PROBLEMS ARE NOW SOLVED, SEE MY POST BELOW. THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED

First off, I’m a backyard mechanic and a poor one at that. So maybe these are simple problems, but for me they have caused me a lot of grief! There’s not enough smiley icons in the world to show my frustration.

I’ve been slowly installing a TH350 in my 82 T/A since about March. I put in a Transgo Shift Kit while it was on the engine stand, and I have the Hurst torque arm mount on it.

Most of the install was pretty straight forward, but I’m stuck with two problems near the end that are driving me crazy.

1. I’ve tried three different TH350 dipstick tubes, and none of them come close to fitting. They all hit the tranny tunnel and firewall, even if I lower the tranny slightly to try to install. I tried one from a 83 Pontiac Parisienne (where the tranny was sourced from), an 81 Camaro, and a 78 Corvette. The corvette was closest, but not a chance it would fit. I even took a hammer to some of them, but to modify them enough to fit, they’re too crushed to pass the dipstick through. What do I do? This is crazy that such a small part has been holding me up for a month!!

2. TH350 kickdown cable is too long. I used the kickdown that came with the tranny. I attached pics below, and it’s far too long to hook to my Quadrajet. The only adjustment I can make would make it longer!. Do I need to change the throttle bracket? My throttle bracket would have been for a 200C TV cable. I searched some threads and found you can buy an aftermarket adjustable kickdown. Is that my answer? Because removing that bracket means reaching a really stupid bolt under the distributor. I don’t want to remove my distributor because I’m the kind of guy that would pooch the timing bad. I attached my limit of three pics.

This has been really long, but I’m SOOO frustrated I want to make sure I explain my two problems clearly. Any and all advice is appreciated!! Thank you!


First picture shows the kickdown cable, which fits in the throttle bracket perfectly, but is way too long to touch the tab (in yellow)

 

Picture #2 shows the two bolts that mount the bracket to the manifold. The back one is hidden behind electrical tape, and I think I'd need to remove the distributor to get it out.

Can I just buy a universal TH350 kickdown to avoid having to switch this bracket?

 

Definately get the aftermarket cable, they will fit just about anything. At least mine would have, and it was your normal parts store universal. As far as the dipstick tube, what happened to the one that you took off of the trans? One just like it has to fit, because it did before. That doesnt mean that it will fit the car right though. Maybe one from a 82 or so camaro with the th200c I think it was. I dont know, but it might work. If you have to, give it some massage work. Its not gonna hurt it to bend it some, maybe change the brackets, what ever it takes. Things dont always just bolt up. Hope some of this helps.

 

Gm used a bracket in the late 70's which spanned the rear bolts of the Q-jet. I think it would work for your application. Try a '77
Camaro or pickup with a 305. The kickdown cable should have
a plastic teardrop shaped clip. The slotted one like yours is a lot
longer. I don't know what the problem with the dipstick is. The
tube for a late 70's Camaro should fit fine, but you will probably have to lower the tranny from the engine several inches because
of the small trans tunnel. Put the tube in place, then raise the transmisssion up to it.

 

Lokar makes a flexible aluminum dipstick.You can find it at Jegs.
B&M makes a adjustable kickdown cable for the 350.

 

I'm in the middle of a 700R4 to TH350 swap in my 89 IROC-Z. I got my Lokar Kickdown cable specific for TPI from Jegs. It did cost a lot but it fit perfectly. For the dipstick I bought some cheap $11 tube with O-ring from Jegs and that fit good too. I cant say the same thing for that Hurst Torque Arm Kit though. Did you run into any problems with mounting the modified GM pieces to the hurst bracket? Either I mis-read these instructions, they sent me the wrong bracket, or I was supposed to drill (already done) hahaha. Is it possible to get a pick of the completed Hurst bracket with the torque arm mounted? Maybe a closeup of the torque arm bushings (those two clamshell brackets)? I would really appreciate it, I'm going crazy ... hehehe

Other problems I had, one of the coolant hardlines did not fit right. They needed to be flexed a bit to fit since they mount further towards the torque converter, but one of them does not fit right because it rubs up against the pan. Scared to flex it more because I dont want to kink it. I'm considering flaring it and converting that line to the flexable type. Also, the stock crossmember does not bolt up, maybe I'm using the wrong transmission mount? I haven't had a lot time to play with the crossmember yet but I heard its supposed to work ... maybe just need to modify it a bit. Right now the tailshaft is resting on the crossmember. I'm currently battling with my local home association for the right to leave my car on jackstands in my own garage the saga continues ...

 

I'm going to buy an adjustable kickdown from a local tranny shop. He says it can adjust up to 12"! That should fix that problem.

As for the dipstick, maybe it would have all fit if I put it on BEFORE I bolted the tranny to the engine, but now even with tilting the engine and tranny back, it just won't fit Guess I'll look at the Lokar flexible one as I don't want to take out my tranny again. STUPID DIPSTICK WILL COST ME MORE THAN MY TRANNY!!. I got it for free from a mechanic friend. (fingers crossed)

Crazy,
Maybe things went easier for me as my car is an 82 and the B&M and Hurst kits seem to have been designed for people switching from a 200C to TH350 rather than 700R4 to TH350.

The Hurst torque arm adaptor worked well for me, I could use the holes they drilled for the torque arm mount as directed. Perhaps the 700R4 cars have different torque arm lengths, so they don't fit the same? I know my kit has holes for two different length arms.
The only stupid thing for the Hurst kit IMO is the hole for the speedo cable is off centre, so I had to cut a chunk out to bolt up my speedo.

My coolant lines are from a 200C tranny. They didn't fit quite right either, and I think I crossthreaded my lower line connector in my tranny! I hope it doesn't leak, but it's too late now. My lines did not rub the pan though.

As for the crossmember, I think you need one from a 200C car (82 or some 83's). I thought I read that 700R crossmembers don't work, slightly wrong spot or something. Also, you either need a TH350 with a 9" tailshaft to use your existing driveshaft, or find a longer driveshaft again from an 82 car. BTW, my car was a 4 sp T-10 and the driveshaft was the correct length as well.

I will try to get pics of the Hurst adaptor tonight. Some fuzzy pics from under my car.

 

First pic shows the passenger side of the Hurst mount. Top two bolts hold the driver side rubber mount in place, and bottom bolts hold the passenger side rubber mount to the Hurst bracket.

 

Second pic shows driver side of Hurst bracket. You can see the original GM driver side rubber mount just to the left of the torque arm.

Bottom of the pic shows my original crossmember from my T-10. Exact same as a 200C crossmember. It's not bolted up because the tranny is supported by a jack.

 

Thanks for the pics, really appreciate it. I think you're right about the torque arm lengths, my OEM torque arm only reaches to that first tab, not long enough to use the second tab (closer to the torque converted like the way you did it). But it actually looks like your torque arm brackets (that you modified to fit) are completely different from mine. Now I'm really confused LOL. I also had that problem with the speedo cable.

All I can say is that I'm very angry with Hurst. I almost want to consider this false advertising since their $100 "82-89 Camaro TH350 conversion kit" using probably $20 in materials ($80 for the name) dosnt work on my 89 Camaro without modification. Thanks for your help though man, sorry for the rant.

 

Wow, That Hurst kit looks like a POS. The B&M kit has a seporate bracket for the tranny mount and uses the stock crossmember.
Once installed the speedo cable is a little tuff to attach to the tranny but the rest is easy.

 

I bought the Hurst kit over the B&M because it included vacuum line for my modulator

That wasn't even long enough anyways. I think both kits leave something to be desired, but at least the torque arm bracket generally works.

Crazy,
I think the problem is the 700R4 torque arm is different than a 200C torque arm. I agree that it's false advertising because they give the impression it's a bolt in replacement for 82-89. It's more a replacement for 82 only, unless you find other parts from an 82.

I got an adjustable kickdown cable. Now I need to order (and wait for) a flexible dipstick tube....one day I'll have it running again.

 

Yeah I agree, both kits leave something to be desired. The reason I didnt go with the B&M kit is because I read that it required additional GM parts for the torque arm bracket to fit (but not sure if thats true). Can you verify that transambill?

Then I saw that the Hurst kit came with the vaccum line and supposedly came with everything else I needed so I went for it.

I was able to get the stock 700R4 crossmember to work, just needed to elongate the mounting hole for the transmission mount closer to the edge and play around with spacing the crossmember right (pass side allows forward/back adjustment, drivers side allows side to side adjustment). According to the Hurst documentation it should have been a bolt in deal. bahahahaha what a joke.

My first call will be to Jegs to tell them they need to modify their website because this Hurst kit was advertised by Jegs as 82-92 conversion kit, yet the documentation from Hurst says 82-89. Second call will be to Hurst and ask why the heck their 82-89 kit dosnt work on my 89 Camaro. I probably wouldn't be so pissed if I wasnt getting raped on the price or it was bolt-on. Seriously this is like less than $20 in materials and labor ... and it dont even fit ... LOL!!!

So the only other kit on the market besides B&M and Hurst is from YearOne. Wonder how that one works out...

 

Wouldn't it work with the 700R4 torque arm if it was assembled using the other slot?

 

With the B&M kit I never bought anything from GM.
The part the directions say you need to buy seporate from GM is the torque arm bushing that is attached to the factory bracket.
I just ground off the rivits head and nock them out and reuse the bushing on the B&M bracket.I never had to modify anything other than shortening a driveshaft.Also getting the shifter cable bracket to mount on the pan rail of the turbo 350 left a lot to be desired.
The really only PITA part was attaching the speedo cable thru the bracket but if it had been an electric speedo it woulden't of been that bad.
As for the Year One kit I've never heard of it. It's probably B&M's or Hurst kit they are reselling. I dont think Year One has there own line of parts,But I could be wrong.I never buy from Year One cause I have always found the same parts elseware a lot cheeper.

 

Those Hurst bracket pictures are very interesting... I've been wondering what it looks like instaled. Come pay-day I'll finally be buying a new converter and torque arm bracket to complete my TH350 install. I've pretty much just now decided to definately buy the B&M kit over Hursts. It just looks like a slightly better design to me. Guess I'll let yas know how everything goes. I'll take pictures of any tricky-things I run into.

 

Yeah, it would be nice to compare them side by side.

Again, the only problem I had with the Hurst kit was the hole for the speedo. Otherwise everything bolted up perfect for me, my problems were unrelated.

 

Well, I finally got everything together about two weeks ago. I could not have even attempted this without all the advice from posters on this board. THANK YOU!!
:hail: :hail: :hail:
I made this list below as a guide for others, as a sort of thank you to the board. but thought it might be helpful here as well. I'm not totally done yet, and I need a bit more help that I listed at the bottom. Enjoy!

Below is a list of parts I used to do my transmission swap. I went from a manual Borg-Warner Super T-10 4 speed to an automatic TH350. Most of the parts I got from a 1982 Trans Am with a 200C automatic. The transmission itself was sourced from another GM car, and I had to get miscellanous parts from other sources. Hopefully this helps others get an idea of what you all need and possible sources.

I AM NOT A MECHANIC!! I was able to do this mostly myself by doing alot of research, asking alot of questions on Thirdgen.org, and having help from informed friends. The way I did it is not the only way, and not necessarily the easiest way.

I'm sure I'm missing some items, but it's a good start. Generally they are listed as Item, followed by my source, and notes on supply/installation.

TH350 Transmission
83 Pontiac Parisienne
Came with TC, but exchanged for core charge. Got the transmission free from a friend. Rest of the project was not so free.

Flexplate
83 Pontiac Parisienne
There are two sizes of flexplates. I got the one that was the same size as my old flywheel from my T-10 so that it would work properly with the starter. Also got bolts for the flexplate.

Trans Rubber Mount
83 Pontiac Parisienne
The one that came with the transmission was in good shape, so I reused it. I have some shims that can also be used to adjust the height of the trans, but I'm not sure if I need them.

200C Trans T/A
200C Trans T/A
The car I bought to part out, and got the trans and all associated parts from. It was a rustbucket, non WS6/7 car.

200C Transmission
200C Trans T/A
Kept just in case. Used it for misc. parts such as coolant line fittings, but basically just had it for all the associated parts listed below.

Coolant Lines
200C Trans T/A
Not a perfect fit, need some persuasion. I stripped the lower line brass fitting because they didn't line up properly. Had to use extra fitting from 200C transmission.

Auto Radiator
200C Trans T/A
Direct fit.

Trans Crossmember
200C Trans T/A
My T-10 stock member would have worked as well. I did need new bolts and a tap and die set to as the old ones broke off.

Shifter
200C Trans T/A
Stock 82 Firebird Shifter. I had to find miscellanous parts for it on the webboard and discontinued stuff though GM dealerships because mine was missing parts. Now it works great!

Trans Tunnel
200C Trans T/A
I had a manual before, so this had to be welded closed. I had a piece of tunnel from an auto car that was then grafted into my trans tunnel.

Driveshaft
200C Trans T/A
I am using a 6" tailshaft TH350 so my T-10 driveshaft fit. I also got a spare 200C driveshaft just in case. Alternatively, you can find a 9" tailshaft TH350 and use a 700R4 driveshaft.

Trans Shift Cable
200C Trans T/A
I had clearance problems with the Torque Arm Adaptor Kit. The pan lip must be cut down to mount the shift cable properly.

Trans Cooler
Aftermarket
Aftermarket. I think I went with 20,000 lb cooler. Came with fittings and seems to be fine. Instructions say to run it through the stock rad first, then the cooler, so I did that.

Torque Converter
Aftermarket
Local rebuild, 2500 stall

Kickdown Cable
Aftermarket
Adjustable. I had a stock one that came with the trans, but it was 3" too long.

Vacuum Modulator
Aftermarket
Adjustable "Red Stripe". I didn't understand what that meant until I went to a trans shop and just asked for one with a red stripe. That's all there is to it.

Filter and pan gasket
Aftermarket
Nothing special.

Fluids
Aftermarket
Dexron III. It took over 10 litres to fill the dry transmission!

TC Bolts
Aftermarket - Mr. Gasket
Surprisingly hard to find!

Shift Kit
Aftermarket - Transgo
I had the tranny out of the car, so installing the shift kit was easy. I never ran the tranny before installing the kit, so I can't say how much of a difference it made. It had two spring options for one item, which may be why my 2-3 shift is soft (see bottom).

Torque Arm Adaptor Kit
Aftermarket - Hurst
Choices are B&M and Hurst. I chose Hurst. It worked great, except the hole to put the speedo through was way off centre. I had to enlarge the hole substantially. Otherwise, all the hardware worked and was included. They also included vacuum line for the vacuum modulator and shifter cable mounts. You also need to trim the pan to make everything fit, but that is stated in the instructions.

Dipstick Tube
Aftermarket - Lokar
Nothing gave me more trouble than this. I tried three different GM stock tubes from different cars. Nothing would fit in place, but apparantly they do if you put it in BEFORE raising the transmission. I had to wait months trying different tubes before finally buying a Lokar flexible dipstick. Make sure you order the firewall mount. Trans mount is only half as long and will not reach. And the JC Whitney one they advertise is only tranny mount...I wasted money on that one too.

Speedo Gears
GM Dealership
Only a few bucks each. Used the calculator on http://www.tciauto.com/tech_info/speedo_gears.htm and it seems to have worked great. I replaced both the driven and drive gears to get the most accurate speed.

Misc Seals
GM Dealership
I replaced the front seal, rear seal, speedo seal, dipstick seal (which is not needed with a Lokar flexible dipstick)

Electrical Connections
Stock
To connect the park/neutral start lockout, etc. was easy. My car was wired for both manual and automatic, so I just had to plug into the correct harness.

Steel Vacuum Line
??
Apparently stock cars have a steel vacuum line to the modulator, which won't collapse like rubber might. I still have to find one of these, although my rubber one seems to work fine…I think.

TC Inspection Cover
??
Still need to get one of these from a junkyard.

Remaining Issues
1. I still need to get the steel line and inspection cover, no biggie.
2. The 1-2 shift is great. Firm. The 2-3 seems almost imperceptable and occurs right after the 1-2 if I leave it in Drive. It's like it's only in 2nd gear for a few moments before going directly to 3rd. If I shift manually, I can hold it in second for as long as I like, but the shift to 3rd is still soft. I don't know if I did something wrong with the shift kit, or if TH350's are supposed to shift to 3rd really quickly? Maybe I just need to adjust my vacuum modulator even more? Any advice?
3. My T-10 had shims between the trans mount and the crossmember. How do I know if I need them with my TH350? Can I just park on a level surface and ensure the trans pan is level? What is the best way to measure that?