200r4 Transmission

admin



Speedometer Gear Chart 200-4R. After changing rear end gears or tire diameter you will likely need to swap one or both speedometer gears to keep the speedometer reading correct. To determine which speedometer gears are needed, you need to know two things, tire diameter and rear end gear ratio. GM 2004R transmission for sale. Level 2 torque converter included; dyno-verified; custom-built with heavy duty high-performance parts made in the USA.

The 200-4R is a transmission that was manufactured by General Motors for the 1981 model year. It is a the lesser known of the two overdrive transmissions made by GM in 1980’s, and is still considered part of the Turbo-Hydramatic series. The 200-4R is very similar to the 700R4, although there are some differences between the two of them. The TH200-4R has the smaller footprint of the two, and is very similar in size to the TH350. This allowed it to easily be used in vehicles designed with the TH350 in mind.

The 200-4R is a popular transmission swap for muscle car restorations to add the overdrive option & to update to a modern transmission. Converting from a Turbo 350 or Turbo 400 3-speed to the 200-4R Monster transmission may also increase the value of your vehicle.

It was produced with the usual Chevrolet bellhousing bolt pattern, but was also produced with the Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac patterns as well. The 200-4R has a reputation as being the weaker of the 200-4R/700R4 siblings. There may be some truth to that. But a 200-4R from the end of its production run is going to be a lot more dependable than an early 700R4 and vice versa. Just keep that in mind. Also, it’s a no brainer when it comes to aftermarket transmissions. Just look at the torque capacity that they offer and go from there. As long as you go with someone reputable, the issue of these transmissions inherit effects have been ironed out for quite a long time. All 200-R4’s utilize a mechanical speedometer gear. This makes swapping it into a vintage muscle car even easier.

The best factory 200-4R transmissions can be found in the Monte Carlo SS and Oldsmobile 442 that were released in 1986 and 1987. They all came with locking torque converters. This allowed for no slipping of the transmission at highway speeds. This allowed for further economy improvements. The 200-4R really was not a necessary compliment to the 700R4. They both achieved the same function. It’s main reason for existence at all was to fit into the engine bays of existing models that the 700R4 could not accommodate.

[the_ad id=”1070″]

2004R Specs

  • Fluid Capacity: 11 Quarts
  • Speedometer type: Mechanical
  • Pan Bolts use 13mm heads
    Manufacturer: General Motors
    Production: 1981 through 1990
    Type: 3 Speed Automatic
    Gear Ratios:First- 2.74:1

    Second- 1.57:1

    Third- :1

    Fourth- .67:1

    Reverse- 2.07:1

    Input Shaft: 27 spline

    Output Shaft: 27 spline

    Torque Converter Lock: Yes
    Overdrive: Yes
    Case Length: 27 11/16”
    Outer Case Material: Aluminum, fused with bellhousing
    Controlled by Computer: No. It’s controlled by a TV Cable and a locking torque converter. More on that below.
    Weight: Roughly 118 pounds with no torque converter or ATF

    Pan Bolts use 13mm heads

    Fluid Capacity 11 quarts

TV Cable

The 200-4R Transmission uses a Throttle Valve or “TV” Cable just like the 700R4. Sometimes it is referred to as the detent cable. The TV cable serves as a combination of kick down cable and throttle position sensor. Adjusting the TV cable is a relatively simple process. It involves pressing a half-moon looking button that changes the geometry between the transmission and throttle blade. Here is a great write-up on the TV cable and adjusting it. It is very old and simple but tells you exactly what you need to know regarding adjustment and how exactly it works.

Many people have complained about the reliability of the 200-4R. These transmissions will wear out before they otherwise would if the cable is not properly adjusted. If you are swapping into a vehicle that was not originally equipped with the 200-4R, make sure that your detent cable matches your throttle bracket, which should also match your carburetor or fuel injection.

200r4 Transmission For Sale

Adjusting the TV Cable can be quite the challenge. Here is a good resource on how to perform that adjustment. http://www.tciauto.com/media/custom/upload/700R4-2004R_TVCableAdj.pdf

[the_ad id=”1070″]

200-4R Gear Ratios

  • First: 2.74
  • Second: 1.57
  • Third: 1.00
  • Fourth(Overdrive): 0.67
  • Reverse: 2.07

200r4 Transmission Specs

200-4R Identification

The 200-4R uses a 16 bolt pan. If you are able to count the pan bolts, it is far and away the easiest way to identify it. At this point you should be confident that you are looking at either a 700R4 or a 200-4R. The pans look wildly different and will make identification a snap from here. The 200-4R pan gets smaller toward the end, whereas the 700R4 is almost a perfect square. Owing to the fact that they have very similar dimensions, the 200-4R is often mistaken for the TH350. Be aware that the TH350 has 13 bolts, and a more square transmission pan. You’ll also notice the TV Cable coming from it. The TH350 has a modulator to the right of the tail shaft if you are looking at it from the back.

Frequently asked questions about 200-4R

  • What is the fluid capacity? The total fluid capacity of the 200-4R is 11 quarts. Roughly 4 of them are going to be the fluid that you put into the converter. Certainly there can be some minor differences between applications. Some transmission come with high-capacity pans. Some have had an aftermarket transmission cooler installed. That can be good for an extra quart unto itself. The good news is that is why there is a dipstick, so just make sure you aren’t over capacity.
  • What are the differences between the 200-4R and 700R4? There are as many differences as there are similarities between these two transmissions. They both were released in the early 80’s as an answer to publics desire for cars with better fuel economy. They do not have the same gearing. The 2.74 first gear in the 200-4R is much closer to the TH350(2.52) than the 700R4(3.06). The TH350 and 200-4R share both the same length of 27 11/16″ and width at the bellhousing of 19 1/8″. They both also share the same 27 spline output shaft as well. This makes the 200-4R nearly a bolt in replacement of the TH350 and certainly takes less effort than the 700R4 does to swap in. The overdrive gear on the 200-4R is also more aggressive(.67 vs .70), which allows the engine to turn 3% slower down the highway.
  • Is the 200-4R computer controlled? No, it is not.
  • Can I use my old speedometer cable? The 200-4R utilized a mechanical speedometer for its entire production run. So, you should have no issue using it with an old mechanical speedometer. Just be aware that you may need to change the gearing on the speedometer cable in order to get the speedometer to read properly.

I think I just tore up my second 200-R4 transmission running back and forth to the NSRA street rod show in York, Pennsylvania. I had a Turbo 400 in my ‘33 Ford and wanted to swap it for a 4 speed automatic. This is purely a street car and I don’t beat on it (much) or race it. I opted for a 200-4R as it was similar in size to the TH400.

200r4 transmission specs

It was a pretty simple swap. Problem is I’m running a Fast EFI system on my 350 Chevy motor and no one makes the throttle geometry adapter so the detent cable pulls correctly. So I bought a different kit and made my own. I thought I got it right and it seemed to work fine but on the way home the trans started makes noises and began slipping on steeper climbs so I guess I took out the clutches, again. I’m not about to pull the FI and go back to a carburetor so I need another trans.

200r4 Transmission For Sale Ebay

No more TV cables which leaves me with a 4L60E. Will that bolt right up to my 350 motor? I see TCI makes a controller/cable that’s compatible with the FAST ECU module. Will I need a special flex plate and or converter? Can you tell me exactly what parts I need or can you point me to someone or a company where I can purchase the right components. –-M.S.

Jeff Smith: The TV cable problem is likely the issue with your 200-4R. I like your decision to go to the 4L60E and I think you will find that while this will cost some additional coin, this is the best way to go. Besides the cost of the transmission the only other major investment will be in a trans controller. TCI has the EZ-TCU controller but a controller that I have some experience with and that I really like is the CompuShift Sport controller available through HGM Electronics..

200r4 Transmission For Sale

I’ve installed one on a friend’s car and helped him tune it and it’s been controlling the 4L60E trans in his car for over a year and he loves it. The CompuShift Sport is also affordable and instead of a hand-held box, it uses a wireless Bluetooth connection to your smart phone for all the input. If you don’t have a smart phone then this may not be the way to go, but we’ve used it and it works great. We’ve also included a list of the other transmission controllers if you’d like to shop around.

As forthe transmission, GM started using the 4L60E in 1993 in trucks and othervehicles and those were one-piece rear main seal small-block Chevys so look forthat application. There are tons of LS-application 4L60E transmissions outthere as well. One way to tell them apart is to look for a trans with asmall-block Chevy bellhousing bolt pattern and that might have an integratedbellhousing, but the trans I used for my story had a separate bellhousing evenwith small-block bolt pattern.

I did a two-part story in Chevy High Performance magazine that outlines improvements for the 4L60E using mostly Sonnax and TCI parts and that trans is now behind my buddy’s 460ci Rat El Camino and it works great.

Other pieces you will need include a different slip yoke to hook to your driveshaft and likely you will have to change driveshaft lengths because the 4L60E is about 2 inches longer than the 200-4R. You will not be able to use the 200-4R’s torque converter as they do no interchange – but you wouldn’t want to do that even if they did unless you cut it apart to clean it. All that junk that went into the converter makes it not worth the risk. You should also consider cleaning your trans cooler as well or at least flush it before running the new trans.

The bolt pattern for the torque converter should be the same – assuming you have a multiple pattern converter flex plate. The best thing to do is choose a converter and then match the converter to the flexplate before you bolt everything up to ensure the converter will fit properly. Your shifter will work with the 4L60E no problem.

200r4 Transmission Tci

You didn’t mention if you had a lockup converter with the 200-4R but with the 4L60E I would recommend one as you can choose exactly when you want the converter to lockup and in which gear. On the 4L60E we did for the El Camino, we decided to lock up the converter after 50 mph in fourth gear only. You could choose to do that in third gear if you like. We found that with a loose converter, the rpm drop going into fourth gear was less than the drop when we locked up the converter. Each car reacts differently and the beauty is you can easily make changes.

I thinkthis is a great plan and you will be very happy with how well your car shiftswith the 4L60E mainly because you can make changes to shift quality andharshness just by with a couple of touches on your smart phone! There are someadvantages to all this technology we have now!