trans swap

[Armo67]

I'm still deciding on where I am going to take my upcoming build, and had a few questions on transmission setups.

my 67 c30 has a 350 and a 4 speed manual in it. I'd like to make it an automatic. would I be better of getting a th350 or a th400?

I was also thinking about adding a gear vendors overdrive to whichever one I decide to go with rather than a trans with an OD since I have both the th350 and th400 readily available to me.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Armo67

I'm still deciding on where I am going to take my upcoming build, and had a few questions on transmission setups.

my 67 c30 has a 350 and a 4 speed manual in it. I'd like to make it an automatic. would I be better of getting a th350 or a th400?

I was also thinking about adding a gear vendors overdrive to whichever one I decide to go with rather than a trans with an OD since I have both the th350 and th400 readily available to me.

But have you priced a GV unit? OD auto may work out to be more economical. .. just my .02
Posted via Mobile Device

[vidman]

A 400 and the Gear Venders OD is pretty much a bullet proof combo, It would be pretty hard to break either one of them with a 350 in front of them..

[Armo67]

From what I am looking at, the CV units run about $2800.

I was more wondering which would be the better trans for this application though.

[Armo67]

Appreciate the input guys! I was leaning towards the 400 as it was. I'm just trying to get all my ducks in a row and figuring out my overall game plan before I go grabbing parts and pieces.

[vidman]

Either one will work just fine, But the 400 is the stronger of the two..

[Armo67]

ok, I've been getting a lot of flak at home and work for my wanting to go 400 w/GV OD. mostly for the money aspect of it.

even though I am more than likely to go with the 400 cause it's my truck and I'm going to do my thing. if I was to go with a OD auto trans what would be the best one to look at for the c30? a 700r4?

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by Armo67

ok, I've been getting a lot of flak at home and work for my wanting to go 400 w/GV OD. mostly for the money aspect of it.

even though I am more than likely to go with the 400 cause it's my truck and I'm going to do my thing. if I was to go with a OD auto trans what would be the best one to look at for the c30? a 700r4?

So here comes my 2 cents' worth. To avoid computers/controllers, you have 2 choices--the 700R4 and the 2004R: and, yes the "R"'s are in different places. It seems most vote on the 700R4 being the stronger of the 2. But, I also think this could be because "it was stated somewhere and lotsa even unknowing folks passed that opinion forward". If the 2004R had been promoted first, it may now hold the bigger vote.

So, which one for you? IMO, the final outcome depends more on who builds it. Just think, one of the fastest production cars by GM was the Buick Grand National, turbo'd and all. Guess which tranny GM used for this application? .......the 2004R!

My final analysis would be that I'd vote for you to choose the 700R4 ONLY due to its lower 1st gear and your heavier 1-ton truck. Also, just a maybe interesting side bit of info--I use a 700R4 in my '66 C-10, and like it 'within its stock* limits'. (*I assume it is stock, but really cannot be sure because it was given to me by a friend who had bought a donor 1990 Camaro from the bone yard when converting his S-10 Blazer to V-8. He used the 'maro [305, I think it was] engine along with his stock, V-6 Blazer tranny, & then gave me the 'maro tranny! Neither of us knew if it would even change gears, but for the price, I'd chance that all day long!)
Good luck with your build, and as always, HAVE FUN.
Sam

[Tx Firefighter]

A C30 that you use like a truck ? A working 1 ton is gonna stress out a 700r4 or 200-4r.

4L80e. It's a bulletproof overdrive that came in duallys and other heavy trucks.

They are plenty speedy to buy though. That Gear Vendors on your Turbo 400 would likely wind up as cheap.
Posted via Mobile Device

[MARKDTN]

Originally Posted by luvbowties

...Just think, one of the fastest production cars by GM was the Buick Grand National, turbo'd and all. Guess which tranny GM used for this application? .......the 2004R!....

The 700R4 got a bad name early on, by the time it was done it was a very good transmission. You MUST adjust the TV cable properly before it starts the first time. Many an early hotrodder thought it was a kickdown like a TH350 and didn't hook it up at all-and promptly burned up a transmission. The 4L60E is an electronic 700R4 and they are very reliable. My '01 Tahoe 4L60E has 250K+ miles and never had a transmission. My '83 K20 700R4 went 80K miles pulling trailers before it ate the pump. I have an '88 up core now and I am almost another 100k more.

The 200R4 is strong-IF you build it with all kinds of good parts. If you throw the power to a bone stock one it will not last. GM never used a 200R4 behind anything bigger than the "mighty" 307 Olds. Corvettes and TPI Camaros and SS454 trucks all got 700R4 trans.

[1971_c10]

I'd recommend a 700R4 as an option if you are going to the trouble of adding OD to 400 or something like that. I've got a couple friends who have transmissions from these guys:

http://www.transmissioncenter.net/pe...automotive.htm

(read the whole page, tons of info. options pricing all the way at the bottom)

Friends love them. I just got mine installed and the truck back together. Getting ready to put it on the road this weekend or next (if I can get a day off work ).

Just give them a call and talk to the guys in the tech/sales dept. They will set you up with a custom build or off the shelf unit, whatever you want. tell them your build, how much HP and what RPM and they pick the rest. 2wd or 4wd, race/towing. doesn't matter.

My truck was originally 3 on the tree. The swap to the 700R4 wasn't really too hard. I actually just used a crossmember from a truck with auto and made some simple mods due to the slight length differences between a 700R4 and a 350.

and by the time you build a 400 and add an OD unit, your cost is about that of fairly well built 700R4.

Good luck! lots of choices.

[Tx Firefighter]

I'm a fan of the fortified 700r4 or 200-4r myself, but this guy has a 1 ton truck. If he uses it like a 1 ton, he's gonna be leaning real hard on any 700r4 or 200-4r, no matter how beefed up. GM used turbo 400s then 4L80s in the heavy duty applications.
Posted via Mobile Device

[1971_c10]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I'm a fan of the fortified 700r4 or 200-4r myself, but this guy has a 1 ton truck. If he uses it like a 1 ton, he's gonna be leaning real hard on any 700r4 or 200-4r, no matter how beefed up. GM used turbo 400s then 4L80s in the heavy duty applications.
Posted via Mobile Device

Point taken, but keep in mind GM did that for cost. those "heavy duty" transmissions mainly have better materials and material processing (i.e. heat treat) which cost more. no point in making 600,000 heavy duty trans for 15% of the trucks to actually need it, hence the "less capable" 350/4l60.

Anyhow, Armo67 was getting grief for cost and was curious about "standard" OD transmissions. I'd still recommend the 700R4 I posted before if he goes that route. You can get a unit rated at 750 HP/700 ft-lb torque for the cost of just the gear vendor unit. And the pain of doing the swap would be less compared to 4l80. no point in considering a 4l60 as it is just a newer 700R4. So you are basically down to a 700R4 or 4l80.

for other OD options, the same company makes 4l60/4l80 as well

4l60:
http://www.transmissioncenter.net/4l60e.htm

4l80:
http://www.transmissioncenter.net/4l80e.htm

or a built 400:
http://www.transmissioncenter.net/35...erformance.htm

just trying to provide options ...