Treblig
Well-Known Member
What type of shifter do you plan to use?? I also used the Wilcap adapter, mostly because it was the thinnest letting me cut less off the cross member.
Treblig
200-4R Behind a 340 and Reid Bellhousing Build
- Thread starter clinteg
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Treblig
I've got a B&M Megashifter I plan to install. I decided to go with just the shifter, without the stock console.
Treblig
Well-Known Member
Did you reinforce the cross member on the top side?? There was a factory gap on my car that let me tap (small hammer) some 1/8" plate between the body and the cross member which compensates for all the cutting.
Treblig
Treblig
Well-Known Member
The passenger side was more of a hassle than the driver's side when it came to trimming. I think I cut a nub that sticks out on the passenger's side of the trans and also had to trim the cross member a couple of times. Seems like the higher I got the trans to go the more I had to trim off the passenger's side:
I did, thanks to your info. In my restoration thread you can see how I did it. The drivers side is perfect. Passenger side I have to trim a bit more, plus I removed a couple of excess tabs from the tranny.
Funny you mention that cause I did the same thing. Detents were too tight so I bent the spring so that I could change gears more easily. In the stock position, it really felt excessively hard to go through the gears.
I thought that was your build that had that info. You even made a bracket to attach the support for the cantilever.
I thought the us cartool mount required cutting th floor. Not having to is good news. We’re you able to keep your torsion bars too?
Treblig
Well-Known Member
Yea, that was pretty tricky trying to keep the torque rod (down rod) vertical in both directions so I could remove the trans bracket that normally holds the bottom of the torque rod in place. In the end it worked out perfect with no binding and great shifting!! I filed and extra notch into the detent part of the shifter to be able to "catch" 1st gear the GM overdrive.
treblig
Only thing I cut was the crossmember. The crossmember could have stayed in the car and been notched for the trans. Then the tabs on trans would need removed to fit like others did but I saw no point in leaving the stock crossmember with the US Car Tool crossmember. Like I’d ever go back to a 727 anyway lol!
I got rid of the torsion bars a couple years ago. I have an HDK front end with rack and pinion. The trans and the front end have been the best swaps I’ve done. I can pull my TTi headers in 15 minutes flat! So much extra room in there and it drives so good now. Good riddance torsion bars! But if I still had torsion bars, yes I could have kept them. The US Car Tool crossmember is made to support the factory torsion bars.
famous bob
mopar misfit
Hell, it takes me more than 15 min. to get mine jacked up high enough to pull the headers ! LOL
Then 20 min to pull the exhaust loose, then 30 to pull the plugs, then work the starter at the same time ---------- not my favorite things to do anymore !
Ok ok ok. Maybe that was an exaggeration! If I consider jacking up the car, remove 6 bolts on the header flange, pull spark plug wires, etc, it’s a 30 minute job.
famous bob
mopar misfit
You still got me beat, probly 3 hrs. for me ! LOL
Mopar to ya
Well-Known Member
Mine was built to take up to 750 hp. I know a couple guys running 1000 hp Grand Nationals that run 200 4R and have no issues. They are plenty strong. I have just over 500 hp and I beat the living **** out of mine. Burnouts, rolling burnouts, track racing, street racing, etc... Mine lasted five years before I rebuilt it.
Mopar to ya
Well-Known Member
Here is the link when I did my 73 Sport. Pics of the cutaway on comment #85. And better ones at #110.
200R4 update
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Mopar to ya, I used your project, and Treblig's, as a source of info for mine. Invaluable, for sure.
I may spend the money to have Lonnie do the bellhousing for mine. Less issues for me to deal with..imo. In just glad to hear how well it works. That’s why I stayed away from the 5 or 6 speed swaps, cause I didn’t wand to cut my nice shiny floorboard. Can you lower it some and avoid even more?
I plan to make my Trans mount so it ties into the subframe connectors. Will have to put some shape in it so the exhaust will clear.
Mopar to ya
Well-Known Member
When I made my crossmember I needed to use a GM tranny mount to fit the transmission. I made it adjustable so I could shim it up or down to get the proper pinion angle. I'm glad i did because I had to play a bit to get it the correct angle.
Cuda620 - here is how I trimmed my cross member. I didn't just cut it out, I welded some 1/4 flat bar in place of the cut areas to make up for what I cut out. Should be good to go but I plan to triangulate from the new trans mount / subframe connector to the cross member just to be safe
Treblig
Well-Known Member
That looks pretty nice!!! Should hold up real good! It's pics like those that help everyone!
famous bob
mopar misfit
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