I'm putting a th-350 behind an L-35 4.3 (in a Toyota with dual t-cases) and wondering if there are any essential build tips for the tranny? It will be almost strictly off-road, I'd like a manual valve body but don't know much else. I don't want hard shifts that could break traction. I don't want a high stall converter. Should I get a lock-up converter? Any brand or part recommendations for rebuild kits, shifter, torque converter, etc?

thanks,
David

Build a stock tranny with manual valve body & a stock converter.

That's my $.02.

TEX

That's what I was leaning towards, thanks
David

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89088

I run a deep AL pan on mine to help cooling and an external cooler as well. I run a mild shift kit and a stock converter. Seems to work well for me.

Run a deep pan with deep pick up. Not really for cooling, but to keep from "loosing prime" when off-camber. That's the Th350s Achilles Heal. And it's worse when the passenger side is low. A +3 pan and deep pickup helps a lot, as does running about 1 qt over "full". Any more and you'll puke out fluid.

Run a locking, sealed dip stick.

Manual valve body if you like. To me it does not make that much diff…

Stock stall converter. Lock up is fine since it seems to make things like engine braking work better.

Look for a "K" case. The bell housing on a standard case is more easily broken. But then again, there are those steel replacement bell housings…

Support the cases very well or you'll break/strip the adapter mount. That's the major case weak point IMO. I've stripped AND broken mine in the last year. There were several other contributing factors including (apparently) drive shaft bind under load and a collapsing/bending rear leaf on a nasty climb, but if my cases were more firmly mounted (which also requires a stabile engine mount) then I don't think it would have happened.

Gotta have a cooler too. Largish stacked plate is the minimum IMO.

also i've been told that the deeper pan, the thick aluminium ones, add strength to the trans case.

i'll second the ,"got to have a cooler," i used a perma cool one with it's own built in fan, worked sweet, cause i mounted it anywhere i wanted to and just ran the fan the whole time i wheeled.

also i would recommend staying away from TCI kits. i've had bad luck with those kits. the B&M kits come with better parts and are more complete.

the manuel shift i would recommend against only cause i ran one in my turbo 400 for about 6 years and i grew to hate it. but if you're using your rig for trail only, i guess it wouldn't be so bad. the kit i had shifted realy hard as well. a mild shift kit will alow you to down shift when you want to.

use a pre 1980 4x4 tranny. the 4x4 cases have a thicker mounting flange on the bell housing. Also the pre 80s use non lockup converters so you dont need any wireing and they produce less heat. Find one from a truck that had a 203 or 205 because they will have the short shaft. one last imprortant thing is to get a pan with a drain plug it makes changing the filter 10 times easyer.

call a trans parts supplier and get a case saver, you will be glad you did.

call a trans parts supplier and get a case saver, you will be glad you did.

What's a case saver, a stiffener of some sort?

thanks all you guys for the tips, helps a lot.

Re manual valve bodies, do they make reverse manual valve bodies for th-350s? I haven't looked too hard, but only saw them for th-400s in Summit. If I can't get a reverse manual, I won't get one.

How much difference in case strength between the 4x4 and car housings? My neighbor has a car tranny I can get for about $50 and I have to change the mainshaft anyway for the adapter I'm using.

David

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89088

Well that just answered most of my questions. When I get there, I'd love to see some pics of support bars, crossmembers, and other home-built strengtheners to keep from breaking a case.
David