Buick Turbo 200-4R Transmission & Converter Upgrade - Turbo Buick Basics, Part 4

We opened up each box and found the trans and converter to be totally unharmed. It costs more to package this way, but it's all part of PB's commitment to excellence.

These guys go the extra mile, from building the transmissions and torque converters to packing them better to having a 2-year warranty on the combination-even if you race it.

Before installation, be sure to pour a quart of trans fluid into the torque converter snout. We added 5 quarts of synthetic trans fluid (Dextron type) to the new trans before we fired up the turbo six. Once it warmed-up for a few minutes, we filled as required after shifting through the gear ranges. Also, be sure to adjust the TV cable for proper shifting performance and converter lock-up. Our testdrive confirmed the new PerformaBuilt transmission/converter was putting the power to the pavement!

A well matched high-stall speed converter and trans will always show less horsepower, but more torque when comparing to a stock low-stall converter. That is exactly what happened to us when we went back to Tune Time Performance. It turned out PB built us the perfect high-stall converter/trans combo when we noticed the torque peak was still at the same 3,000-3,100 rpm. We gained nearly 20 lb-ft torque but lost 36 hp at the wheels. Also note, an efficient converter will multiply more torque in the lower gears (First and Second) than in Third gear (1:1 ratio for dyno testing).

We had cold December "turbo air" (42 degrees) helping the V-6 put down serious power (479 lb-ft, uncorrected) to the wheels-notice with the correction factor (WCF) showing we lost 14 lb-ft and 9 hp. The dyno graph shows our corrected gains and losses with the new trans/converter. We knew the added torque would get us down the track faster, and weren't worried about our horsepower loss. We're sorry for not making a pull in Second gear-if we did, there would have been well over 500 lb-ft of torque at the wheels!

We finally made it to the track to test the larger 3-inch downpipe, boost controller, ADPP (air distribution power plate), and ported throttle body. Now with the new PerformaBuilt transmission and 2,800-stall converter, the power would be put to the pavement. Hooking with 26x9 slicks and launching at 5-8 psi, the boosted Buick rocketed to a 1.65 60-foot and clocked a better-than-expected 12.28 at 108.11 mph. Now we'll be safe to shoot for 11s with a stronger, more durable transmission and converter to back us up!