ok, now Im confused 220 vs 400

[FastRegalWE2]

I have a CK Stage 2 200 in the car right now. Its the older one that was sold rated to 500HP, my car is making 600 at the crank. SO the trans is toast. LOTSA overlap between shifts. Chris said sent it back to him and he'd rebuild it to the now 800HP for just the price of parts. Thats what I was going to do until I came across a local guy selling a TCI COmpetition TH400 full manual reverse VB. So I bought it. Now I didnt want to loose OD or have to modify anything but I figured I better be safe and go this route. Now I read the post "Lowest ET on 200R4" and Im wondering if I should even put the TH400 in there. I was going to send it to Chris and have him put his new auto shifting/manual VB in it then put it in the car. The car weighs in around 3400lbs and I plan on getting to the track alot more when I get to OK in Apr since the track is 30 miles away. Im looking to run in the 9.60-9.70 range 130+. If I stick the rebuilt 200 in there, can I expect it to last? Really dont want to pull it and ship it once a year for rebuild but I saw several posts of guys running prett quick with their 200's. I also have a 4L80E put Im not going to put out the cash to do that swap. The car is more a street car than a track car but I also dont want to tear it down anymore. I've had way too much of that already.

 

[Grumpy]

personally I'd give it a try

 

[FastRegalWE2]

personally I'd give it a try

the 200?

 

[JDSfastGN]

I can maybe see a good 200 lasting a couple of seasons at that level but it will need to be pulled and re-clutched/new band etc.... after that much abuse. 400s do as well, but not quite as often from my understanding (larger clutches etc..). Chris knows his stuff and can build a 200 to last.

 

[bison]

It would depend on how much you actually drive your car on the street. If you only go 2k miles a year then i would opt for the 400. The hard parts required to bulletproof the 200 are a lot of extra $. The 200 will still need attention much more often than the 400. The 200 could last 150 passes, 3 years or it may only go 50 passes. Dont be fooled by the 400. It still needs to be built for the turbo engine to provide good service.

 

[Grumpy]

I was talkin the 200

 

[norbs]

Go with a 400, and never look back, the car will go faster with it anyway.

 

[8AV8]

Is parasitic loss greater in a 400 than a th350?

 

[ttypewhite]

Is parasitic loss greater in a 400 than a th350?

Thats all subjective. I put one in my car and picked up. Many of transbrake launches and no problems. The 200 is a great tranny if you got a good tranny guy, but longevity you can't beat the strength and durability of a 400. You will hear lots of good success stories and lots of horror stories with the 200. I would switch over to a 400 if your car runs low 10s and I don't mind lossing your overdrive. I never really had the best of luck with my old 200. Everytime I went to the track I hurt it some how. But thats not to say that they are not good, I just had no luck with them. But with the 400, thats the last thought in my head when beating on the car.

 

[yullose]

Ask yourself this question...

How many posts do you read on the Buick boards, asking how to fix a broken or smoked TH400 ?



I didn't want to spend a fortune, nor did I want to pull my trans every season or two... So I converted mine to a TH400.
The entire conversion (including a new driveshaft) is still cheaper than a well-built 200R4.

 

[Grumpy]

well I just got home with Melissa's car ...sorry I couldn't live without the OD ... can't believe we are still driving this thing in Jan !!! ok got to thinkin ...ok how many of you guy's drive your car around with a 400 ??? isn't it a pain on the highway ????

 

[norbs]

ok how many of you guy's drive your car around with a 400 ??? isn't it a pain on the highway ????

Nope, i plan to i turn on the gear vendors and relax. JUst gota get the setup in the car maybe this week.

 

[yullose]

well I just got home with Melissa's car ...sorry I couldn't live without the OD ... can't believe we are still driving this thing in Jan !!! ok got to thinkin ...ok how many of you guy's drive your car around with a 400 ??? isn't it a pain on the highway ????

Nope, not at all. It just keeps me from speeding all the time.

 

[sprayed65]

you guys who say you can't live without overdrive kill me, I used to drive around my 65 fastback with 4.33 gears and no overdrive, put a bunch of miles on it that way. Would it be so bad to turn the radio on and sit back to relax and drive 55-60 mph wherever you're going? With those 4.33's I'd cruise around 50 mph everywhere but when it came time to race you know I was ready!

 

[Grumpy]

you guys who say you can't live without overdrive kill me, I used to drive around my 65 fastback with 4.33 gears and no overdrive, put a bunch of miles on it that way. Would it be so bad to turn the radio on and sit back to relax and drive 55-60 mph wherever you're going? With those 4.33's I'd cruise around 50 mph everywhere but when it came time to race you know I was ready!

well we put about 200 miles on Melissa's GN today (driving all over hell looking for a new car ) sorry but some people don't like driving in the breakdown lane ...like I said we DRIVE our cars oh ya .. I had lots of old muscle cars with 456-488's that we drove on the street .. It really wasn't much fun to me but we had to do what we had to do we won't talk about gas milage with cars revving to the moon oh ya another thing ..we maybe be cruising @ 80 but that old beater is ALLWAYs ready !!

 

[ttypewhite]

well we put about 200 miles on Melissa's GN today (driving all over hell looking for a new car ) sorry but some people don't like driving in the breakdown lane ...like I said we DRIVE our cars oh ya .. I had lots of old muscle cars with 456-488's that we drove on the street .. It really wasn't much fun to me but we had to do what we had to do we won't talk about gas milage with cars revving to the moon oh ya another thing ..we maybe be cruising @ 80 but that old beater is ALLWAYs ready !!

I drive mine probably more then Melissa drives hers. Mine is a true street car that actually passes a emission test. If gas consumption was a concern, I wouldn't drive a Buick with 83lb injectors. I would stick to a automatic Honda. Bottom line is, you do what works for you. Its all about your driving habits.

 

[Grumpy]

OK 400'S RULE ... and throw in 390 gears anyway Ill beep to ya as we are goin by you in the beak down lane

 

[sprayed65]

I drive mine probably more then Melissa drives hers. Mine is a true street car that actually passes a emission test. If gas consumption was a concern, I wouldn't drive a Buick with 83lb injectors. I would stick to a automatic Honda. Bottom line is, you do what works for you. Its all about your driving habits.

I agree, but to act like it's impossible to drive a car 65 mph on the highway is crazy...I guess for me it's about enjoying the car, being seen, and not worrying about the next time I'll be on my back under the car pulling a transmission. I race and have as much fun as anyone, and I drove my car probably 40k miles with those 4.33 gears and no overdrive on a 275/60 tire taching 3000 rpm at 52 mph. I drove it to louisville (35-50 miles one way) and bardstown (25-35 miles one way) all the time, sometimes every weekend. The car got 13 mpg and ran 7.44 in the 1/8.

I guess if any of you see a TTA going down the highway at 60-65 wave while you pass me and I'll grin knowing I have less than $600 in my transmission and converter compared to the $2000+ for the transmission and the $900+ for the converters that some have. :biggrin: Don't worry though, I'll be making up the price difference when I put a 9 inch in the car

 

[Grumpy]

ttypewhite.... how many miles a year do ya drive ??? she has only been driving this car since Sept .. "someone" had tied the car up putting all her old junk back in from her old car :redface:

 

[ttypewhite]

ttypewhite.... how many miles a year do ya drive ??? she has only been driving this car since Sept .. "someone" had tied the car up putting all her old junk back in from her old car :redface:

Thats a good question. I bought my T400 and it had no connection for my speedo. I am restoring my floors right now (just being anal) and I got my tranny over at the tranny shop getting that connection hooked up. :biggrin: I drive it alot. As long as its dry outside I am in it. I have not put fire and thieft on over this winter because we have yet to see any snow.