If you replaced an ST300 w/ a 200-4R, I want to hear from you

[Guest]

I'm really concidering replacing my st300 in my 65 Skylark (300 V-8) with a 200-4R. I know it is a bolt in, but I want to know what the rpm difference is. So, if you have a 200-4R behind a 300 or a 340, let me know what your rpm is at the following speeds:<P>55mph<BR>65<BR>75<BR>75+? <P>And any pro/cons of the tranny that you have experienced.<BR>Thanks!

[The Old Guy]

The 200-4R has a .67 overdrive ,so you can figure your RPM using this number.

[YellowLark]

I have a 200-4R behind the 340 in my '66.<P>At 75 mph I run about 2150 rpm. Car has the stock 2.73 rear.<P>That's measuring the speed with a GPS, since the speedometer is now too fast.

[Guest]

Old Guy-<BR>How do I figure out the RPM?

[YellowLark]

Old Guy may have a different answer, but I took no chances and installed an Autometer tachometer under my dash.<P>Figured my speed/true speed/rpm by driving on I-95 with a hand-held GPS on my dashboard and a passenger holding a clipboard with three columns: speedometer speed, GPS speed, and rpm. I would hold the car steady at a certain speedometer speed, tell that to the passenger, who would look at the GPS and tachometer abd write down the true speed and rpm. <P>So, I now have a reference table that tells me, for example, that 82 mph on the speedometer is actually 75 mph. This was my alternative to changing the transmission's speedometer gears to try to make them accurate.

[Guest]

Don't you mean spedo reading is 75 and actual speed is 82? I know I was shocked to learn this summer how fast I had been going....I knew it was off but apparently I have been driving 70 to 80 everywhere..<BR> Mine seems to workout about 15% slow as a generel rule.<BR> `66 Skylark 340-2004R.....and love it!

[Guest]

oops ...man I can spell better...guess it's too early in the AM.

[The Old Guy]

Your RPM will drop by 1/3 when you are in overdrive( 1/3 is .666),consequently if you had been running 3000 at 70 ,you will now run 2000. I check my speedo against the mile markers on the interstate. I vary my speed every mile until I am running a mile a minute. I then run ten miles as close to that number as I can to be sure it is right. Then if I ran 70 to go a mile a minute I know how far off the speedo is and go to a speedo shop and get the gear needed

[Guest John Chapman]

Yellow...<P>Not to be a smarta**, but wouldn't changing the gear to a correct one be simpler and less expensive than purchasing a GPS, feeding a copilot and having to refer to a correction table to know how fast you were going? <P>Or, do you also prouldy wear a Mr. Wizard tee shirt....? LOL

[YellowLark]

John,<P>It was easy, as I already had a wallet-size GPS for my boat.<P>There has been so much discussion about red gears, blue gears, yellow gears, umpteen part numbers, etc. to change the speedo gearing, that I decided it was easier to figure out the error at certain mph, which isn't that hard to remember.<P>To answer the other question, my speedo was reading too fast after the trans swap. So, 70 mph on the speedometer is really about 63.5 mph according to the GPS. That's good for avoiding speeding tickets.<p>[ 10-05-2001: Message edited by: YellowLark ]

[SBRMD]

Yellow: What's the diameter of your tires? Are they as per orig equipment? Maybe the trans isn't the problem...<P>Just a thought.

[YellowLark]

Tires are P195 75R 14.<P>Original tires were 7.35 X 14. Optional tires were 7.75 X 14.<P>The P195 75R 14 have a similar profile to the 7.75 X 14 bias ply tires

[Guest]

How does the 200-4R work? ...In other words, what replaces the high stall / low stall drama?

[Guest John Chapman]

Dan,<P>There's no drama. Four speed automatic with a fixed pitch lockup TC in fourth for most applications. Bell housing patterns in BOP and Universal (fit BOP and Chevvy). <P>Did you get the copy of the Hot Rod article (Aug 2000)?<P>There's a good bit of info at:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/oftrn.htm#Transmissions" TARGET=_blank>http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/oftrn.htm#Transmissions</A> <P>See posts at:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.aaca.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=000833" TARGET=_blank>http://www.aaca.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=5&t=000833</A> <P>Cheers,<BR>John<p>[ 10-09-2001: Message edited by: John Chapman ]

[Guest]

Thanks for the article John!<BR>Since I don't have my tranny control switch or my idle stator switch hooked up I've had to boost my idle to 800 rpm (in drive) so I can drive in traffic. (That would be the cause of rough idling right?)I can't wait to get rid of the 2-speed.<BR>How's your 65 coming along??

[Guest]

Thanks for the article John!<BR>Since I don't have my tranny control switch or my idle stator switch hooked up I've had to boost my idle to 800 rpm (in drive) so I can drive in traffic. (That would be the cause of rough idling right?)I can't wait to get rid of the 2-speed.<BR>How's your 65 coming along??

[YellowLark]

To answer the question about rough idle without the idle stator switch being hooked up, I found that activating that switch when the engine was in drive would unload the engine by about 90 rpm.<P>So, with the switch working, you could set the engine to idle at about 700 rpm and not stall out at stop lights/at night/with the air conditioning on. It does make a significant difference.<P>The reason I made the switch was not to tame the idle, as that was easy to fix, but rather to have better pickup and to lower the rev's on long highway trips. One drawback - the car lays rubber under the slightest accleration. Very embarassing when visiting relatives, who conclude that you still haven't grown up!

[Guest John Chapman]

Yellow... I think the folks have you pegged. <P>Dan. Progress on the '65 has been distressingly slow due to very busy summer. Now we're in the process of finding a newer home, so I'm not sure when I'll get back to it. <P>JMC

[Guest]

A couple of more questions before I get this project started:<P>What inspection cover did you guys use? The one fron the ST300 or the 200-4R?<P>And my center console has been broken beyond repair by my kids. I have seen how much these things are going for on ebay, and I really don't want to pay that kind of money. So my question is, can I use a B&M Megashifter that fits a 200-4R? (these shifters are cable operated.)<P>Thanks for the info.

[YellowLark]

My car has the column-mounted shifter, which connected up to the 200-4R with a little bending. <P>Don't know what you mean by inspection cover. Can you give me further definition?

[Guest]

By inspection cover, I mean the pan-like "thingie" that covers the flywheel and converter.

[YellowLark]

My original ST300 cover is there.<P>But, it is not tight fitting. There is about a 3/16" gap in one area (both sides) as it nears the rear bolts.<P>I had the work done by a highly recommended custom trans shop. Don't know why he allowed that much gap. Perhaps the fit was still better than with the alternative.