and now the question that has not been answered yet...where is this 700 to 350 tailshaft/housing swap kit, and how much.

Can't believe you guys get all hot and bothered over this idea...some want to be easier on their pockets, and some trust nothing but the best...EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT. (point said. )

So everybody cool off, and if the fighting is going to continue, TAKE IT TO PRIVATE MESSAGING!! I don't want to see it in MY post or I'll have the entire thing deleted!

So where and how much? I would like to avoid having the car w/o tranny, but if it works, I'll give it a shot to keep it simple.

Tom

 

I have been using that conversion kit for well over a year now. It is basically a longer output shaft and a machineds block of aluminum that bolts between the case of the transmissions and the 700r4 tailshaft. It is probably the least known about th350 swap kit around and probably the best too!

 

I have been using that conversion kit for well over a year now. It is basically a longer output shaft and a machineds block of aluminum that bolts between the case of the transmissions and the 700r4 tailshaft. It is probably the least known about th350 swap kit around and probably the best too!

 

Where did you get it?

 

thank you very much Rancid87 most guys havent heard about such a kit and they cant understand how it works but it is the best one around

im gonna call and find out where the mechanic ordered it from and ill post it shortly

 

A friend of mine that does business with a transmission supply company picked it up for me. It is basically a kit you can use to adapt a th350 into any 700r4 equipped car. I don't recall but I think i may strill have the packaging for it. I shall have to look later.

 

That's a hell of a lot of work to eliminate overdrive. Why do people waste their time?

 

if you are runnin anywhere around 400 hp then your gonna be rippin the hell outta 700r4 trannys all day been there done that not gonna do it again...lol...he just wanted to do it once and not have to do it again ...it isnt really that much work to do this conversion at all you just have to have a little knowledge of transmissions or a good transmission guy that wont screw ya ..lol....

 

wow, when did this thread come back from the dead?? Anyway, Its no more work than one would do when normally rebuilding a transmission. Also, its not that I wanted to get rid of my overdrive, I like overdrive. The only problem is that If I were to hook up my engine to my 700r4 it would destroy it in no time. The 700 just isnt strong enough. This was considerably cheaper than buying a sufficient OD tranny. Does that make sense?

 

My new motor literally killed my 700R4 in minutes of beating on it. Why spend $1200+ on a 700R4 that will still be weaker than a lightly built TH350? AND it'll cost half the price! My entire TH350 swap is going to cost me $800. Thats including a built TH350, aftermarket shifter, and a custom built 9.5" torque converter with all the works. I'd be a fool if I bought a 700R4 + converter for my street/strip ride only to have it eventually break again.

 

yeah if your runnin a hot engine anyway you obviously dont care about gas mileage so the overdrive is just a weak link on the car in my opinion but like you said you can build one up for the $$$$ but its not worth it to me either when you can build the th350 for almost half the price and have a strong transmission without any worries

 

Thats how I felt about it too. Why spend twice as much for half as much performance. My total with stall converter and all came up to 705 bucks. Not to bad for a neck-snapping trans.

 

To me, no. If I have a good amt. of hp / tq., I want to be able to use it to go fast as well as quick. Losing overdrive makes a car completely useless to me. Then again, speed limits are 75mph here on the hwy.

Cheaping out and not getting a built OD tranny just devalues the car.

-Matthew

 

I dont think that you'll be losing that much top end anyway. Also I look at it like this, where am I going to spend the most amount of my time? It isnt going to be about 120, so what do I need OD for? Expecially considering that it cuts overall performance horribly. The th350 is just a superior trans for what I need. And it is much more cost effective.

 

I just noticed the line about cheaping out. Its not about cheaping out. ITs about performance. Nothing that I put on my car is cheap. That transmission is better built than any 700 you could find for twice as much money. THat kit wasnt cheap either. I dont WANT a overdrive. Cant stand the sloppy, nasty, weak POS that it is. If you do that is great, you get one. I dont consider it cheaping out, and I dont consider it devaluing the car. My trans is worth infinately more than any stock 700, and worth more than most built 700's.

 

i wouldnt say cheaping out at all considering that when like ljnowell said your not going to be spending all day above 120mph...and like i said that your not going to want to spend alot of money on a transmission that will more than likely break anyway ...the 350 vs 700r4 is a arguement that will always be around but this part is true that the 350 is more durable than the 700r4 and will inturn when built be a lot better of a transmission in the long run and if your running an engine that would need a stronger transmission then gasmileage isnt a problem any more either ..lol...so all in all the 350 will be better for a performance build in alot of peoples eyes ...and about the devalueing your ride i seriously doubt that it will do that either when the person buying it looks at it the same way i just explained it ...

 

Cost effective from a penny wise, pound foolish perspective, maybe. Overdrive doesn't cost overall performance whatsoever. If you want 3rd gear at all times, you have a shifter. Effective RPM in final drive with a 700-R4 with 3.73s is just like running a TH350 with 2.49 rear gears. And torque multiplication is better with the extra rear gear / shorter first of the 700.

wouldn't be spending more on gasoline when you drive it.

120? Naah. I'm talking about 85mph continuous. It's well worth it to have OD with your "fun" rear gears like 3.73s.

 

Im not talking about the OD taking away from performance as in 0-60. I'm talking about performance from a durability perspective. And stop mentioning cost, if the 700 was a cheaper trans, Iwould still be putting the th350 in my car. I'm sorry if you cant understand the logic of this, everyone else here does. Everyone who builds powerful HP motors does. I'm done arguing.

 

just think what you want man im not gonna change your mind so obviosly your gonna do what you want i just added to the post to be supportive of the 350 turbo and a kit thats available for it to make it fit in a 3rd gen and a 700 r4 is alot weaker than a 350 ask any mechanic around .....

 

So are we talking performance, or are we talking durability


You mentioned cost as a contributing factor for you liking the th350 swap. Maybe you should quit mentioning cost & focus on this "performance" you speak of.

Ah yes. That's it. And yet, sometimes the failure in understanding is in how the ideas were communicated


700-R4's are based on the TH350. Granted, an early 700-R4 (pre 1988) can require some upgrades to be as durable as necessary. But saying it's weaker should come with some qualifiers.

I don't ask mechanics, I ask transmission techs. And those that know how to build them right don't recommend killing off O/D to save a few $.

You don't have to get upset that I have a different viewpoint than you. I need OD more than you, clearly. That's why we differ in opinion. It's all good.

 

You guys do releize that the "weak" 700 r4 is damn near identical to the 4L60...now since were talking strength not price, that TT427 feltervette that runs mid 9's@ over 150 has a 4L60 ...brutally tough AND an overdrive...if you break a 700 behind 400 ponies then the tranny isnt built strong enough...

You can build a 700 or 4L60 as tough or stronger then any TH350..itll just cost more, but were talking strength not cost

 

Performance and durability are one in the same, if your trans is always broken, its not performing well.

Cost is one of the upsides to this switch. It will save a lot of money that can be put somewhere else. But cost isnt what motivated this. What motivated this was the fact that I am putting some serious power to the pavement and i neededa stronger trans. Even if the cost were reversed, I would still have gotten the 350.

It doesnt matter who you talked to about what, the 700 isnt as strong as the 350. There is no way around that. The 350 is a better performer for this reason (read:better performance).

Once again, I ask that you leave the money out of it, because it has nothing to do with it. The shop that build my trans builds race trannys every day, and they laugh at the thought of a 700 in a serious drag racing vehicle. Thats just how it is.

 

Oh, and I agree, its OK to have different opinions, thats what makes the world go around I just dont like arguing about petty things like this.

 

Yes we are talking strength not cost, and the th350 is the stronger of the transmissions. End of story.

 

oh when i speak of a mechanic i meant to type transmisison builder i should have been more specific but i didnt plan on someone picking every word i type to death on here sorry for any misunderstanding there and im done agrueing with ya about the durability or strength of a transmission its not worth my time to have petty little arguements about how much stronger one is than the other ..lol...and i realize that a overdrive can be built to a strong trasmission no matter what kind it is 700r4 or 2004r or what ever else you can think of but when this thread died it was talking about swapping to a th350 and not about wasting time removing a overdrive it was about what drive shaft he should use ...me and ljnowell and a couple others on here suggested the kit we have used and for some reason you popped up tellin us that its a waste of time if thats how you feel thats fine you made your point now move on ...thank you and good night ....

 

See, the way I look at it, my car is only good for 1,320 feet. After that if theres any performance left in the car its a waste.

Sure O/D is cool when you have a daily driver but thats not what I have so theres no reason for me to spend double (or triple) the money for a transmission that will be less reliable and perform worse during a 1/4 mile pass. I used to love 700R4's ...do a search and you'll probably find posts from 1, 2 and 3 years ago of me raving about how much I loved my 700R4. That was until they started breaking and I realized how expensive they are to rebuild and how little HP even the "race" versions can handle.

 

OK, ok, ok.....I understand that the 350 is more durable, and then there's the 400 which is even stronger with a little more loss...then there is the 700 which has a deeper 1st and OD. It's all in what a person wants. If you won't be pounding on it 24/7, and you do mostly highway, the 700 works. If you are running the strip, or like the bulletproof bottom end, go with the TH's.

That pretty much narrows it down.

As far as my decision, I'm probably going to stick with the 700, and get some 3.42's. I was considering putting in this 350, but I'd rather just rebuild my 700 (or get a build one...$$$ not a problem at this point) and stick with OD...

Thanks guys!


Anybody want a BOP TH350?

 

1st gens had the proper 42" driveshaft to swap a TH350 into a 3rd gen. Or you could get a 42" Ford driveshaft and they do make a "bastard" u-joint to replace the front yoke off your 3rd gen driveshaft on to the Ford, you also need to change the rear u-joint h the "bastard" to mount to the differential.

 

wow now thats something ive never heard of where did ya learn that from .....thats cool that there are other alternatives out there too ...if everyone posts what they know then we can all enjoy the playtime instead of the trial and error that most of us have togo thru..lol...with the 1st gen driveshaft is that for the longshaft th350 or the shorter shaft??

 

Short shaft TH350. I have one in my 3rd gen and ended up using a driveshaft from a '79 Mustang 302. I did have to take an inch off it as it was 43", but it's still cheaper than lengthening one (I did the shortening myself). The "bastard" u-joints are in the books and stocked at most good auto parts stores, but they run about $23 a piece. I use them for putting a Ford 9" in my GM's so I don't have to mess with the driveshaft.

 

To add, there are different style Ford driveshafts, you need to get the right one. Most of the old timers at the scrapyards know.

 

cool thanks for the info thats something ive never heard anyone do....i know there are alot of different ways to do it now we all know of another..lol..thanks again for the info man
:hail:

 

added benefit...the Ford shaft is much beefier than the 3rd gen.

 

hmmmm, beefy.

 

I'd like to chime in my cents worth and say i had a 200c originally. I went with a TH350 cuz A), it came with my motor, B) it's stronger than a 200c, and C), my motor/tranny package was only $1000 shipped, and the tranny was built. SO. what motivated me? I have no friggin clue.... I just knew a 350 was better than a 305, and a TH350 was better than whatever the **** was in the car.

that said, how are you guys using a bracket for the shift linkage? I tried using the bracket off of the 200c, and it doesn't fit perfectly. I've jig-rigged it to work, but I'd like something a little more concrete. what kind of bracket are ya'll using, and how did you make? if you didn't make it, where'd you buy it? any part numbers?

 

What I did was take the bracket from the 700. IT has two holes, put a bolt through the front hole and tighten it down. As for the back one, all you do is put the bolt in the hole in the pan and tighten it donw so that it catches the edge of the bracket. this holds it down fine.

 

that's what i did with my 200c bracket, just as you described. It feels like it's binding. it hangs in park, and if you pull it a little harder, it makes a loud click, and you can shift it normally., it's a little stiff, but not abnormal, once it's out of park. but then it hangs again, going into park. then it clicks if you push it harder, and goes in. it just doesn't feel right, and I dunno why

 

been there done that too but you shouldnt have that much problem getting it out of park you may have it in a little bind or something it should still pull in and out of gear pretty decent .....the only way to truly fix it i guess would be to get the proper bracket and cable and a 3 speed auto shifter for it

 

so did we ever get a part number, distributor or any more information for the tailshaft adapter?

i've read through this a couple times and can't find any more info on it, i just see a lot of arguing.

 

WHERE CAN YOU GET THE SPACER FOR THE TH350 700R4 SWAP??!!! I really need one now, please help!!!

 

OOOF! that statement couldnt be further from the truth

if ANY OD box evolved from the TH350 its the 200 series of trannies (200C/200-4R)
those are an "add-on" overdrive style tranny, meaning that to obtain the OD, they added another clutch pack, much like they did with the TH400/4L80E

the 700R4 uses and integrated overdrive, meaning that to obtain overdrive, clutches/bands are applied that are also used for other gears

the only thing that is similar in a 700R4 to a TH350 is the sprag IIRC

 

Its ok, I got into an argument with him in another thread, he told me that he knew more about auto trans and had contributed more than I ever would. Contributing bad info doesnt count though, does it?

 

Heh. In a thread where it's clearly written out that the TH350 mainshaft can be directly replaced with a 700-R4 mainshaft... and the tailhousings bolt-in for each other...

Not to mention, I believe it's possible to "wide ratio" a TH350 with 700-R4 parts

You're telling me it's not based on it?

Yes of course they have to re-engineer the shift logic & v.b. for the additional gear. But the 700-R4 was physically designed to re-use some TH350 design features and shares some parts but the 200-4R is "more" based on the TH350? In traditional GM fashion, they only redid what they had to, and carried over a lot else

Further from the truth, my ***.

Aren't we glad you have a little buddy one post beneath you waving pompoms for ya?

 

and this is starting to stray way from the question at hand id say ....LOL:lala:

 

"in a thread that is cleary asking for an ADAPTER to bolt a 700R4 tailshaft onto a TH350"



yup that tailshaft is a direct swap with no fabrication needed

i'm done
-later


actually wait, lets talk civilized for a minute

does it really matter?

if thats what you think, fine
i think what i think.........
the way i think is that if they changed that much (kept that little) its way different and not really evolved from the Th350, so they kept a 1 or 2 hard parts.....i wouldnt call that designed off of.................

especially when compared the TH250 spin off on the th350, which led to the other 200 series trannies


i could really care less to tell you the truth, i grew up, i dont street race anymore, i dont condone it, i dont go putting parts where they dont belong claiming i am hot rodding something, when in reality i am half assing it (ghetto rigging)

 

Yeah. It is. Other than tailhousing length which are resolved in this thread (outside of someone actually posting a PN.) Multiple persons posted about theirs with no fab required. When you can buy a kit, disassemble and reassemble, and bolt it all in, that constitutes "no fabriction required."


No, but telling me my statement couldn't be further from the truth... couldn't be further from the truth.


1 or 2? Do you really need to exaggerate to try & make your point? You're wrong, suck it up and take your puck and stick home.


The TH200 trans. was out in the late 70's; the TH200-C soon after. The TH250-C was out after that. What point are you trying to make here, besides that you're quite good at regurgitating questionable info?


Examples? What does street racing have to do with this? Nothing. Are you trying to make snipes at my 700 / T5 / T56 swaps I've done that "didn't come there" from the factory? Go for it. I'll own you again and again. My workmanship speaks for itself. My first manual trans. swap and first cam swap together got 1500 miles on it in 2 weeks after I did it.

Go back to the `Vette forums where people care about firewall chalk marks. There is not a single damned thing functionally wrong with the TH350 tailhousing spacer outlined here.

Meet the points head on, don't bring up irrelevant additional ones.

 

Does it matter? The 700 isnt as strong as the th350. The parts are not direct swaps, there are adapters needed. Who gives a crap? The 700 isnt a 350 w/ overdrive as people say, that would be an insult to the th350

 

saying the th350 and 700r4 are the same transmission "pretty much " is like saying the big block and small block chevys are the same engine pretty much ......they all have the same type of parts dont they ? well that would mean they are the same right ?...LMAO

 

PS-- No one is waving any pom poms for anyone. You just keep blowing your all over the place, welcoming people to set you strait. Go worship your 700r4, make love to it, or whatever it is you do.

 

1.....2......3.......4 you can keep your 700r4....LMAO