200-4R Behind a 340 and Reid Bellhousing Build

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clinteg

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There are various 200-4R builds on here. Some with Magnum engines, some with adapter plates between the engine block and trans, and some like this build with the bellhousing cut off and using an adapter ring to utilize a Reid SFI bellhousing. But I figured I'd start my own build thread with this particular combination listing the parts, part numbers, measurements, etc. The trans is (obviously) a 200-4R that came from some mid 80's GM vehicle. It started as a junkyard trans I picked up for $75 and I had a local guy build it for me. I supplied some parts and he supplied others. I did some of my own research and decided on some certain parts that I felt I wanted for my combo regardless if I really needed them. With less power, I wouldn't have had to spend the extra money, but for my HP level, I felt it was a good idea. So I ordered a billet forward drum and the adapter ring from Extreme Automatics and also picked up a Vasco 300M input shaft from them while I was at it. The input shafts can (not always) break around the 550hp mark with the 200-4R. The 300M input shaft is WAY overkill but I'll never have to worry about it now either. I also bought a Hughes deep pan with 700-R4 pickup (HP3880) , TransGo HD2 kit, Lokar firewall mount dipstick (1211744), etc. I left all the valve body mods and whatever else to the builder. I had him put in a manual lockup harness to lock the converter when I want to by the flip of a switch, not whenever the trans wants to lock up. I plan on only using it on the highway so that's the reason. FTI built the converter for me. Even though it's a custom built converter, they had the best price, best warranty, and a good reputation as well. Circle D was one I talked to but that converter would have cost me around $1200 for the same one FTI was going to build, but for much much less. And Circle D wasn't sure of even how to make it. I ran into this same issue with Dynamic converters and I gave up on them. Plus FTI had a better warranty anyway so I went with FTI. It's a 9.5" 4500 stall lockup. The converter spacing typically is 6.00" IIRC for a normal GM setup. But with the Mopar conversion, it's somewhere around 6.5". So they built the converter at 6.25" spacing and sent .25" spacers to take care of the rest if there was still a gap to the flywheel. The Flex plate is a JW 564-93009-LC which is the lightweight version. The crank adapter is also JW and is the 80012 part number. I don't plan on actually swapping until winter so this will be a slow thread.







































 
Looks like a lot of work.
Was there a specific reason you had for using the GM trans over a bolt in Chrysler model?
Just curious.
 
Looks like a lot of work.
Was there a specific reason you had for using the GM trans over a bolt in Chrysler model?
Just curious.

Yes several reasons. No need to alter the transmission tunnel. The trans fits as is. The .67 overdrive is better than most 4 speed autos I've seen plus it has deeper first gear than a 727. Better at the track! All the conversion parts are available, these transmissions have been built and proven to hold up to 1000 HP, practically no electronics are there to make the transmission work since it's mostly all mechanical, and nearly every single person who has done this conversion has said "Best money I've spent on my Mopar, and I've spent a lot". I looked at all the different swaps and I liked this one the best. It may seem like a lot of work, but I'd almost bet it's not much worse, if any, than any other overdrive swap. Welding in the US Car Tool crossmember will be the most difficult part probably, and that should be a breeze. Once you have all the conversion parts and crossmember in place, it's a bolt in swap. Mostly what is needed for this swap is research.
 
Yes several reasons. No need to alter the transmission tunnel. The trans fits as is. The .67 overdrive is better than most 4 speed autos I've seen plus it has deeper first gear than a 727. Better at the track! All the conversion parts are available, these transmissions have been built and proven to hold up to 1000 HP, practically no electronics are there to make the transmission work since it's mostly all mechanical, and nearly every single person who has done this conversion has said "Best money I've spent on my Mopar, and I've spent a lot". I looked at all the different swaps and I liked this one the best. It may seem like a lot of work, but I'd almost bet it's not much worse, if any, than any other overdrive swap. Welding in the US Car Tool crossmember will be the most difficult part probably, and that should be a breeze. Once you have all the conversion parts and crossmember in place, it's a bolt in swap. Mostly what is needed for this swap is research.

Sounds like almost exactly the same features and functions as the 42RH OD.
I'm sure yours will be nice as well.
 
Yeah, the 42RH can handle realHP. I'm close to 600 with Drag radials too. I should be done with mine within the next few weeks too.

Keep us posted Clint. More options, better for everyone.
 
Can the 42RH handle any real hp? I think Clint is pushing close to 600hp and has drag radials

Seeing as it normally is used in a vehicle with 1000 lbs more weight and has 5000lb tow capacity, and is basically a 904 with a factory OD on the back it has all the same capabilities for parts availability and upgrades for power as a standard 3 speed 904.

Oh, Fred was posting at the same time. :D
 
The tunnel does have to be significantly modified for the 42RH though, right? I know the cross member has to be modified with both, but seems like the 2004-r would be easier? (just my sense)
 
Nice! I have had mine in for five hard years and it finally gave me trouble this year. I had it rebuilt and I just got the message that it is done and I am putting it back in this weekend. I have spent so much money on my Dart and this transmission is by far the best money I have spent. No tunnel mods, very little cross member cutting, and a .67 overdrive. I drive 80 mph at 2800 rpm now. And it tears up the track with better gearing than any Mopar transmission. Good choice and you will love it. I like your bellhousing better than mine ... I used a TCI adapter plate that was bigger than my first apartment. I had to cut it down a lot!
 
Maybe I missed it but who cut off the original bellhousing and how did you determine how much to cut? I plan to use this transmission on my Dart restoration.
 
The tunnel does have to be significantly modified for the 42RH though, right? I know the cross member has to be modified with both, but seems like the 2004-r would be easier? (just my sense)

Not so much as a dent in the tunnel, just the cross over top channel and under with the fabbed bracket.
I have about 450 into mine and that's transmission, shift kit and all.
 
Can you/would you breakdown the cost?

I'll see if I can come up with a list. It's not going to be cheap I can tell you that! Lol

Nice! I have had mine in for five hard years and it finally gave me trouble this year. I had it rebuilt and I just got the message that it is done and I am putting it back in this weekend. I have spent so much money on my Dart and this transmission is by far the best money I have spent. No tunnel mods, very little cross member cutting, and a .67 overdrive. I drive 80 mph at 2800 rpm now. And it tears up the track with better gearing than any Mopar transmission. Good choice and you will love it. I like your bellhousing better than mine ... I used a TCI adapter plate that was bigger than my first apartment. I had to cut it down a lot!

Yep I recall seeing that thread. Hated seeing the trouble you had but at least you're getting it back together soon. I really thought about using the plate but I really should have an SFI bell running at the track. So instead of using a blanket or shield, I opted to cut the factory bell and use the Reid bell since I needed to spend the money for a shield one way or another and I know the Reid will fit. That made the decision easy for me.

Maybe I missed it but who cut off the original bellhousing and how did you determine how much to cut? I plan to use this transmission on my Dart restoration.

A local guy I know built the trans and cut the bell off with a sawzall and angle grinder. He did a pretty dang good job of it. You cut until the adapter ring can be bolted to the pump housing and you're left with a small gap. Extreme Automatics uses a mill and they cut theirs with a .010 gap remaining between the housing and ring.

Here's what it started as.





I actually bought 3 at the same time so I'll have a backup. These cores are getting hard to find and transmission shops typically will charge a $200 core fee on a built unit. Used ones at swap meets they go for $100 as cores.



nice set up---what shifter are you using

Bought a PPP shifter for this setup

 
They are great transmissions once built, and having the lock-up converter is like having 5th gear, especially with a high stall converter. I love mine. Best money spent on the car's drivetrain, next to an EFI'd 408" stroker.

Heart (Medium).png
 
Here's a short list of the main parts that are in this build.

Transmission - $COST ($600 in my build not including parts below)
Reid Bellhousing - $370 (bought for $250)
FTI Converter ~ $800
Trans-Go HD2 Kit - $135
EA Adapter Plate - $310
EA Forward Billet Drum - $375
US Car Tool Cross Member - $200
TV Cable - $COST
TV Corrector Kit - $25
Rubber Trans Mount - $COST
PPP Shifter - $250
JW Flywheel 93009-LC - $270
JW Crank Adapter 80012 - $80
Hughes Pan HP3880 - $210
Lokar Dipstick 1211744 - $135
Driveshaft shortened- $COST
 
Pay close attention to the machined area at the bottom of the bellhousing when you install the converter - I had to do quite a bit of grinding in this area to get the converter to bottom out. If your bellhousing is the same as mine, you'll have to do this so that you can get an accurate converter to flywheel clearance measurement.
 
Pay close attention to the machined area at the bottom of the bellhousing when you install the converter - I had to do quite a bit of grinding in this area to get the converter to bottom out. If your bellhousing is the same as mine, you'll have to do this so that you can get an accurate converter to flywheel clearance measurement.


I had to clearance my adapter ring at the lowest portion of the ring to allow for converter clearance too. No big deal with a carbide burr and a die grinder, but absolutely necessary.
 
I had to shim the converter to the flexplate. They want it pulled away from the transmission at least 1/8 and no more than 3/16. Since I have the TCI adapter plate I needed to shim it. I just got it all in late Saturday night, filled it and bolted down the converter with the longer bolts I needed to buy, and ran it through the gears. Tonight I am aligning it and test driving it. It will be good to drive it again.
 
I had to shim the converter to the flexplate. They want it pulled away from the transmission at least 1/8 and no more than 3/16. Since I have the TCI adapter plate I needed to shim it. I just got it all in late Saturday night, filled it and bolted down the converter with the longer bolts I needed to buy, and ran it through the gears. Tonight I am aligning it and test driving it. It will be good to drive it again.

I was advised to take it easy on the throttle for the first 50 miles of stop and go city-type driving to let the bands and clutches seat a bit.
 
I had to shim the converter to the flexplate. They want it pulled away from the transmission at least 1/8 and no more than 3/16. Since I have the TCI adapter plate I needed to shim it. I just got it all in late Saturday night, filled it and bolted down the converter with the longer bolts I needed to buy, and ran it through the gears. Tonight I am aligning it and test driving it. It will be good to drive it again.


I noticed that with the TCI adapter TCI sent spacers to go between the flex plate and the converter in order to get sufficient front pump engagement. This pulls the converter out of the pilot bushing in the crankshaft adapter. With the spacers installed the button on the front of the converter just barely engages into the crank adapter. I recently "special" ordered a new converter with 3/16" longer converter button and 3/16" taller converter bolt mounting blocks so that I could remove the spacers. This way you get good solid front pump engagement and good crank shaft pilot engagement!!

treblig
 
My builder told me the same thing. The clutches have been soaking since yesterday morning so I think I'm okay, though I will go easy on it for the ride home. I'm forty miles from work. It's going to be hard, but I'll drive nice. I've got it on the alignment rack now. I can see I have to crank up the torsion bars. It's got quite a rake to it.
 
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