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96DXCivic
96DXCivic SuperDork
10/20/10 11:08 p.m.

Which one of these automatic transmissions would you chose if you had to take a GM automatic transmission (T700R4, Turbo 350, Turbo 200 or Turbo 400)? This would be behind a Chevy V8 in a Jaguar.

Junkyard_Dog
Junkyard_Dog Dork
10/20/10 11:09 p.m.

Size matters. Both in physical space and power required to turn it. iirc the V-12s had a TH400 from the factory.

Shaun
Shaun Reader
10/20/10 11:18 p.m.

96DXCivic, What do you do besides dream up topics for this chat room? I thank you, GRMS thanks you for all the topics and clicks (I reckon), the interweb thanks you, I am just curious is all.... You are relentless, I admire your spunk. Is your job kinda boring?

jstand
jstand New Reader
10/20/10 11:18 p.m.

What is the intended use for the Jaguar?

How much HP do you expect to be producing?

If highway cruising is going to be a significang portion then the 4 speed will be beneficial.

Depending on budget, the 4L60E/4L80E may be suitable, but the standalone controllers can add cost.

96DXCivic
96DXCivic SuperDork
10/20/10 11:19 p.m.

What job? I am a student and GRM message board is more interesting then homework.

96DXCivic
96DXCivic SuperDork
10/20/10 11:21 p.m.

If I get around to doing it, I want to use it as a daily driver kinda. Horsepower probably a few over 300 like basically stock LS series or LT1 engine.

Knurled
Knurled GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
10/21/10 12:25 a.m.

The 700R4/4L60 is basically a TH350 with overdrive. Same dimensions and everything, too.

The 200-4R is a TH200 with overdrive. There was only one good 200-4R and it's not common.

Of course, the 700R4 was never available with a BOP pattern. Every non-Chevy engine with overdrive used the 200-4R. People use adapter plates to mate 700R4s to BOPs, which tells you how useful the 200-4R is to the aftermarket (unless you have a Grand National).

The TH400 is the bad mammajamma. The 4L80 is a TH400 with overdrive.

96DXCivic
96DXCivic SuperDork
10/21/10 1:06 a.m.

BOP?

Knurled
Knurled GRM+ Memberand HalfDork
10/21/10 1:59 a.m.

Buick-Olds-Pontiac. (Also Cadillac)

I always thought it funny, that Chevy was the one GM make with a different bellhousing pattern, yet it's all the others that are the "oddball" pattern.

tuna55
tuna55 Dork
10/21/10 4:59 a.m.

My Dad rebuilds them for a living. He cringes when the grand national guys have him build 200s for 9s, but they go and go and go and never need rebuilds. I'd like one, personally, over the others. The only reason not to choose the OD is if you're being super cheap, super stock, super fast or want less rotating mass.

Luke
Luke SuperDork
10/21/10 5:31 a.m.

Why not a manual?

oldopelguy
oldopelguy Dork
10/21/10 6:16 a.m.

Even the short shaft 700r4 is bigger, and especially longer than the TH350. The 200R4 is the same length as a TH400, though lighter duty, and has mounting points in the same spot. With it's overall smaller dimensions it would be my go-to for the swap.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 HalfDork
10/21/10 6:20 a.m.

A Turbo 400 resides in my Dooley. I don't think you can kill them unless you drain the fluid out first. They are pretty heavy, though. TH350's hold up fine too.

GM developed the 700R4 because the 350 and 400 never broke and their dealers needed some repair orders. I had a friend with a Monte Carlo with the 305, and it munched the transmission inside of 50k miles.

Rob_Mopar
Rob_Mopar Reader
10/21/10 7:08 a.m.

The 350/350 combo is the ubiquitous swap combo. Even I've done it. A TH350 is pretty tough, and pretty simple. If you are planning on highway gears in the back and 350-ish horse it's stone ax reliable and will cruise all day long. If you are planning to run anything numerically higher than say 3.42's you'll want overdrive. Hey, it's a Jag after all.

Unless you are planning for something really stout in front of this transmission a TH400 is overkill. I have been in a TH400 equipped LeMans that accidentally got shifted into reverse at highway speeds. The car tried changing directions. Trans never complained. The rest of the car did...

The TH200 Metric trans is an abomination. I doubt there are many left on the road. The 200R4 was much better and has OD.

I don't like the gear spread on the 700R4. First is very steep and a big drop to 2nd. It's a truck trans that got put in cars. If I were going to play with a GM cruiser I'd build up a 200R4 with aftermarket parts.

tuna55
tuna55 Dork
10/21/10 8:14 a.m.
Rob_Mopar wrote: The 350/350 combo is the ubiquitous swap combo. Even I've done it. A TH350 is pretty tough, and pretty simple. If you are planning on highway gears in the back and 350-ish horse it's stone ax reliable and will cruise all day long. If you are planning to run anything numerically higher than say 3.42's you'll want overdrive. Hey, it's a Jag after all. Unless you are planning for something really stout in front of this transmission a TH400 is overkill. I have been in a TH400 equipped LeMans that accidentally got shifted into reverse at highway speeds. The car tried changing directions. Trans never complained. The rest of the car did... The TH200 Metric trans is an abomination. I doubt there are many left on the road. The 200R4 was much better and has OD. I don't like the gear spread on the 700R4. First is very steep and a big drop to 2nd. It's a truck trans that got put in cars. If I were going to play with a GM cruiser I'd build up a 200R4 with aftermarket parts.

He's right, and of course I meant 200-R4

96DXCivic
96DXCivic SuperDork
10/21/10 8:26 a.m.
Luke wrote: Why not a manual?

The pedals. The XJS was available with a manual in the later years in the US. These were ABS cars ('94 and up) and so the pedals don't work with the early cars. So basically the option is find some from the UK (since they had a manual option availabe on early cars) which is $$$$. So if anyone can help me figure out what I can do instead, I am still open to the option of a manual.

96DXCivic
96DXCivic SuperDork
10/21/10 8:33 a.m.

Actually scratch all that. I may end up modifying 3 pedals out of a junkyard car to fit and run a manual. I just wanted to keep my options open.

NGTD
NGTD HalfDork
10/21/10 9:19 a.m.

If you find a TH400 with a BOP bolt pattern they are worth their weight in gold. I had one when I was younger but I didn't realize what I had (it sat behind a 403 Olds) and I junked the car.

dean1484
dean1484 GRM+ Memberand Dork
10/21/10 9:52 a.m.
Knurled wrote: mammajamma.

Word of the week!!!

MrJoshua
MrJoshua SuperDork
10/21/10 10:09 a.m.

If you do an LS based motor get a modern trans (4L65e or 4L80e). They are cheap on craigslist, bolt right to your motor, are young enough to not need a rebuild, have overdrive, and are controlled by the computer that controls your motor. Scour craigslist for a few months and you can probably find a 4.8 or 5.3 truck motor pullout with engine, trans, and computer for sub $1000. You will probably need to swap to a non truck oil pan, intake, and accesory drive to make the motor fit the car, but that doesn't add all that much to the cost.

Mikey52_1
Mikey52_1 HalfDork
10/21/10 12:14 p.m.

I'm surprised noone's mentioned the 'universal' case tranny...it has both Chevy and BOP patterns, and requires only that one pick the right one to thread bolts through. I'm told there is a T400 uni-case, but I've only seen a T350. THAT one I have one of, in my stash. Match the converter to the flexplate and you're in bidness.

Vigo
Vigo HalfDork
10/21/10 12:21 p.m.
The only reason not to choose the OD is if you're being super cheap, super stock, super fast or want less rotating mass.

Truth!

Imo, 700r4 by a landslide because its common, cheap, easy to rebuild, has an overdrive gear, and is extremely well known. Almost anyone can build you a good 700. including me.

Travis_K
Travis_K Dork
10/21/10 1:55 p.m.

I would pick a 2004R if you are going to do a better than stock rebuild, or a TH350 otherwise. The 700R4 and 4L60 seem to be hard to get to last a long time, all the vehicles that they came in are known for premature transmisson failure.

novaderrik
novaderrik Reader
10/21/10 3:39 p.m.
1988RedT2 wrote: A Turbo 400 resides in my Dooley. I don't think you can kill them unless you drain the fluid out first. They are pretty heavy, though. TH350's hold up fine too. GM developed the 700R4 because the 350 and 400 never broke and their dealers needed some repair orders. I had a friend with a Monte Carlo with the 305, and it munched the transmission inside of 50k miles.

no Monte Carlo ever had a 700R4 from the factory. the only overdrive in the G body was the 200-4R and that wasn't until '84, with the TH200 being in most non overdrive cars, but a few of the early (78-81 or so) V8 G bodies had a TH350C trans.

someone also mentioned a TH400 behind a 403- it was probably not a TH400, but rather the long shaft TH375 that was pretty much weaker TH350 guts in a TH400 case. why GM did this is a mystery to everyone..

the way to tell a 375 from a 400 is the output shaft. the 375 uses the same smaller yoke as every other GM auto trans that isn't a TH400.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 HalfDork
10/21/10 3:53 p.m.
novaderrik wrote:
1988RedT2 wrote: A Turbo 400 resides in my Dooley. I don't think you can kill them unless you drain the fluid out first. They are pretty heavy, though. TH350's hold up fine too. GM developed the 700R4 because the 350 and 400 never broke and their dealers needed some repair orders. I had a friend with a Monte Carlo with the 305, and it munched the transmission inside of 50k miles.
no Monte Carlo ever had a 700R4 from the factory. the only overdrive in the G body was the 200-4R and that wasn't until '84, with the TH200 being in most non overdrive cars, but a few of the early (78-81 or so) V8 G bodies had a TH350C trans.

I stand corrected. It was a fourth gen car, 86, 87, or 88.

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