question! Does the tranny sit fairly level in the car?
Thanks again,
Paul

 

It looks fairly level looking at the pan. :crazy:

 

:thumbs:

 

I agree with redwingvette. You could practically use the "eyeball technique" to properly align the tranny.

But it's going to take a lot of fender washers under the tranny mount :smash: Or will you have a buddy with a machine shop mill you a custom billet aluminum spacer??? :D

Final thought: Is it possible Bowtie sent you a 700R4 x-member instead of a 200-4R unit?

 

Hi Page,
I did consider making spacers up on my lathe, but I'd rather have a single solid lump of metal under the mount. Once I know how much to shim it up I'll start searching for some metal.
Going by redwingvettes measurements & my guess of the current perch position, it looks like I need to shim it up in the order of 1" to put the mount at the original height. If the TH350 sloped down then the yoke would have been at a lower position than I'd shim it up to now. If possible I want to get the yoke in exactly the same position as it was with the th350. I don't want to change GMs designed UJ angles as I want this to be a "fit & forget" operation.

I was wondering if they'd sent me a x-member for a 700 by mistake. I've been on their website looking at one & it looks different to what I've got. But I couldn't see one for the 200-4r, so maybe they use a common one????

I guess the thing to do is pick on some poor unsuspecting '80/'81 owner & ask them to crawl about under their car with blocks of wood & a straight edge as redwingvette has done. It would confirm that I need an extra 1" (OK, I've heard all the jokes - mostly from my GF :lol: ) & it would be useful data for future forum members who do a tranny swap. Now then, who shall I pick on?! :confused:
:cheers:

 

Paul, Good luck with the spacers.
I have been driving around for a while and everything seems to be working "GOOD". I took my neutral safty switch apart and did some modifacations to get it to work with the new detents. I sloted the mounting holes and set it so the backup lights came on when it was in reverse. Then I took my neutral safty switch apart and did some plastic removal so the park position made the contacts. Now all I need is to get the lock cable hooked up and it will be just like it was done by someone that new what they where doing :lol: :lol: . My friend is making the bracket to hold the cable to the trans. Boy is it good to beable to drive her again. :auto: :party:

 

redwingvette,
Good to hear that it's going well :D I didn't even think about checking the backup lights, etc & spent last night putting all the center console back together! Guess my mind is pre-occupied with my sunken tranny (well, it's a good excuse ;) ). I might be spending tonight pulling it all apart again!
Still no reply from Bowtie, so I tried to do some measuring. It looks like the center of the yoke shaft is 2 1/8" above the face for the tranny mount (the measurement isnt exact as it's very hard to get to it all at the moment). The corresponding dimension for the Th350 is 2 3/4". I guess that I'll be pulling the whole damn thing apart to measure it up properly :mad
:cheers: