hey guys im new here and I just bought a 1982 Chevy Malibu Classic wagon and it has a 3.8L V6 and a auto trans, im pretty sure its a 3 speed , anyone know if a my chevy 350 will bolt up to the trans ? im mostly a honda guy and really dont know much about the diff trans styles in chevy. thanks guys
Is it the Chevy 3.8L or the Buick 3.8L? Not overly familiar with what engines they offered in the A/G-Bodies through the years. The Chevy 3.8L will definitely have the Chevy bellhousing pattern. If it is the Buick 3.8L it may either have the B-O-P bellhousing pattern (not compatible with the Chevy bellhousing pattern) or it may have the universal bellhousing pattern (fits B-O-P and Chevy bellhousing patterns). I cannot remember if they made the TH200 with the universal bellhousing case or if that was just the 200-4R. In other words it might or it might not. :confused: More concerning is which transmission you have. Sounds like you probably have a variant of the TH200 which was not an overly robust transmission when mated to a powerful engine. If you take it easy it should last though. However I am a big fan of the 200-4R if you want overdrive. Otherwise a decent TH350 should live well enough behind your engine.
The 82 bu did have a 3.8 Chevy engine (110 HP) so, chances are, the bolt pattern would work. However, as Kev points out, the old 200 tranny probably won't last long behind a 350 if you punch it around. The 2004R, IIRC, has two different cases with two different tail lengths. I could be wrong about that but seem to remember that they do. I don't know if either would fit in a bu wagon. You could also use a TH300 or TH400 if you don't need/want OD.
Easy way to tell is to look at the distributor. Distributor in the front, it's a Buick 3.8 (231cu in). Distributor in the back, it's a Chevy 3.8 (229 cu in).
Yep it would be the th200, will not stand up behind the 350........ the 200R4 can be beefed up a bit and will do a great job in the wagon. I have a 83 Malibu Wagon with the 383 Stroker and 200R4 an I get between 18 and 20 mpg. plus plenty of power for my use.
