200-R4 transmission behind mopar stroker

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I mean really, if you want a GM trans, go for it.......... There are guys who can build fast GM products too, it just aint for me... I will stick with my A833 and 340, with torsion bars, Thank you!!! Build it like you want it!!!!!
 
I'm gonna keep an eye on this thread. After all the good/not good comments with really no proof of either, some of what is on here is very interesting and makes me curious as well as to how this trans would be in a higher hp a-body. I have my 904 for my 422, but I'd LOVE an OD. I know when I worked at Summit there was an Olds lover that built alot of 455 olds engines, and I had just put together an 84' Cutlass with a 455. He used the 200r4 behind all of his 455s, most low 12/high 11 second cars, with no problems. And I know for sure that my 455 made a buttload of torque, but was only a mid 13 second car (with 2.41 gears, 195/75-14 tires and exhaust manifolds! lol). I would love to see how much work it would be to use one.
 
I can build the trans the same as art carr. The fact is he did all the r&d so he has the parts. There are other companys that make parts for them that aren't so well known. Manual valve bodys eliminate the need for the cable. I have a 700r4 manual in my monte ss that works very good. I removed the 2004r to take advantage of the 308 first gear ratio. 305's have no torque so it really helped me. We all know there is a proper way to abuse a transmission. That said, I think the 2004r would be great if built properly. I've seen gn's launch on the back bumper with 10 inch slicks using the so called weak 2004r.

So can you build a sout 200 to hold up to over 700hp and tq? The car is a street/strip car so Tc is key here.. I live 70 miles from the closest track but if i had a 200 that would last I'd like to drive my car there and back.. but most of the driving would be on the street. PM me what you can build it for.
I see someone who has some knowledge of a 200 chimed in so I deleted my comment. But you might want to look here www.jakesperformance.com/Home_Page.html . For the price of a 200 you can get a 4l80 that is just that much more stout.....

That is intriguing as well... I'm just wanting info on the 200 b/c of the size and ease of installation.

I mean really, if you want a GM trans, go for it.......... There are guys who can build fast GM products too, it just aint for me... I will stick with my A833 and 340, with torsion bars, Thank you!!! Build it like you want it!!!!!

Thanks for your opinion.
 
I am going to use a 200r4 in my `68 vert. My tranny guys says this is a great tranny and can be built to handle some good power. He the gear spread is better than the 700 and it's about the same size as a 350auto. I am going this way to keep floor mods to a min. I have a 518 on the garage floor and yes it is huge. I could care less what the haters says! Hot rodding has alwas been about the best performing parts in an old car. Besides who bitches about a hemi in a `32 ford!!
 
I guess one of my concernes is that it might not hold up to my 416 stroker that I'm expecting to be in the 700hp range.. I've had a few pm's telling me not to waste my time b/c it wont hold up to the power level I'm wanting to be at. Most tell me to go withe the 4l80..for the price you get twice the transmission strength it looks like.. but how different is the preformance vs the 200r4? Is the 80 gear ratio from 1-2-3-4 good for drag and street duty compared to the 200?
 
I have no idea on the gear ratios for 80. If I had the $$ and was willing to really cut up the floor, I would look at the TCI 6spd auto. But I am a poor white guy with big dreams!! :D So that leaves me with the 200r4. I think that with the GNX's running around with trans in it should say something about the strength of it. I think getting the right tranny guy is the ticket. These are fairly light cars(Mopar Abodies) so I think with the right build, it should be fine. But I am no expert! I can understand your concern about the strength with your hp level. I will be lucky if I seen even 500hp so I am not worried. This is a tough call!


Remember anything can break...few things are truly bullet proof!
 
This probably doesn't help matters but might help you as far as options go. If you don't want to cut the tranny tunnel you're limited to (as far as autos go) a 904/727 with GV unit or a 200R4. Any other tranny requires you to cut the tranny tunnel which allows you many more options (hell you can even put a six speed or new eight speed auto!) but the final choice come down to you. I'm not trying to sound like/be an a$$ here, so please don't take it that way. So to put it another way 500+ years ago everyone believed/knew the world was flat; today we all know that the world is round. Its just all about preference that's all.:salut:
 
I guess one of my concernes is that it might not hold up to my 416 stroker that I'm expecting to be in the 700hp range.. I've had a few pm's telling me not to waste my time b/c it wont hold up to the power level I'm wanting to be at. Most tell me to go withe the 4l80..for the price you get twice the transmission strength it looks like.. but how different is the preformance vs the 200r4? Is the 80 gear ratio from 1-2-3-4 good for drag and street duty compared to the 200?

Just to help ya out here. Where I work, we've installed the CPT trans behind the GMPP 572/620hp crate motors in much heavier cars several times. They hold up very well. If were not doing an LS engine install, it's the auto OD we use. I don't recall having any real problems with any of the ones we have done. I occasionally go brain dead on the TV cable adjustments and I seem to recall having a valvebody problem on one trans and killed a converter on another. But, that has been in the years of installing Arts trannys. For an aftermarket product, I am pretty comfortable with it.

That being said, I haven't installed one in an A body so I can't say if there is anything special about the install itself.
 
I have no idea on the gear ratios for 80. If I had the $$ and was willing to really cut up the floor, I would look at the TCI 6spd auto. But I am a poor white guy with big dreams!! :D So that leaves me with the 200r4. I think that with the GNX's running around with trans in it should say something about the strength of it. I think getting the right tranny guy is the ticket. These are fairly light cars(Mopar Abodies) so I think with the right build, it should be fine. But I am no expert! I can understand your concern about the strength with your hp level. I will be lucky if I seen even 500hp so I am not worried. This is a tough call!


Remember anything can break...few things are truly bullet proof!

I agree.. nothing is bullet proof persay; but for the money to build a 200R4 to hold up to 700+ hp I'm sure for the same money I could have a 08 built.. but then I'd like to know the logistics behind the installation into an A body.. What would I need to do to accomplish this?

*Bell housing adapter
*flex plate
*TC (lock up or non lock up)
*what ever kit is made to attach it to my SB mopar (but i have a dragon slayer crank which has chevy journals)
*Valve body b/c I don't want to mess with electronics as my car doesn't have all that.
*Some sort of aftermarket tunnel hump
 
This probably doesn't help matters but might help you as far as options go. If you don't want to cut the tranny tunnel you're limited to (as far as autos go) a 904/727 with GV unit or a 200R4. Any other tranny requires you to cut the tranny tunnel which allows you many more options (hell you can even put a six speed or new eight speed auto!) but the final choice come down to you. I'm not trying to sound like/be an a$$ here, so please don't take it that way. So to put it another way 500+ years ago everyone believed/knew the world was flat; today we all know that the world is round. Its just all about preference that's all.:salut:

It's not that I'm not willing to cut my car up; it's just that I was under the impression that the 200R4 could hold up to a substantial amount of mopar HP and TQ... now after several hr of reading no one has actually even pushed on to this point that i have found. It looks like I might need to go the 80 route which looks like the same type of install plus the tunnel modifications.
 
If you want to see how much power the 200r4 can handle, just search out a grand national site and look at their racing area. Ive stated it before my grandfathers neighbor has a 1200hp drag car with a 4.1l block and backed by a built 200r4. I seen it and worked on the car with him the last time I was down there but that was a couple years ago, don't know if he still has it. That being said this past summer when I was talk with my grandfather I could hear him firing the car up but don't know if he's changed the setup any.
 
If you want to see how much power the 200r4 can handle, just search out a grand national site and look at their racing area. Ive stated it before my grandfathers neighbor has a 1200hp drag car with a 4.1l block and backed by a built 200r4. I seen it and worked on the car with him the last time I was down there but that was a couple years ago, don't know if he still has it. That being said this past summer when I was talk with my grandfather I could hear him firing the car up but don't know if he's changed the setup any.

Well then I stand corrected... I was looking online last night and about every site I went on said that with higher hp levels look for the 80.. I guess it's kinda like comparing a 8.75 to a dana.. the 8.75 can be built to withstand but for the money and mods I could just buy and Dana and keep the guess work out.. the bigest limiting factor for me is money. i'd like to keep the entire unit at or near the $3k range.. otherwise I'll just buy a GV.
 
isnt the torqflite either a 727 or 904 the best and strongest trannys built why the gm bullshit may as well put in a gm motor while your at it just my oppinion not tryin to start any sh....... it tho. maybe i shouldent post this lol
merry christmas
 
isnt the torqflite either a 727 or 904 the best and strongest trannys built why the gm bullshit may as well put in a gm motor while your at it just my oppinion not tryin to start any sh....... it tho. maybe i shouldent post this lol
merry christmas

Reason over the 200R4 allows you to get an overdrive tranny without having to cut the tranny tunnel.
 
isnt the torqflite either a 727 or 904 the best and strongest trannys built why the gm bullshit may as well put in a gm motor while your at it just my oppinion not tryin to start any sh....... it tho. maybe i shouldent post this lol
merry christmas

Thank you for your opinion..
 
I like the idea of a 200, it would be tits for my car which is only in the 400 hp range!

btw, that guy in your signature is freakin me out!! ...just sayin
 
I didn't even read all of the post in this thread . I wouldn't waist a penny on another 200 or 700. Grenaded several of both behind a stroker small block . In my oppinion that extra gear isn't worth the durability you lose. 2nd - third was where most left go. The last one never made it to second. Just a warning from experience with these transmissions. Good luck.
 
hell i still hear guys that have been in the trans business for 30+ years tell me how a 904 wont handle any power and to go with a 727. :)
The reason for this, and this is only a guess, is they don't want you pounding at there door mfing them to death in the event the 904 fails. Been at my friends shop numerous times when a customer walks in and with the I am building a 600 hp small block & am going to hit it with a 300 shot of nitrous and I want to run a 904 story. Right away my buddy will try to talk you out of it because his reputation is on the line with every job he does. And which unit would be more likely to fail in the above situation, a properly built 904 or a properly built 727? Could be that is how they guy that told you to run a 727 over a 904 is still in business after 30 years?? If he told you to go with the 904 and you scattered it all over the track who is going to be the first person that gets blamed??
 
Doug,

Where did you get your built? What level of hp did you get it built for? I tried searching for more pics of your build but I can't seem to find it. Can you forward me a link? Are you just using an after market tunnel housing cover and a fabbed cross members.
 
The reason for this, and this is only a guess, is they don't want you pounding at there door mfing them to death in the event the 904 fails. Been at my friends shop numerous times when a customer walks in and with the I am building a 600 hp small block & am going to hit it with a 300 shot of nitrous and I want to run a 904 story. Right away my buddy will try to talk you out of it because his reputation is on the line with every job he does. And which unit would be more likely to fail in the above situation, a properly built 904 or a properly built 727? Could be that is how they guy that told you to run a 727 over a 904 is still in business after 30 years?? If he told you to go with the 904 and you scattered it all over the track who is going to be the first person that gets blamed??

If the trans guy knew what he was doing he could easily build a 904 and keep his reputation intact. When a guy tells ya right off the bat to go 727 I know he isn't a guy I want to build anything for me.
 
So does this mean you are now going 4l80? Perhaps you should wait and see how Mopar To Ya's install goes and decide from there. I know what Doug is doing with his combo and think it's beyond killer and can't wait to see it done. I'm not sure this is what you're looking for from your original post, or maybe I just read it wrong. Either way, good luck to you, I'll be watching for the build thread.
 
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