I have owned my 1985 4×4 K5 Blazer since day one for 12 years. The transmission failed without warning at a stop light. It shifts smoothly with zero issues. I wish I still had the truck today; it would be worth a small fortune.
My ‘88 GMC Sierra 4X4 had the 700R4 4-speed automatic with overdrive. Smooth shifting and responsive transmission, even after 200,000 miles. The 350 V8 also lasted that long as well. I couldn’t say the same about my ‘93 Sierra, which had the newer 4L60E. Went out around 37,000 miles. Luckily it was replaced under factory warranty and I had zero issues with the replacement transmission.
@@shadowopsairman1583 Apparently so……because the replacement transmission was flawless. Overall, the ‘93 Sierra lasted 130,000 miles before I traded it in for what turned out to be my last pickup truck - a 2000 Sierra. Then I downsized, sold my property. Now I live in the suburbs and combined with rising gas prices, I no longer have a use for a full sized pickup truck.
Have a THM700R4 in a 1990 K1500 that my dad bought new. Regular oil & filter changes @ 60k miles. 4 times a year it would pull a lime spreader with 8-10 tons of lime 20 miles to the field. Lasted 320k miles before 3-4 clutches burnt up.
The 2004R in my 1987 Grand National still working great, I've owned that car since new in Sept 1987. Those transmissions were sent out to Art Carr for beefing up and I think that made a world of difference. Man that thing shifts nice and firm!
Still running TH350's and the "78 Bonneville just got it's first rebuild last year, 125,000 miles. C-10 115,000 on it now, and still shifts perfectly, trouble free. Had a 4L60E in the Astro, (2001), and that went to the junkyard at 180,000, still shifted perfectly.
TH350s, aside from the lack of OD, have a really shitty first gear, nearly as bad as the TH400 and 4L80E. I had one fail while steady cruising the interstate, flat land, no wind, just a 305 in a Camaro. Switch to the 700R-4, it's far superior in every way.
The th250C BOP in my g-body is still plugging along with quite a few (unknown) miles, it just keeps going. The front seal has begun to leak a bit when the car sits unused for several days, maybe the pump bushing needs replacing. I do have a th350C ready to take it's place when the day comes, if ever.
I tend to be a TH350 guy but maybe just cuz that's what I end up with. I tell myself they're lighter and easier to muscle around than a 400 and those are only needed for racecars
The reliability showed up once electronic line pressure control took over. The older units relied on several adjustments including engine tune that could throw the pressure off and make for inappropriately modulated shifts. Also helps to have an adult driving.
I understand why they came out, still my favorite is the TH350, IMO a 1984 Monte SS with a TH350 and lock up converter w/3.42s felt faster and less drivetrain drag then in 1985 when they used 2004R and 3.73’s. I have a 700r4 in my 1987 Iroc-Z 5.7, it’s ok but not a huge fan. Now the TH400 is legendary 😂👍
I had a 4l60e in my blazer. It made a terrible whining noise but i drove it 50k miles like that and never had a problem. Still shifted good when i sold the truck
4L60E in my '96 Camaro. TCC Lockup was always a sore point on the 4L60E, at least in my Camaro's vintage. I had a sloppy shop attempt to address it with a new accumulator valve with a Transgo shift kit partial rebuild, but they used a crap rebuilt torque converter that exploded on me at 60mph. Limped it to the nearest place I could pull over, had it towed to another shop that put a new torque converter in... can't tell if the first shop actually did anything more than replace the converter and the TCC lockup code came back a month after Still have the car, she's been parked for a while as I now have two others to play with. I plan to rebuild the transmission myself one day when I get a shop and some time
I'll take the Turbo 350 and 400s prior to lockup convertors over the 700r4 and early 4l60 and early 4l60e, the newer 4l60e with the removable bell housings are pretty reliable.
The th2004r is a direct replacement for the powerglide, jetaway, and th350 transmissions. I'm saying direct because you can reuse the old driveshaft and just move the crossmember back to the th400 location.
Australian 1992 Holden Commodore VP rear wheel srive wagon with GM3800 MPFI and THM 700 R4. 125000 hard miles. Great gearbox with perfect gear ratio spread
My 89 g20 shorty van has a 700r4 between a 383stroker and 355 posi traction rear end. Its the transmission the van came with when i got it. It has Gm goodwrench sticker on it so it may be a reman unit. I put a 2200 stall converter in it with a manual lock up switch. So far so good. But id like to give it a mild shift kit and corvette servo at some point.
What car is that at 1:43?!?! I know it's a Poncho, but is it a Parisian or ? Full size 2-door with bucket seats, center consol and what looks like full guage package? Never knew that beast existed. I want it.
All 3 of my 200-4Rs failed without cause. My 700R-4s have been many, and mostly trouble-free. The 200-4R isn't adequate for a damn LG4, which is a 140-horse 305. 700R-4 was developed for the Corvette, and most of mine have served well behind healthy 350s in Camaros and fullsize work trucks that have towed at least twice what they were rated to.
The 700r4 was terrible, very weak and very expensive to rebuild. With older GMs if you can live without overdrive stay with th350/400, guaranteed to outlive any 700r4 or 4l60, if you need overdrive go with a 4l80.
Agreed, although the later 700R4 wasn't as terrible as the first few years of it. Totally agree the 4L80E is a WAY better trans, but I've seen many 4L60E last the life of the vehicle if they were taken care of. Drivers need to use 3rd gear unless they're on the highway going 55mph+
@@johneckert1365 i have never had a good experience with a 700r4, they always seemed like they were on the verge of failure the whole time and I have known people that bought professionally "built" "performance" 700r4s that still failed after a few years. The 4l60e were very hit or miss, you would either luck out and get one that lasted 200k-250k miles with no issues or you would fry them every 100k miles(only referring to 100% stock vehicles). But I have never seen a 4l60e that held up on a "performance" vehicle/build.
@briang4470 I've seen the same thing with those 4L60E. Seems like it's either a very good one, or a very bad one. No happy medium. I had good luck with several 700R4 behind 6.2 diesels, but to be fair there wasn't much horsepower to deal with lol, and I always babied them. Had to wire up a manual torque converter lock, but when it was in O/D with converter locked, those 6.2 got really good fuel mileage.
@@johneckert1365 yeah those 6.2 diesel were no power house lol, especially the non turbo version. I have seen many 700r4s fail behind even a mild 350 or 305. I have had better luck with 200 4r trans or stick with the tried and true th350 which is almost bulletproof.
I've used all but the 200 series in my trucks over the years. I currently have a 4l80e in my 89 2500 2wd. Awesome work truck. The 4l60e was the worst three rebuilds in 210000 miles.
I have owned my 1985 4×4 K5 Blazer since day one for 12 years. The transmission failed without warning at a stop light. It shifts smoothly with zero issues. I wish I still had the truck today; it would be worth a small fortune.
My ‘88 GMC Sierra 4X4 had the 700R4 4-speed automatic with overdrive. Smooth shifting and responsive transmission, even after 200,000 miles. The 350 V8 also lasted that long as well.
I couldn’t say the same about my ‘93 Sierra, which had the newer 4L60E. Went out around 37,000 miles. Luckily it was replaced under factory warranty and I had zero issues with the replacement transmission.
Yup you had a 1 off.
@@shadowopsairman1583 Apparently so……because the replacement transmission was flawless. Overall, the ‘93 Sierra lasted 130,000 miles before I traded it in for what turned out to be my last pickup truck - a 2000 Sierra. Then I downsized, sold my property. Now I live in the suburbs and combined with rising gas prices, I no longer have a use for a full sized pickup truck.
Older GM rear wheel drive vehicle are the best driving, most reliable vehicles ever made. My favorite is the 77-90 B-Body cars
Totally agree 👍 I have a 78 2door Caprice I love ❤️
Have a THM700R4 in a 1990 K1500 that my dad bought new. Regular oil & filter changes @ 60k miles. 4 times a year it would pull a lime spreader with 8-10 tons of lime 20 miles to the field. Lasted 320k miles before 3-4 clutches burnt up.
The 2004R in my 1987 Grand National still working great, I've owned that car since new in Sept 1987. Those transmissions were sent out to Art Carr for beefing up and I think that made a world of difference. Man that thing shifts nice and firm!
The 2004R in my 442 shifts perfectly. 37 years old and has never been rebuilt.
Still running TH350's and the "78 Bonneville just got it's first rebuild last year, 125,000 miles. C-10 115,000 on it now, and still shifts perfectly, trouble free. Had a 4L60E in the Astro, (2001), and that went to the junkyard at 180,000, still shifted perfectly.
TH350s, aside from the lack of OD, have a really shitty first gear, nearly as bad as the TH400 and 4L80E. I had one fail while steady cruising the interstate, flat land, no wind, just a 305 in a Camaro. Switch to the 700R-4, it's far superior in every way.
The th250C BOP in my g-body is still plugging along with quite a few (unknown) miles, it just keeps going. The front seal has begun to leak a bit when the car sits unused for several days, maybe the pump bushing needs replacing. I do have a th350C ready to take it's place when the day comes, if ever.
2004R was a trouble child , but the 700r4 was basically bullet prof .
Thanks for the info. Just what i was looking for. You guys always leave the Hurst/Olds out when you talk about the early to mid 80's
I could never forget about those lighting rods. They'll be an 83/84 Hurst Olds video coming at some point.
I tend to be a TH350 guy but maybe just cuz that's what I end up with. I tell myself they're lighter and easier to muscle around than a 400 and those are only needed for racecars
TH350 is my favorite, so easy to disassemble and reassemble and seem to go forever when taken care of.
Had a TH400 in my 73 Z/28. Bullit proof.
The reliability showed up once electronic line pressure control took over. The older units relied on several adjustments including engine tune that could throw the pressure off and make for inappropriately modulated shifts. Also helps to have an adult driving.
I understand why they came out, still my favorite is the TH350, IMO a 1984 Monte SS with a TH350 and lock up converter w/3.42s felt faster and less drivetrain drag then in 1985 when they used 2004R and 3.73’s. I have a 700r4 in my 1987 Iroc-Z 5.7, it’s ok but not a huge fan. Now the TH400 is legendary 😂👍
My mom had an 83 olds cutlass with a th200 that developed a second neutral where reverse had been
😂
I had a 4l60e in my blazer. It made a terrible whining noise but i drove it 50k miles like that and never had a problem. Still shifted good when i sold the truck
4L60E in my '96 Camaro. TCC Lockup was always a sore point on the 4L60E, at least in my Camaro's vintage. I had a sloppy shop attempt to address it with a new accumulator valve with a Transgo shift kit partial rebuild, but they used a crap rebuilt torque converter that exploded on me at 60mph. Limped it to the nearest place I could pull over, had it towed to another shop that put a new torque converter in... can't tell if the first shop actually did anything more than replace the converter and the TCC lockup code came back a month after
Still have the car, she's been parked for a while as I now have two others to play with. I plan to rebuild the transmission myself one day when I get a shop and some time
Look up Richard and Teresa Crich
I'll take the Turbo 350 and 400s prior to lockup convertors over the 700r4 and early 4l60 and early 4l60e, the newer 4l60e with the removable bell housings are pretty reliable.
The th2004r is a direct replacement for the powerglide, jetaway, and th350 transmissions. I'm saying direct because you can reuse the old driveshaft and just move the crossmember back to the th400 location.
Australian 1992 Holden Commodore VP rear wheel srive wagon with GM3800 MPFI and THM 700 R4. 125000 hard miles. Great gearbox with perfect gear ratio spread
I love the old marketing pics
My 89 g20 shorty van has a 700r4 between a 383stroker and 355 posi traction rear end. Its the transmission the van came with when i got it. It has Gm goodwrench sticker on it so it may be a reman unit. I put a 2200 stall converter in it with a manual lock up switch. So far so good. But id like to give it a mild shift kit and corvette servo at some point.
I had a 700R4 in my '90 S15 Jimmy. 😊
What car is that at 1:43?!?! I know it's a Poncho, but is it a Parisian or ? Full size 2-door with bucket seats, center consol and what looks like full guage package? Never knew that beast existed.
I want it.
All 3 of my 200-4Rs failed without cause. My 700R-4s have been many, and mostly trouble-free. The 200-4R isn't adequate for a damn LG4, which is a 140-horse 305. 700R-4 was developed for the Corvette, and most of mine have served well behind healthy 350s in Camaros and fullsize work trucks that have towed at least twice what they were rated to.
200R4 was a weak transmisson. The B bodys with the towing package had the better transmisson.
What about the ST300?
My 82 camaro z28 305 had a th200. Not a r4
The 700r4 was terrible, very weak and very expensive to rebuild. With older GMs if you can live without overdrive stay with th350/400, guaranteed to outlive any 700r4 or 4l60, if you need overdrive go with a 4l80.
Agreed, although the later 700R4 wasn't as terrible as the first few years of it. Totally agree the 4L80E is a WAY better trans, but I've seen many 4L60E last the life of the vehicle if they were taken care of. Drivers need to use 3rd gear unless they're on the highway going 55mph+
@@johneckert1365 i have never had a good experience with a 700r4, they always seemed like they were on the verge of failure the whole time and I have known people that bought professionally "built" "performance" 700r4s that still failed after a few years. The 4l60e were very hit or miss, you would either luck out and get one that lasted 200k-250k miles with no issues or you would fry them every 100k miles(only referring to 100% stock vehicles). But I have never seen a 4l60e that held up on a "performance" vehicle/build.
@briang4470 I've seen the same thing with those 4L60E. Seems like it's either a very good one, or a very bad one. No happy medium.
I had good luck with several 700R4 behind 6.2 diesels, but to be fair there wasn't much horsepower to deal with lol, and I always babied them. Had to wire up a manual torque converter lock, but when it was in O/D with converter locked, those 6.2 got really good fuel mileage.
@@johneckert1365 yeah those 6.2 diesel were no power house lol, especially the non turbo version. I have seen many 700r4s fail behind even a mild 350 or 305. I have had better luck with 200 4r trans or stick with the tried and true th350 which is almost bulletproof.
@@briang4470 I'm in the auto salvage business, and yea I have hot rod buddies that want any TH200R4 I can come up with.
First!!!
😂
I've used all but the 200 series in my trucks over the years. I currently have a 4l80e in my 89 2500 2wd. Awesome work truck. The 4l60e was the worst three rebuilds in 210000 miles.