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700r4 or th350

chevyuser74

chevyuser74

1/2 ton status
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Jun 19, 2006
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i got a 74 blazer and was wondering what was the better setup 350/th350/203 or 350/700r4/208 i was thinking to swap my th350 to the 700r4 and was wondering if this was a better setup or not, i know i might get a little better gas mileage and yes i know the 700r4 has a lock-up torque converter but b n m sells a solution for that
 
85 is right, it all depends on what you will be doing with it, and what you'll be running etc.

That being said, the 700 has some advantages. It has the lower first gear, and has the OD. Later 700's were designed better than the earlier units. But any 700 can be built to hold up to good HP etc. I got plenty of good years from my th350, but the lack of OD did suck. I had to run higher gears on that truck just to offset he lack of OD.

As for me and my needs, I'll take a 700 every time.
 
i put a 700r4 in my jimmy and never looked back. Only thing is i used the advance adapters output and hung np205 case behind it. Best of both worlds, brute strength and overdrive. If you wanna wheel it stick with the th350 if you just wanna drive it the 700r4 is the only way to go.
 
how helpful is the od will it get alot better mileage or what i do wheel this truck but i have to drive it distances to get there i know the 208 is not near the strength of a 205 or 203 but my 203 does have a lot of miles on it and im pretty sure thats why they break with it being full time and all i could be wrong but i was just wondering what would be the better of the two setups over all
 
overdrive is the only way to go if you ever drive on a highway. all of the modern cars are running OD. i hated winding my motor out to 4500-5000 rpms just to keep up with traffic and pass the timid. 373's and OD can get you up to 80mph without any trouble. when you put a 700r4 behind a motor with some power they are incredible.
 
I had both combinations in my garage in the winter but chose the 350/203. My truck is 75% trail and 25% road. With 4.88's and 37 inch tires I can do 56 mph at 3000 rpm (measured by gps). For a long haul (20 miles or so) to the local trails, I might push it up a little more since the speed limit is 70 on the interstate.

The 350 is easier and cheaper to rebuild for me, looking from a trail vehicle standpoint. And, 55ish mph is plenty for these bias ply tires.
 
balterbuilt said:
i put a 700r4 in my jimmy and never looked back. Only thing is i used the advance adapters output and hung np205 case behind it. Best of both worlds, brute strength and overdrive.
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Is the 205 the FT iron TC? I always forget. I want to build the '86 Sub I havn't paid for in Texas. 700R4, Iron FT TC with 'transmissionhead" output shaft, I guess one of their built 700's. Am I wrong in wanting full time 4wd in the winter by locking my hubs, and MileMarker adapter to have ability to shift to RWD in dry conditions. Sounds like the best of all worlds. Center differential allows dry pavement use in winter without bind-up... :eek1: I have a few iron tcases from '77-'78 1/2 and 3/4 ton Subs, PU's...
 
Fulltime iron transfer case is the 203. And, they work great on ice in full time operation. Nearly impossible to get the truck to spin around...very stable.
 
205 is part time. i woudl go 205, it's smaller and pretty stout. I think the advance adapters shaft was like 150-200 bucks. Well worth it. You can just use teh stock th350 to np205 adapter with the 700r4 to 205 as well since they are the same houseing, ones just longer. I run 4.56's with 37's and cruise at around 70 on the freeway, but it will go as fast as you will want to go if you took it there. If you are going to be towing you will want a built 700 with double clutch packs, larger servos and pumps, etc. Also you will want a big tranny cooler. I run a B&M super cooler with about 20' of cooler line, 10 going out, and 10 going back in. It keeps it really cool, and that's the key to keeping it alive!
 
I have a 74 also. I wouldn't swap my 350 for anything. (Well, maybe a 400:thinking: ) I drove my 74 back home from Az. to Or. without a hickup. On the other hand, when I drove my 85 from Or. to Az., my 700R4 blew up and my truck burned up.:mad: My 88 currently has a 700, and when it goes I will be putting in a 350 with a conversion kit. I'm sorry but I don't trust the 700. I was warned about them before my truck went, but I didn't listen. Anyway, that is just my 2 cents worth.
 
you just got to keep them happy, which means keeping the cool. Big tranny coolers with lots of tranny line running to a from the cooler and an electricc fan and you'll be smooth sailing.
 
derikleon said:
how about while towing down the highway? will even reach OD.?
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they'll reach OD when on level surface, slightes little grade and it's downshifting, besides, you really don't want to try to push it up a hill in OD while towing...

Just got back from a trip to Cali pulling some weight, wasn't really too fun with 35"s and 4.10's, but by it's self, it does cruise pretty well.

but like some say, i personally won't have anything BUT a 700 in whatever i drive or build, that's what's going in the dually project when the time is right .
 
my truck is a 350/203 combo with 4.56 gears and 40s my buddys truck is a 700/208 with 5.13 gears and 40s I would love to have his setup, but for me it would just be a waste of money as my plans are for a doubler eventually but I say the 700/208 combo is better than a 350/203 combo.
 
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