which transmission do I have?

I have a 1988 chevy caprice with 4.3l and I wanted to know what transmission I had in it. Some people said in was a 700r4 and someone else said it has a 200r4. I wanted to know what other transmission would fit and what other vehicles had the same transmission in case I have to get one from a wrecking yard

It might be a TH200C or TH350C
I had one in my 87 with the 4.3
You can tell from the shape of the pan.
Check out the link below.
Hope this helps..




http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/Transmission_identification

I have a 1988 chevy caprice with 4.3l and I wanted to know what transmission I had in it. Some people said in was a 700r4 and someone else said it has a 200r4. I wanted to know what other transmission would fit and what other vehicles had the same transmission in case I have to get one from a wrecking yard

with this a 1988 IT IS MOST LIKELY a 700-r4 this is a 4 speed tranny..

the 200-r4 is still a possibility or the 350 which is a 3 speed tranny..

my 1983 I ordered with the 350 ...special as at that time they where using the 700-r4 which is very weak tranny...my 350 lasted 17 yrs..


use the link supplied and use the tranny pan for idenification...this is most always the most accurate...

best install what was there unless you have money to burn...

It's most likely a TH2004R. TH700s were in Broughams and most 9C1s, 2004Rs were used in everything else (even though you might find a 2004R in a 9C1). If it's a 3-speed, it will be a TH200C (no 350s in 1988), although I don't think they even offered a 3-speed in 1988 (could be wrong).

... my 1983 I ordered with the 350 ...special as at that time they where using the 700-r4 which is very weak tranny...my 350 lasted 17 yrs..


The TH700-R4 definitely had some shortcomings in 1982, but categorizing it as "weak tranny" may not be a fair assessment. I have a 25-year old TH700-R4 which takes all the abuse of a Trans Am without a hiccup. The later variants and upgraded units can easily handle 400 ft/lb beyond 5,500 RPM in 7,000 pound trucks. Earlier stock units did have pump weaknesses, accumulator issues, and lacked the heavier duty sun shells and planetary sets, but were no less capable overall than the TH200-4R.

The huge advantage in general popularity of the 200 is the better low gear ratio for light- and medium-weight applications. The extra low first gear ratio of the 700 was intentional to allow GMs heavier cars and trucks to be launched with the much lower power 8:1 compression, imported camel-urine burning, Joan Claybrook-loving engines available in the '70s and early '80s when the trans was originally designed. They were really never intended for higher performance duty, but with a few modifications are easily up to the task. That should be a testament to the design, not a condemnation of it.

Sorry if I get a little defensive about the design, but I've been through one or two of these boxes, as well as 200s, 350s, 400s, ST300s, and old PGs, and I can see nothing wrong with a design that so many people all over the interwebs are quick to dismiss without ever having been through one, yet the same basic 1981 design is still working in new applications almost 30 years later, and yet no one seems to be quick to blast the same box now that it's called a 4L70E.

The TH700-R4 definitely had some shortcomings in 1982, but categorizing it as "weak tranny" may not be a fair assessment. I have a 25-year old TH700-R4 which takes all the abuse of a Trans Am without a hiccup. The later variants and upgraded units can easily handle 400 ft/lb beyond 5,500 RPM in 7,000 pound trucks. Earlier stock units did have pump weaknesses, accumulator issues, and lacked the heavier duty sun shells and planetary sets, but were no less capable overall than the TH200-4R.

The huge advantage in general popularity of the 200 is the better low gear ratio for light- and medium-weight applications. The extra low first gear ratio of the 700 was intentional to allow GMs heavier cars and trucks to be launched with the much lower power 8:1 compression, imported camel-urine burning, Joan Claybrook-loving engines available in the '70s and early '80s when the trans was originally designed. They were really never intended for higher performance duty, but with a few modifications are easily up to the task. That should be a testament to the design, not a condemnation of it.

Sorry if I get a little defensive about the design, but I've been through one or two of these boxes, as well as 200s, 350s, 400s, ST300s, and old PGs, and I can see nothing wrong with a design that so many people all over the interwebs are quick to dismiss without ever having been through one, yet the same basic 1981 design is still working in new applications almost 30 years later, and yet no one seems to be quick to blast the same box now that it's called a 4L70E.

back in the early 80's I had good input from my relatives in the auto repair servicing...they stated these transmission have many issues.. also the dealerships had not much good things to say about these trannys ..also with this so widspread in these vehicles many friends relatives had problems ...the transmission shops however loved these tranny's...

remember how these 700 r4 's would go into the rapid shifting up/down for no reason ? then some of the internal componets just wore out with very low miles like less the 30,ooomi...

well as I stated the 350 was never repaired ...380,ooomi ...
I even towed my 4,ooolb boat with it...

probably in your glove box there is a sticker with a bunch of mostly 3 digit codes made up of letters and or numbers these are you rpo codes (regular production option codes) make a note of codes then look them up on the web search like gm rpo codes defined. you will learn alot about your car. tranny codes usually start with a M

its either th700 or th200 but th700 is most likely

probably in your glove box there is a sticker with a bunch of mostly 3 digit codes made up of letters and or numbers these are you rpo codes (regular production option codes) make a note of codes then look them up on the web search like gm rpo codes defined. you will learn alot about your car. tranny codes usually start with a M

To that end, the option sticker is under the deck lid on these cars - MW9 = TH2004R, MD8 = TH700R4/4L60.