Anyone have any experience with one?? I'm thinking of trading out my 3spd for one. Any unexpected problems, such as those with the 700r4? Tks

Brandon

 

Brandon,
I've stuffed a Bowtie Overdrives 200-4r into my '81 & it's excellent. Best thing I've ever done to the Vette, by far. I've had no problems at all with it but it's crucial that you set up the TV cable correctly as, if not, you're open to possible expensive problems. I used a 200-4r instead of the 700 as installation was easier (no driveshaft mods needed) & I prefered the more even gear spacing of the 200.
:cheers:

 

Got one and lovin it. With a 3.90 reargear and the 200's 2.74 1st the launchs from stopped are real good. In 4th gear with convertor locked im revin 2250rpm@65mph on the highway. Hands down the best mod ive done to the vette. Worth every penny.

 

Either a 700r4 or a 2004r can be made tough enough to do what you want.
The 700 has a lower rotating mass tho.

 

The main advantage of O/D is for lower rear gears. If someone is not going to install lower gears, then the trans. can be fitted w/ 2.75 first gears which effectively lowers rear gear in 1st. 200R4 has better gear spacing than the 700R4.


Have a modified 200R4 & 3.73 posi. in 88 SS hot rod.

 

i'm going to put one in my work truck,first, what dia. or size tire are you guys running ????

 

I'm putting mine in this week!
Call bowtieoverdrives...they're easy to work with

 

I love mine
http://hometown.aol.com/bmclau5079/page4.html :D

 

These of guys are better than BTO


http://www.2004rperformancecenter.com/
http://www.ckperformance.com/

And go here for the straight poopie

http://www.turbobuick.com/

 

Paul...what are the expensive problems you refer to?...and...
Do you have any TV tips to avoid them?

Should be putting mine in over the next couple of days!

 

The TV Made EZ system is highly recommended. I tried to do it without it -- not. You'll know when the setting is too tight or loose. When it's too loose, the car shifts way too soon. If it's too tight, shifts will be high and very, very hard. And the difference can be one click in either direction! :yesnod:

 

As Page ( :seeya ) said, getting the TV cable adjustment wrong is the problem. If it's set up so that the line pressure is low(?) the clutches will be slipping, wearing out & generating a lot of heat. This will get expensive if left unchecked! The Bowtie instructions & website give all the info & I found that their pressure gauge was very useful. You'll be able to set up the TV cable perfectly with the added bonus of knowing that it's correct.
Only 2 things that I can think of for an install not covered in their comprehensive instructions:

The first is getting to the 2 bolts at the top of the transmission. Rather trying to get to them from the side by getting your hand up the tunnel, drop the rear of the tranny down as far as you can (careful with the dizzy if you've left it in place) & then use a socket wrench with some long extension bars to get to the bolts from above the rear of the tranny (so the extansions pass over the top of the tranny). Makes getting those bolts out/in so much easier.

The second thing (& this one caused me no end of grief) is the dipstick/filler tube. If you've got all the wiring, vacuum pipes, etc still in place then getting the tranny in with the tube fitted is near impossible unless you've got somebody you trust to guide it up past the firewall. It's a one man job to fit the tranny with the tube not fitted & then fit the tube once the tranny is loosely bolted in place (leave the rear mount off as you may need to raise/lower everything to guide the tube into place). Once you've got the tube in you'll very likely find that it's mounting tab nowhere near lines up with the tranny to engine bolt. Before fitting the tranny, fit the filler tube to it & bend it's mounting tab so that the hole lines up with the bolt. You'll be kicking yourself if you don't!!! Don't ask how I know this....
Good luck with the installation & you're just gonna love the result :thumbs:
:cheers:

 

ukpaul , whats a dizzy???? :crazy:

 

dipstick.

 

Ganey, jvette73, & UKPaul. Do you guys really put the wood to your 200's? Like slicks and power brake starts after a big smoke burn out?

I just don't believe that either of those two trannys hold up well unless they have lots of hot rod money put into them. For that matter I don't think that hopped up TH350's even last very long.

I do agree that the 200R4 gear spacing is much better than a 700

 

thanks on define. i couldn't figure out that one , a lot of terms i can get if i
think hard enough :lolg: :lolg: :lolg:

 

comp,
Dizzy = Distributor. A lot of people think that it's a shortening of the word, but that's a fallacy. It's called a dizzy from back in the 60's when we were lumbered with Lucas electrics. People would spend so much time watching the distributer rotor go round while they were trying to figure out why there was no spark at the plugs (but plenty of them up their arm if they touched anything) that they got a bit dizzy :)

gkull,
The tranny is sitting behind my L81 motor which is unlikely to be putting out anywhere near the power you've got, although I've done a few minor mods to improve it. Late last summer I was practising power brake starts & it's had lots of WOT runs with no problems. It's a level 2 build up which should handle about 400 - 450 hp & lbft. There's a L3 build from Bowtie which will handle even more power & I've seen other specialists quoting respectable figures, but I doubt if I'll ever get those sorts of power levels out of the engine, so went with the L2. As it is, after spending a year with it fitted, I've got every confidence in it. It performs faultlessly & I suspect having a transmission cooler fitted helps it out. If I was to fit a fire breathing motor with twin turbos & NOS things might be different, but if they can handle Buick GN's then I've no doubt that a late C3 SBC shouldn't be a problem for one. I hope!
:cheers:

 

I always thought the 700 was a little heavier duty than the 200. Do you have any more info on this?

 

ukpaul , I GOT IT,,,, been there done that :banghead: :banghead: :lolg: :lolg:
i was under the impression the 200 was less of a HP eater big reason GN boys
went back after running 700's when your at 9.20's you don't want to back up to 9.35-9.40's is basicly what i got from a few guy's

 

"Ganey, jvette73, & UKPaul. Do you guys really put the wood to your 200's? Like slicks and power brake starts after a big smoke burn out?"

I am pretty rough with mine but I'm only pushing about 300HP. BTO does have a level 3 that can handle more power
http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/cata....php?ITEMID=13