Th-350 Adapter:

[Stewart G. Griffin]

Does anyone make/sell an adapter to match the 2.8 with a turbo 350 trans?

Chevy turbo 350, not B.O.P. version.

[sharkey]

not that i know of. i know there is a th 200 that bolts to the small gm pattern, as well as a 700r4 and 4l60e.

what is it going into, and why does it have to use a 350??? a 700r4 is plenty strong enough to take anything a 2.8 will throw at it, and if not, it can be built to take more.

[CNCguy]

Does anyone make/sell an adapter to match the 2.8 with a turbo 350 trans?

Chevy turbo 350, not B.O.P. version.

Speedway motors sells one but it comes in a kit. Their website does not have a description but the latest catalog says:

60 Degree Chevy V6 Engine Mount Option
* Set of motor brackets
* Thru-bolt cushions
* Frame adapters
* Transmission adapter (V6 to 350 Turbo)
P/N 973-18927 $139.95

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/aspx/display_id.4010/itemNo.973-18927/qx/Product.htm

Give them a call, maybe they will sell you one seperately.

[Stewart G. Griffin]

Ok thanks, $139 is reasonable even if i have to buy all the other parts too.


To answer the other question, it may be going in a monte carlo, cavalier (yes, a RWD conversion) or a truck. It "has" to be a th-350 because i prefer them----cheap, availability, durability, simplicity, ease of maintenance etc.

[patgizz]

i wonder if that's compatible the other way, to say put a small block onto a FWD tranny.

either way looks like $139 is a great deal and i bet you could sell the motor mounts on ebay and recoup some of the cost.

[Greg55_99]

There IS this bellhousing available from Australia that fits the 60 degree V6.

http://www.automatictransmission.com.au/release.asp?NewsId=6606

Greg

[sharkey]

thats for a powerglide. to the best of my knowledge, there isnt a 350 case that has a removable bellhousing.

personaly i think a 700r4 is a better transmission if your not going with insane power levels (700hp+) it has a lower first gear (numericaly higher), and you have overdrive and lockup, wich helps a lot with fuel mialage.

[Greg55_99]

thats for a powerglide. to the best of my knowledge, there isnt a 350 case that has a removable bellhousing.

personaly i think a 700r4 is a better transmission if your not going with insane power levels (700hp+) it has a lower first gear (numericaly higher), and you have overdrive and lockup, wich helps a lot with fuel mialage.

Hi Sharkey,
Read the material amigo.

"Our Technical, Development and Motorsports department have just released photos of their new Powerglide bell housing that allows the almost indestructible 2 Speed Powerglide transmission to bolt directly up to the Holden V6 engines. Primarily designed for both Speedway and Drag Racing the bell housing can be used with either a Direct Drive Unit, Hi Stall or a convertor that is better suited for street use. The same bell housing is also available to bolt both the T/350 and T/400 3 Speed transmissions directly up to the V6 Holden Engine.

The T/350 and T/400 bell housings need to be removed to allow for the new bell housing that simply bolts up to the front pump but Wholesale can remove these very cheaply. No modifications are done to the engine and the standard drive plate, drive plate bolts, convertor bolts and bell housing bolts are used. And in the case of the Powergilde transmission the 6cyl unit with the removable bell housing will bolt straight up."

Greg

[sharkey]

interesting.

even so, 350 is an outdated unit. i would much rather have a 700r4. the shop i work for has built several in high performance aplications, including a 625hp 383 stroker 55 chevy. the tranny shifted good and firm, and has been holding for over a year and a lot of miles, and a bunch of runs at the track. they are far from weak, and realy the only difference between a v8 and a small v6 700r4 is the case itself.

[Stewart G. Griffin]

Thanks for the research.

It looks as though i would have to remove the bellhousing by cutting? In that case, i feel the speedway adapter would probably be better way to go in my case.

I could send the trans off to australia, but i'm afraid the shipping might make it cost prohibitive.

2) I would like the extra 4th gear overdrive and lockup TC, but i feel 700rs are too complex---wiring for lockup, "t.v." cable etc. for what i need.
I've done some extensive calculating and i feel that despite the added benefits of overdrive (which admitedly is a BIG benefit) the fuel savings would not justify the extra cost of the 700r.

It's a much simpler swap, and part of what makes a swap economical is simplicity. Don't forget that time=money.

I'm a little different than most enthusiasts in that i modify for economy, not for performance.

[sharkey]

actualy, you still need a throttle cable for a 350, aswell as a vacume line for the mod. a 700 has no mod, but it does have the cable, but its no harder to hook up than a 350. and you dont have to wire in lockup if you dont want to. if its not wired in, you simply wont have it. so in a way, its actualy more simple to put in a 700r4, as you dont need an adaptor, just to bolt it right up to your motor. this along with the fact that you dont need to get a high stall converter for the 350, as any stock stall 350 converter would be way to low for a 2.8l. basicly you could just grab a used small v6 700r4 and bolt it right in (or get it rebuilt first).

[Stewart G. Griffin]

Well, the Kickdown cable for the 350 is pretty simple. I'm not so sure about this "T.V." cable thing for the 700. Vacuum modulator line is pretty simple.

The other thing is, i can get a reman 350 from summit or jegs for $625 US. This is as good or better than new being that it's remanufactured. The cheapest 700 i've seen is $1000 us. Maybe you know of a cheaper place?


Good point about the converter. But since i don't care about performance, the stock one would probably work if it's cheaper than a higher-stall version.

[sharkey]

a 700r4 is going to be more money any way you look at it. its a 4 speed, there is more that goes into it. the tv cable is easy to set up, just hook it up, hold the adjuster button down, have someone step on the throttle, and when they are at wot, let go f the button and it locks in place. nothing to it.

i think the converter thing will be a big issue. a stock converter with a v8 will stall 1200-1600rpm. now with less torque, it will stall a lot lowewr, likley 1000rpm. a typical fwd v6 stalls at 2000-2800. also, a small v6 uses a 9.75" conveter, compared to an 12" with a v8. if you are stuck on doing a 350, then your best bet would be to find a small v8 (262 or 267ci) or better yet a v6 or straight 6.

[Stewart G. Griffin]

i don't have as much money as you. As such, i must find inovative ways to provide transport.

Update: The th-350 at summit is now $593 US. While the cheapest 700 in the catalog is $1300. Now how much driving do you think i would have to do to make up for the $700 price difference?

b) neither of the transm's come with torque converters, so i'd likely have to buy one anyways.

Thanks for the help though.

There are those enthusiasts who enjoy and appreciate the complexity of electronic fuel injection, computer controlled ignition, lockup converters, etc., and i don't want to offend them. Hopefully, they will respect those of us who choose not to commit to not only the higher intial costs of these systems, but to the high cost, difficulty and inconvienience of their need to be eventually repaired. I too have driven a modern car with the aforementioned systems (in fact, i own a stock 90 cavalier). They offer modern styling and interior comfort. However, sheet metal design and modern conviences have not suffered. The real question is will the car continue to run 50,000 miles from now without breaking the bank?

I believe we are in an age where automotive complexity is threatening the survival of the species. It's time to become practical and time to pursue simplicity.

[patgizz]

how do you plan to mate the converter to the flexplate? smaller bolt pattern on the 60* flexplate. summit's th350 does not come with a kickdown cable, you have to downshift manually, i have one in my belair. working fine so far with about 3 miles on it. however, don't count out a local transmission shop. the local guys will build me a 700r4 for $600 + core out the door with a brand new converter.