Found a 4l6oe will it work?

[kwin]

So I have been looking for a 4l60e for months, most of the trucks up here are 4x4's and the 2wd transmissions that I have found have been priced way to high. No way am I spending 750-1000 on a transmission that could need a rebuild.
I found a 4l60e today, 1998 from a Astro van, my plan was always to buy a performance kit and have it rebuilt.
Will this tranny work? Any issues that I need to be aware of?
Its going behind the 6.0 thats going in my 1991 suburban.


Thanks for your time.

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by kwin

So I have been looking for a 4l60e for months, most of the trucks up here are 4x4's and the 2wd transmissions that I have found have been priced way to high. No way am I spending 750-1000 on a transmission that could need a rebuild.
I found a 4l60e today, 1998 from a Astro van, my plan was always to buy a performance kit and have it rebuilt.
Will this tranny work? Any issues that I need to be aware of?
Its going behind the 6.0 thats going in my 1991 suburban.


Thanks for your time.

Have it rebuilt to "300 mm" LS specs, Change over to the LS style input drum, Stator support, Bellhousing & converter.

[Wasted Income]

It will work....but it won't live behind a 6.0L. Heck, they BARELY survive behind 5.3s.

I've seen slightly warmed over 5.3s shell 4L60Es like peanuts.

If you're going to spend the money....go to a 4L80E. It's not much more work, and will live a long life behind your 6.0.

[jjzepplin]

Got my 700r4 from a junk yard pile for 50 bucks. Tore into it and it had just been rebuilt. Get where I'm going with this. Buy A Core From the yard and have it built or do it yourself to save some coin. Lots of video's out there and it's not too hard.

[kwin]

Ya thats what I plan to do, the guy wants 50.00 for it and I am going to rebuild it my self, Considering a Monster rebuild kit.
I know the 4l60E has a reputation for being weak, at the same time they are supposed to be stronger than a 700r4 which I know can deal with serious power when built right.
My 21 year old cousin has a stroked 6.0 turbo, Im guessing 650+ Hp it runs through a 4l60E with a performance rebuild and he beast it like crazy. He has been punishing it for a year with no issues.
I'm 44 and don't abuse things very often.

The other issue is as hard as it has been to find a 2wd 4l60E it would be impossible to find a 4l80E up here. THe dealers do not bring in 3/4 or one tons unless they are 4x4. In the last 14 years I have seen one 2wd one ton. It was ordered in for a guy to haul his trailer.

[BR3W CITY]

Try looking at the vans, the 3/4 service vans for cable and phone companies came with a 4l80e behind the 6L and even the 5.3 in certain cases. If you get a cheap 4wd 4l80e and need to have it rebuilt, you could have the tail section changed over to 2wd style.

a 60e with 650+ hp I'm guessing has to be a Monster or Jake's stage III/IV or similar. Guys with 60e's behind near stock fbodies were grenading them within the first few years when driven "actively". Its not to say that they don't make 60'es that can hold that much....its more the issue that if your gonna drop 4-5k on a built trans, spend the extra $100 and get an 80e. Besides, you don't have to find an 80e that was behind an ls engine, like you would when looking for the 300mm lsx style 60e's. iirc my 80e was from a 97.

[kwin]

I know the rebuild cost around 2300 or better, so its a serious transmission.

[kwin]

Sorry it was 2800 and that was dealer cost on parts, he had a friend with a transmission shop do it for near cost.

[clinebarger]

OH NO! A 4L60E vs 4L80E thread.
A well built 4L60E with a few upgrades will work fine on a mild LQ9.

The 60E & 80E are built pretty sloppy when new, & the valve body calibration sucks. The 80E is a stouter transmission & can handle abuse longer. But comes at a price.....Being Bigger, Heavier & Robs more power.

[68GMCCustom]

Originally Posted by kwin

Sorry it was 2800 and that was dealer cost on parts, he had a friend with a transmission shop do it for near cost.

Thats about what I paid for a brand new 4L85e from GMPP....with no core charge.


Cline....my 4L85e was supposed to come with 2200 stall but feels more like stock? Send it back? Just live with it?

[kwin]

Originally Posted by 68GMCCustom

Thats about what I paid for a brand new 4L85e from GMPP....with no core charge.


Cline....my 4L85e was supposed to come with 2200 stall but feels more like stock? Send it back? Just live with it?

There is a big difference in Texas Prices and Alberta Prices.
We get raped up here!
When ever I make a big purchase for the project Ill drive the 11 hours to the border to pick it up rather than deal with all the bs and extra cost.

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by 68GMCCustom

Cline....my 4L85e was supposed to come with 2200 stall but feels more like stock? Send it back? Just live with it?

Part number?

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by BR3W CITY

Try looking at the vans, the 3/4 service vans for cable and phone companies came with a 4l80e behind the 6L and even the 5.3 in certain cases. If you get a cheap 4wd 4l80e and need to have it rebuilt, you could have the tail section changed over to 2wd style.

a 60e with 650+ hp I'm guessing has to be a Monster or Jake's stage III/IV or similar. Guys with 60e's behind near stock fbodies were grenading them within the first few years when driven "actively". Its not to say that they don't make 60'es that can hold that much....its more the issue that if your gonna drop 4-5k on a built trans, spend the extra $100 and get an 80e. Besides, you don't have to find an 80e that was behind an ls engine, like you would when looking for the 300mm lsx style 60e's. iirc my 80e was from a 97.

Nicely said. I was thinking the exact same thing, for both points.

I had a buddy with a cam/header 5.3 in a silverado blow up a Monster 4L60E. They just DON'T live. I speak from experience....even 4L65Es have no business in a performance vehicle.

My 4L80E...bought it used for $400...put a shift kit in it, and a Yank converter...holds up to my 500 whp C-10...and it gets abused a LOT.

Kwin, you mentioned that you're an older fellow and implied that you won't be driving it like you stole it. If that's the case, it will probably live for you. But if you plan to tow with it at all, or drive it aggressively (WOT 4-2 downshifts, etc) save yourself the headache of doing it twice and pop for the 80E now.

$0.02 from someone who's been there, and done that.

[Blacksunshine87]

I'm in the same boat. I recently purchased a 5.3 attached to a 4l60. I plan on making big power so it sounds like I may go with a 400t or built 700r after hearing all this. Stupid question? Do the 4l80's have overdrive? I'm pretty sure they do but never owned a vehicle with one.
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[BR3W CITY]

4l80e is ath400 with overdrive. 4l60e is a computer controlled 700r4, no reason to go through the bother with a 700r4 either....unless your sadistic.

[Wasted Income]

If there is anything worse than a 4L60E....it's a 700R4...lol.

Now the 200-4R is/can be a stout little unit. Lots of Grand National guys running some FAST times with big HP on a mildly built 200. My brother's GN puts 608 ft-lbs to the wheels on a 200.

Back to the matter at hand...an 80e is stupid easy to fit in our trucks, and will hold up to lots of abuse. Even the small amount of harness re-work that is necessary is a piece of cake.

Leave the 4L60Es where they belong. Behind a 3.8L in a 4th gen f-body....

[Blacksunshine87]

Thanks for the input guys!
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[68GMCCustom]

Originally Posted by clinebarger

Part number?

sent you a pm...and thanks!

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by Wasted Income

If there is anything worse than a 4L60E....it's a 700R4...lol.

Now the 200-4R is/can be a stout little unit. Lots of Grand National guys running some FAST times with big HP on a mildly built 200. My brother's GN puts 608 ft-lbs to the wheels on a 200.

Back to the matter at hand...an 80e is stupid easy to fit in our trucks, and will hold up to lots of abuse. Even the small amount of harness re-work that is necessary is a piece of cake.

Leave the 4L60Es where they belong. Behind a 3.8L in a 4th gen f-body....

Lets forget about the all 4L60E's behind V8's that tow & generally gets abused & live for 200,000 miles??? Happens all the time.

I know your boosted 6.0 needs a 4L80E, But to tell everyone that want's an LS engine with a few mods they NEED a 4L80E is pure rhetoric.

[Wasted Income]

Originally Posted by clinebarger

Lets forget about the all 4L60E's behind V8's that tow & generally gets abused & live for 200,000 miles??? Happens all the time.

Many of the 60Es that I've seen that "tow and are abused" don't make it past 60k miles before their first rebuild. I guess that explains why GM applies a heavy dose of torque management to the 4L60E, in the form of timing retard at the shifts, so that they can be "reliable" in stock form, and make it to the end of the warranty period?

[kwin]

Reminds me of a story, a former co worker went to Edmonton and bought a 2001 1500 chevy extended cab 5.3. Could not get the instrument cluster to work. it went for 3500.00 this is quite a few years ago. He takes it to our work and we figure out that the instrument cluster was unplugged.
Plug it in and the odometer shows.....653000!!! six hundred and fifty thousand kilometres!
We go through the truck and find that it was a pilot truck , used to escort extremely large loads on the highway.
There were times when it was getting oil changes every four days!
Any way the point of all this is that truck now has over 700000k on it and still has the original 4l60e.
It has been extremely well maintained and never abused , but its certainly testament to the fact that they can last.

Keith