Been missing my baby...

[possum70]

... my '78 Blazer. After losing all my forward gears in the 4th transmission and driving it in reverse for 6 miles I had to park it in the drive. My wife wasn't willing to allow the money to put another tranny in since she didn't enjoy the lovely exhaust smell after riding in it. Anyway, I sold it to make her happy about 4 years ago. Now I'm itchin to get another. There is one I can get for $700 but the transmission is bad, only reverse works... ironic, huh? Well, forward works but now well.
My question is, how difficult would it be to change a 2wd th350 (I have a line on one of those from a 2wd blazer) to a 4wd th350? Or would it be easier to just rebuild the 4wd one in the truck now? It has a np203 with auto locking hubs which is what I had on the '78 and liked. I am going to have it for a hunting vehicle and something to haul my trash off with. At the moment I'm using a 2000 Malibu and a 2003 Accord. Not to my wife's liking. I don't have a lot on the plate for it to change at present but I am totally aware of the possibilities. I just haven't mentioned them to her. Also, I'm not the greatest mechanical mind but I'm willing to learn and pay to have the advanced stuff done. But the money is pretty tight.


possum

 

[Russell]

A 2wd and 4wd TH350 use a different case. Many parts of the guts will interchange, but by the time you've converted it over, you'd have midaswell just rebuilt the transmission it has right now.

That said, however, TH350s and 700r4s are exceptionally common transmissions, you should be able to find one locally for just a few hundred dollars and install it yourself. You'll need to rent a transmission jack, but everything else is done using basic hand tools. I was changing transmissions in these trucks when I was 16 years old

By the way, if she thinks a gasoline 350 smells bad, you should take her for a ride in a diesel K5, I think she might change her mind at that point

 

[possum70]

will a 700r4 and a np203 bolt up? and would I have to find a 4wd version? and what is the average cost to rebuild a th350?

 

[Russell]

Hmm, good question! I just did some reading (I've never owned an NP203 truck before) and it looks like it involves some spacers or an Advance Adapters shaft.

So, your best bet is probably another TH350 to save complication. Rebuilding them does cost a bit more than buying a good used one. I have a local shop that will build one up for $750 if I pull the transmission and take it to him.