Well in the process of going through every system in the truck and rehabbing it (I got sick of the sectioning job for now and hadda work on something else for a bit) Anyway I tore the ol rusty trust t-350 down and found a bucket of clutch material and metal in it....pump is sloppy input is galled....its beyond toast (worked fine, when I was still driving it...wierd I'm sure it wasnt long for this world after what I found) I havent been real easy on it in the 13 years I've been driving it, heck I twisted a 10 bolt in half with that trans.... SO in the interests of "fuel economy" (which really isnt the reason I'm looking at this....more for the lower RPM's on the highway) I'm looking at a built full lockup 200R4 trans mainly cause it has the same general dimentions of the t-350...IE no driveshaft cutting.... BUT I have a tri-power set up that aint goin anywhere, I've searched here and the net and havent found squat....anyone succesfully use one and integrate the TV cable into the tri-power? Or is it futile? Yeah I know it aint trad, but I'm goin for drivability without beating up the engine on the long hauls...plus the full lockup looks good on the gas bill too.... Suggestions, pics, ideas etc? Or stay with the proven t-350?
TV cable just needs a place for the bracket to bolt to and a place for the cable to connect so it can run without binding anywhere. A tri-power runs the center carb as a primary and the end carbs as secondaries, so other than running it around the linkage to the rear carb, it should be no different than any other hookup.
Agreed with rustyNY, Find an olds 307 powered G body [regal, monte carlo, GP, etc] in a junk yard. Those have the TV cable and a carbed engine. It should not be too dificult adapting the bracket to work off the center carb. Good luck with it!
I set mine up on a 2X2 sitting on an inline, anything can be done. Go to Bow-tie overdrive, it will show everything you need to make your own setup.http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/index.shtml
sweet, thx for the link.....I'll be the first to admit I'm a idiot about OD auto-trans that have that TV cable thingy....I'll have to read up on that.....
You'll like the 200r4,deeper low gear,etc,etc. The one in my Grand National Buick was still going strong at 170K miles when I sold it.
you might want to look into tci's constant pressure valve body. no tv cable adjustments to worry about , you still use it only it is for shift points only no chance of burning it up.I have one in my 700r4 and it works great.
Now what would be the difference between the Constant pressure valve body and a full lockup converter? I've not heard or ready about the first option (and I been all over the TCI site....I must be blind as well as deaf)
The constant pressure valve body and the lock up converter are two different things. The cpvb keeps the clutches from burning because of low pressure and the lock up converter is just that, locks the converter up so it doesn't so the slip thing in high gear. I just put a 2004r behind my 500 cadillac and it works great. They have a closer gear ration than the 700 r4 and a higher overdrive. The motor just loafs now at about 80 and still pulls hard from the git go. Little bit of research will explain the tv cable, its not rocket science. The one thing people don't realize is that the cable attachment at the carb has to be approx. 1.10 inch radius to give the cable the correct travel length. A nomally open pressure switch ( all 700 r4 have them) and vacum switch will let you control the lock up without the computer. It's really pretty simple. Go for it, you'll like it.
If you want to buy a kit try bow tie overdrives, they do alot of gto setups. otherwise just make your own bracket. just do like uncleaud says and get the tv cable throw right, it affects line pressure. Also get one of the electric lockup controls or pirate one out of an early olds or buick- the early ones have a vaccuum converter control to unlock the converter. after you put in the 200r4 you'll never go back to a th350. deeper first and a deep overdrive.... its just asking to hit 10mpg
Thanks for all the insight, YeaH I wasnt concerned that it would be rocket science so much as the whole "your gonna burn that thing up if you dont get it right" thing....I been rebuildin t350's successfully for a pair of years now (10 of em under my belt....mainly for friends) and know em well... But that 200R4 sure looks good with the lower ratio 1st and the better gas, lower R's up top....I'm likin the hell outta that...
got a stock one in my cutlass i like the lower 1st gear,in town i run it in third(got 2.41 gears) keeps from lugging it. cjc
The Jalopy Journal
