200-4R Master Rebuild Kit, new and ready to install. Fits the 200-4R. Ships fast from the USA.
A 200-4R that slips into third, flares on the 3-4 shift, takes a long time to pick up reverse or leaves burnt fluid on the dipstick has usually worn more than one clutch pack. You see it in the Buick Grand National and Regal, Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Caprice and the other 1981-1990 GM rear-drive cars that ran this overdrive automatic. This master rebuild kit is for that teardown: a full set of clutch frictions and steel plates, a new band, a filter, a pump bushing, an extension housing bushing and a complete soft parts kit with every rubber seal and gasket the job needs.
GM introduced the 200-4R for 1981 as a fuel-saving four-speed. The SAE paper that described it at launch lists an integral overdrive built on two planetary gear sets, a converter clutch and a variable-capacity oil pump. Fourth gear is reached by applying the 3-4 clutch while the 2-4 band holds, so both of those parts work hard on every highway trip. The forward, direct and low-reverse packs share the same fluid, which means a burnt 3-4 clutch or a glazed band contaminates the rest of the unit. A master kit lets you renew every friction surface, every steel and every seal at once, instead of fixing the failed pack and sending the car out with tired seals on the pump, servos and drums.
The steel plates matter here. Many low-cost 200-4R kits ship frictions only, and you end up reusing heat-blued or warped steels. This kit includes them, along with the band and the two bushings that most often wear on a high-mileage unit.
Check the fluid and pan first. Clean red fluid with a shift complaint usually means TV cable adjustment or the valve body, and our 200-4R common problems guide walks through those checks. Sonnax notes that leakage around the TV boost valve sleeve in the pump causes soft slide shifts, a burned 3-4 clutch and short band life, so a burned pack is often a symptom of a pump problem. If the pan holds clutch material and the fluid smells burnt, plan on a full rebuild. Our 3-4 clutch failure guide covers what to inspect while the unit is apart.
This kit is listed for the 1981-1990 200-4R. That covers the GM passenger cars that used it, including the Grand National, Regal, Monte Carlo, Cutlass and Caprice. The 200-4R went through several revisions in that time. Check the ID on the case and the pan shape before you order, and if you are unsure, send us the year and VIN. You can see all of our parts for this unit on the 200-4R parts page.
If you want firmer shifts and longer band life, put a 200-4R shift kit in the valve body while it is out.
| Fits | 200-4R |
| Part type | Master Rebuild Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | GM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Clutch frictions and steel plates, a band, a filter, a pump bushing, an extension housing bushing and a complete soft parts kit with the rubber seals and gaskets for the full overhaul.
It is listed for the 1981-1990 200-4R used in GM rear-drive cars such as the Grand National, Monte Carlo, Cutlass and Caprice. Check the case ID or send us your year and VIN if you are not sure.
The usual causes are a TV cable out of adjustment and pressure loss at the TV boost valve sleeve in the pump. Fix those during the rebuild or the new clutch can fail the same way.
Use a Dexron-licensed ATF. Current Dexron VI fluids are approved as back-serviceable for older Dexron applications like the 200-4R.
Yes. Set the TV cable before you drive the car. A TV cable that is too loose causes low line pressure, soft shifts and burnt clutches.
