200-4r builders

[85monte]

Hey guys this my first post here. I have enjoyed reading about the 200-4r in the forum. I have a question for all of you. I am looking to fix/ repair my 200-4r in my 85 monte carlo and was wondering if you guys know anyone in the Georgia area that has alot of know how on these transmissions. I have a few problems I am working on at this time. I have ordered a few parts to correct the problems but would like to talk to an expert on this or aleast someone that has maybe had the same problem. I live in south Georgia and I dont mind driving a few miles to see them.


thanks,
brian

 

[ITSAV6]

.

Where are you in GA? I have a friend with an SS Monte.

 

[85monte]

I live about 20 minutes from Albany off of highway 300. Has he had his transmission worked on by any of the guys around there?

later,
brian

 

[ITSAV6]

monte

Yes,
A man in Valdosta did it as well as my T-Type tranny a few years ago. Sent my tranny to PTS a coupl of weeks ago though since I'm gonna seriously turn the wick up on it. There was a guy in Cordelle with a GN that has a tranny shop but I don't know him.
I live 15 minutes east of Tifton but I work in Albany.
Doug

 

[2quiktocare]

You might call S E turbo in Acworth, Ga. Paul is the owner there and is a great guy to deal with. The number there is 1-866-seturbo. I'm sure Paul would be happy to talk with you. Mark

 

[Morkai]

Hey, it's really awesome to see some folks from south georgia on here! ...and close by too!

I'm in Tifton, I know there is one guy here that's recently done a GN tranny, but it was his first so I can't speak for his abilities on the 200-4r's. I had considering letting him do the one in my 87 GN, but now I'm seriously considing doing the whole rebuild myself. (I know, I know, but how else are you gonna learn?)

I'm also running a GN 200-4r in my '79 z28, and have an artcarr unit in the shop that I bought for drag setup. I guess you can say I've gone 200 nutz, but I love the one in my Camaro.

We should meet up sometime, I know too few guys locally into f-body's, GN's or the like....

 

[ITSAV6]

South GA

Hey,
I'm right down the road in Ocilla. I know a lot of the old 5.0 guys from Tifton. Steven Clements,Chad Brooks,Clay Pate,George Cerillo,Allan Coker,Joe Sledge(RIP),and a bunch more. You know these Stang losers?
If you hung around Tifton in mid 90's you may have seen my Buick,it's aquamarine with all the granny chrome and blue landau top. Did a lot of street racing back then.
You know there is a GNX in Tifton?
Doug

 

[Morkai]

hahaa....yeah, I know Chad and Clay for sure. I guess Clay's not a stang guy anymore officially, he sold his a while back. He might have a newer one I dunno. My dad actually has his dad's old drag car, if you knew it, the Fear Not Monza.

I don't know that I'd have even kown what a GN was back in the mid 90's, so prob never noticed. I didn't really get into hotroding til I got my z28 around 97 or so. I guess I'm still a Camaro guy at heart mostly, but hey, they're all GM.

Yeah, I hear there is a GNX here, never seen it. I know there's at least one other GN in town.

You may have seen my Z, '79 silver with t-tops and now centerline wheels. Was only one of two silver ones in town, the other still looks faded grey unless he's painted it real resent. I saw another one that looked pretty damn close to mine at Advance Auto the other day, might not be fromt Tifton though...never seen it before.

Actually I drove it to Ocilla on a job one Friday a couple weeks ago, man that O/D helps the milage, I think I got 18mpg!

 

[ITSAV6]

GNX

I've rode in it a couple of times. It belongs to Ron Roberts. That guy with the GN is the one that built his own tranny? I ran accross him in Burger King a few months ago,car has a reciever hitch on it.
I remember when Clay drove a thunderbird.
We'll have to get together sometime and BS. I have a '77 Firebird Formula 400 4speed car it runs good but body is not so hot.
Later,
Doug

 

[Morkai]

No, the other guy with the GN had the local shop build his, you probably know it. It's out on 82 near the fair grounds.

Actually, I think that was me you ran into in BK, I remember now. I met someone for lunch there one day. I took that stupid hitch off btw. My GN is in my shop now on stands, getting ready to drop the tranny.

Actually I'm pretty sure there's a 3rd guy in town with a beefed up GN, a good friend of mine knows him and road in it. So I guess there's at least 3 normal GN's in Tifton now, and the GNX.

I think we went off topic a little....hehe, sorry 85monte

 

[ITSAV6]

stands

Mine is in same state but Bruce has my tranny @ PTS laying the magic on it Getting a 9/11 3000 stall too. I wanted to try building mine but got scared of it. I know that shop by fairgrounds,seems like a pretty good guy,seemed like he wanted me to go w/350 tranny. Them 200's won't stay together. Wanna get rid of that hitch?
Unless he sold it Greg Willis had a nice GN. Engine has J&E's,GN1's,balanced,all billit caps. He lives just out of Tifton on south 319 on the right. Dewayne Cromer had one and Greg Rigby had one too.
Later

 

[Morkai]

I wish I could get Bruce to do all of mine. I can't even afford to have Raymond (guy on 82) do mine right now. So it's either me, or drive around with no 2nd gear. Raymond's a wiz with th350's, he still think's they're best....old school I guess. He doesn't know about all of the good PTS parts for the 2004r. AFAIK, the guy he rebuilt the BRF for is really happy with it. He built my old th350 out of the z28 before he was in business for himself. He also built a buddy of mine's th350 that's behind a 700-800hp 427 with transbrake.

I got the 200-4r in have in the Camaro from a guy in Valdosta, dunno who built it. It's a BRF, it was slipping some on the 1-2 and 2-3, but I put a transgo kit in (ducks if bruce is watching) and she's firm and holding good behind my 388 sbc. I am comfortable with the VB work now, build my own engines, next logical step is the full tranny I guess.

You wanting a hitch, sure, I thought about putting it on ebay or something, but wasn't worth the trouble.

Sounds like there's quite a few in Tift Co. We need a club.

 

[ITSAV6]

club

Club sounds like a good idea. Too many ricers around. You know the Brooks boys both bought '03 Cobras? I wanted to do mine myself but I don't have all the tools. Did a coulpe of v-body kits in fords. Even watched my 200 get built. Clutch stacking is easy. I have an extra 2004R laying in my shop and thought about building it and putting it in my old Firebird in place of the 4 speed.
I built the engine in my T a few years back. I have a hardened stator and Bruces pressure regulator kit sitting in my closet I'll sell ya if you need it. I was gonna buy up the parts and get it built here but I sold a bunch of 5.0 stuff I didn't need and scratched up the dough to get the killer street & 9/11 conv.
If you know anyone needing some custom car stereo install done send them my way. Car Stereo Install I just got this Honda install done.

My Friends F Body Site He's got a '68 Firebird,79 TA,and 85 Monte SS.
He's a car nut too.
Later,
Doug

 

[Morkai]

I haven't talked to Eric lately, I knew he sold that one. BTW, I had a typo in my last post, it was supposed to read 'own engines' not 'old engines'

I think I have all the nessisary tools, I know a few of the speicalized tools are just to make it easier. If you need help with things like that, I have a small shop that usually has room to work in. I'm slowly gathering more and more tools. I'm trying to get to where I can do most all work on mine myself.

I have an art carr 200-4r collecting dust that needs an O/H, got it fairly cheap in hopes it would live behind the blown 383 I'm building. Yes, I would definately be interested in those parts. I just got the tranny dropped tonight, will be going in it soon to find out what is what, I'm pretty sure my main problem is the band. I think I'm gonna put the alto band in from PTS, I'm gonna have a chat with Bruce hopefully after I get it torn down to find out what I really need in it, I know the pump ring kit and L/R roller bearing will be going in.

 

[Morkai]

tranny

Well, I was just looking at the tranny, and the reciept from the shop where the guy had it rebuilt last Aug. The pump looks new, but it doesn't say they put on in, but it's the cleanest, shinny pump housing I've seen. Wonder if it's possible to tell if the stator is already a hardened piece?

The bill shows they used parts, B.K.T, band, filter, torq conv, bush kit, wash kit, and fluid. I know what they all are but the b.k.t, at least that's what it looks like they put.

*update*
Well, got the pan off, decent amount of clutch material in it. There was also a VB bolt laying in it. "Oh joy", I thought to myself.

 

[ITSAV6]

stator

The hardened stator is black colored. B.K.T. I have no idea what the heck that is. You should have seen the clutch material in mine!
My dentist built his GN tranny in his dining room a few years back.
I gotta blown head gasket on my 91 GT I gotta get replaced before I go back to work thurs and I'm working tonight too.
My friend w/the old firebirds has a 2004R he wants to get built to go behind a 455 Pontiac with about 450-500hp&500ftlb torque.
What shop in Valdosta built it? Was it Tech Trans?
Word of advice-keep a guy named Chuck Smithwick away from your tranny-he burned me a few years ago on mine. He was in Tifton at the trans shop that's close to Carter's Fried Chicken a year or so ago. Not a knock for the shop-just him.
We'll have to meet up sometime just to BS. I'm off this weekend maybe I can shoot over and see the tranny's guts.
Later,
Doug

 

[Morkai]

Black, wouldn't that wear off? I'm pretty sure it's not hardened, I looked at the one in the artcarr tranny, and it has a bluish tint to it, esp between the splines, my guess is that's definately hardened.

I don't know where the one I bought outta Valdosta was built, actually I think the tranny came from a GN in Tifton from what the guy told me. You're not talking about Tifton Trans are ya? I can't visualize which is close, but that's where my th350 was built (by Ramond when he worked there) I think Wanye(owner) still does a pretty decent job. Raymond, maybe Wanye would be about the only ones in town I'd trust that I know of.

Did you read my other post? Probably the worst thing I could find out inside it other than a destroyed tranny. I'm willing to bet that VB is the reason the tranny didn't last. I'm gonna go ahead and tear it down, but doubt I'll try building it back with that VB/Gov. Is the spare one you have a BRF or simular piece? I might be in the market for a core to extract the VB and Gov from now.

 

[Morkai]

ITSAV6, email me when you get the chance. ejbass@bellsouth.net