Ive got an '82 T/A with a few questions... I know that the car came with a TH200, but last owner told me they put in a TH350 with a b&m shift kit. They also converted the crossfire fuel injection to a carb. Now heres the question... what might the symptoms be if they didnt hook up any vacuum to the tranny when they converted? Could a 200 shift hard and linger in gear almost regardless of throttle position? whats happening right now is the car shifts from 1st at about 15 mph when slowly accelerating, then 2nd shifts at 30ish. Like I said, this is not at WOT, but just a slow accel. Also, when decelerating, the car will down shift at roughly these points without me doing anything and I get some major engine braking. I would love to check if its really a 350, but I dont have a safe means of lifting the car to look. I dont mind the hard shifts and down shifting, but I dont want to damage anything either. One last thing is, there isnt any linkages going to the carb at all for a kickdown? I just installed an edlebrock 600 4bbl (replacing the holley 2bbl) and there wasnt anything mechanical to hook up other than the throttle cable. Unfortunatly, it seems being a mechanics car for 23 years has resulted in alot of things spliced, missing, or homebrewed

 

1. If there's no vacuum hooked to it, the trans will basically never shift; because as far as it can see, you have the throttle WFO 100% of the time. So by your description, I'd say, vacuum is hooked up.

2. There's supposed to be a kickdown cable. All it does however, is manually yank it into a lower gear when you stand on the gas. In hack jobs like it sounds like you've got one of, people often don't hook them up. It doesn't hurt anything as long as the hole in the trans case where it goes is plugged somehow so that fluid doesn't spew out of it.

3. There's an adjustment for the shift points. If you take the vacuum line off of the vacuum modulator, there's a little screw down in there; turning it clockwise makes it shift later and harder, CCW makes it earlier and softer. Adjust it ¼ turn at a time until you get it like you want it.

You can park the car on a curb or something, where you can lie in the gutter, to get under it. This is not a particularly difficult situation to overcome.

 

Thanks for the info. Now my only wonder is if there really is a shift kit in there or if they just played with that screw to firm it up. I guess I shouldnt care too much since the car drives fine, I just dont want to be saying its got things in it that it really doesnt. I recall someone telling me how to determine which tranny it is, unfortunatly I cant remember what number to look for or which side its stamped on.

 

devastator

how did they mount the torque arm, if it;s still mounted to the tail shaft of the trans, you've been had .... 200 is junk I went through 3 rebuilds and tossed it and stuck a 5 speed in mine and don't regret the swap for a minute, sure the 5 speed isn't the strongest but it's way better than the 200.

good luck man

 

Im not sure about the torque arm, as Im really not sure what Id be looking for (as in what the arm looks like) Im 90% positive its a 350 though after counting the pan bolts underneath on the angled section. if the sites I looked at were correct, the number of bolts matches with a 350 not the 200. I may have miscounted though as I couldnt get all the way underneath my car (its not registered for this year yet, so all my looking has been in the driveway) Next weekend Ill be able to take it to work and get a good look in the mechanics garage.