Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Someone has been quite busy lately.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Finally it was time to replace them shift solenoids

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Don't forget the obligatory stare and compare.

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Make sure the internal harness isn't leaking fluid around the pins through the connector.

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you talking about the big round shower head style one?

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so this is where the solenoids live, I know it's upside down, but better than nothing

the one on the left (driver side) is the 1-2 and the one on the right (passenger side) is the 2-3

but they are both identical same part number

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

yes this transmission has a drain plug and yes the P.O. (pronounced: "guy who had it before me") tightened it as hard as she could plus a quarter turn, and stripped the head of the bolt so that I had no chance of getting it out

but since this was my first gear box with a drain plug I was determined to have one that works, even if it took me 3.5 hours to get it out

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

so the first test I did (right or wrong) was the Click Test, basically you hook up a solenoid to a car battery and listen to see if it clicks

the 1-2 solenoid had a loud(er) click than the 2-3 one so I think that's the one we are trying to replace

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

the second test and the more official one was the Horse Shoe Test

this is where we put our Multimeter on the horse shoe icon and check for The Reistance

the 1-2 solenoid measured at 23.1 ohms

the 2-3 solenoid measured at 23.3 ohms

both seemed within range, remember if you know nothing but have two of something, compare them

then here's how the new ones tested

the new 1-2 solenoid measured 25.6 ohms

the new 2-3 solenoid measured 27.7 ohms

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Fun Level = 0

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so before I went to NAPA I did my homework, I literally ran my vehicle identification number through the GM VIN Decoder and I pranced in there saying I have a

2001 GMC Sierra 1500 2WD Regular Cab, Two Door, Standard Bed, Rear Wheel Drive, 4.8L V8 4L60e automatic transmission... and I need a shift solenoid for it

The woman across the counter clicked and double clicked for a few seconds then looked up at me and I kid you not with a straight face asked me: "16 or 17 bolt oil pan?"

WHAT ??? You have got to be kidding me

well I took a pic of my oil pan, but I left my phone at home, can you believe that, so I tucked my tail between my legs and bolted home to count the holes, and get my phone, and I still managed to get the wrong filter from them, it was half as thin as mine

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so off I went to Oh Reallys, where I picked up a thicker filter and a rubber gasket kit instead of the cork one

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Yep, That's the one. They leak around the pins, not around the outside of the connector body, and the signals to the goodies inside get dodgy.
The 4L80E, 4L60E, 4L65E, ... all do it.

The other fun fact is the refrigerator magnet that GM installed in the transmission pans of a lot of their 1980's to 2009ish transmissions were not rated for the operating temps of the fluid. When you run magnets beyond their operational temp range they loose magnetic field strength and a part of the field strength goes away permanently. The field damage is cumulative. The fix is to use the round filter magnets from the Saturn and Allison 1,000 transmissions that were rated for 350°F or some high temp rare earth magnets in place of that fridge magnet in the pan.

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Hatzie you know too much, fortunately I know nothing so we cancel each other out. My fridge magnet seemed to be clicking on to shavings still so that's a good sign, LOL !

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The only reason I know about the frige magnets is GM quietly released a service bulletin for the fragile 4T65E-HD in my LS4 Impala.
Among the transmissions listed besides my 4T65E is the 4L80E, 4L60E, & 4L65E.
I read some about what happens to magnets when they are run at temps just slightly beyond their happy zone. I knew about completely demagnetizing a magnet by heating to straw color but I was unaware of how bad it was to repeatedly run them at slightly elevated temps.

They'll still gather iron filings but eventually they weaken to the point where the pan magnet field strength is eclipsed by the field strength of the electromagnet coils in the control solenoids.
As the field strength of the pan magnet decreases the loose iron filings will gather on the control solenoids.
When you add iron filings to an electromagnet the field strength increases in an uncontrolled and unpredictable manner. Similar to modifying the iron winding core of a transformer with an angle grinder. Basic High School Physics.
The TCM or PCM is programmed to vary the current flow to the solenoid coils, and thus the magnetic field of the solenoid coils, based on a solenoid that hasn't been modified (poisoned) by additional iron. When you poison the solenoids in this manner you get erratic operation because the additional iron keeps the field from pushing the iron plungers at the same rate as a fresh solenoid.
Eventually the TCM or PCM will get upset about it. Well before the controller notices and gets upset you get accelerated clutch wear, additional heat from the loosey goosey clutch engagements, and sometimes shock damage to things like the sun shell and the sprags from the erratic clutch engagement.

This all is one of the reasons I run an inline Magnefine filter in my transmission cooler return line. The magnet is properly specced for the operating temps and the additional 25 micron paper filter element doesn't hurt anything. They have a bypass function to make up for a plugged paper filter element. I can change the filter when I change my engine oil and filter. With the drain plug in the transmission pan there's no reason to drop the pan since the inline filter is 25 microns. The pickup strainer screen that filters at 100+ microns will never see enough crud to plug up.

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"Horseshoe icon" and "prancing" gave me the laughs I needed today. Thanks.

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I feel bad you have these problems with the truck but really enjoy learning a lot from this thread.

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Thanks Mate, don't get me wrong it is a solid truck but yeah there were some unnecessary hick ups along the way, like going through a bunch of junk brand new plastic radiators, and now these brand new steel braided hoses causing me grief, but we will get it fingered out. Basically the after market sucks!!!

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Just curious, but did you have to improvise with these because the Northern radiator wouldn't fit in the stock rubber mounts in the core support?

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which Post # are you referring to bud, I don't know exactly where to look?

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It was near post 4983 where you put in the new radiator. It looked like you had some improvised rubber mounts. Was just curious if it was a true direct fit radiator, and how it is holding up?

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Thanks, that helps jug the memory, wish I had some good news for you and I know you asked about the mounts, but check this out first So this $273 Northern aluminum radiator I bought on Amazon exactly 1 year ago just made it one year and sprung a leak. So a leak after 10,000 miles, lame

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Thanks for the info. So I assume the el cheapo "Radcool" radiator with the plastic end tanks is still holding up?

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ha ha, Negative Ghost Rider, please see this post and a couple after not funny !!!

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Wow that is ridiculous. I need a new radiator and I seriously don't know where to turn. And I just noticed your Napa box has the same "161" in the part number as your Radcool. So it wouldn't surprise me if they're the exact same thing.

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this is why I document things in this thread to help people out and to help me remember this roller coaster I am on, cause sometimes I go man how long ago did I but this part, was it 5 years ago, or 4... and then I go wait what? I just bought it less than a year ago

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so a couple months back I took this bench seat to an upholsterer, and they had it for six weeks and did not do a darn thing all because they could not get one bolt out to separate the back rest from the bottom

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well, today I tried to get that bolt out, and it took all of 30 seconds, I swear I spent more time sweeping up the drill shavings than actually extracting the bolt

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Gregski: 1 / Ralph's Scott's Unmotivated Upholstery Unlimited: 0

Nice work.

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ha ha, I'll take that in Sudden Death !!!

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Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Greg, try hitting up Clinebarger in the drivetrain area and see if he can give you some help.

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thanks, I will, I did come across this:

Bulletin No.: 01-07-30-042E

Date: May 21, 2007

INFORMATION

Subject:

Information on 2-3 Upshift or 3-2 Downshift Clunk Noise
Models:
2008 and Prior Passenger Cars and Light Duty Trucks
2003-2008 HUMMER H2
2006-2008 HUMMER H3
2005-2008 Saab 9-7X

with 4L60-E, 4L65-E or 4L70-E Automatic Transmission (RPOs M30, M32, M70)

Supercede:

This bulletin is being revised to add the 2008 model year and 4L70E transmissions. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 01-07-30-042D (Section 07 - Transmission/Transaxle).

For 2005 model year fullsize utilities and pickups, refer to Corporate Bulletin 05-07-30-012.

Some vehicles may exhibit a clunk noise that can be heard on a 2-3 upshift or a 3-2 downshift.

During a 2-3 upshift, the 2-4 band is released and the 3-4 clutch is applied. The timing of this shift can cause a momentary torque reversal of the output shaft that results in a clunk noise. This same torque reversal can also occur on a 3-2 downshift when the 3-4 clutch is released and the 2-4 band applied. This condition may be worse on a 4-wheel drive vehicle due to the additional tolerances in the transfer case.

This is a normal condition. No repairs should be attempted.

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Well since the shifts are not as crisp (mooshy actaully) on this 4.8L/4L60e as they are on my other truck the 5.3L/4L60e I decided I am going to try the famous Corvette servo swap, it's cheap and seams pretty easy

darn it I just don't want to wait a week for AMAZON to ship it

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

so after fighting with the steel braided lines in an effort to just replace the last 3 feet to avoid dropping the tank I decided to ditch the steel braided hose all together, I never wanted to run steel braided lines to begin with, they are more show than go, and if it's good enough for Holley and their EFI kit it's good enough for me, especially for the low pressure return line

and yes we are using a reinforced fuel injection hose and not just a regular soft rubber fuel line

by the way slipping on AN fitting on to this rubber hose is 7.83 times easier than slicing your thumbs up on the steel braided ones, so there's that

and this is my daily driver so I need to get it out of the garage

Re: Restoring Rusty
 

so I go to put the fuel line back on the Summit brand barrel style inline fuel filter (I had to remove it to get to the other line) anyway I get the obligatory gasoline waterfall down my sleeve, so I think what the hewk, and I remove the filter to examine it, and sure enough that flimzy rubber O-ring has failed and the filter now leaks like a sieve

now you know how I feel about aftermarket parts, well I went with this one cause it has 6AN standard male screw on ends unlike the OEM one which is metric female, but I will be going back to the OEM with adapters, shieshs this quick RnR is turning into a Footspagh right quick

and take a look at that "filter" it is a wire mesh the size of a quarter, that's it, that's your filter, can you say Good Bye to your injectors?!

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and this is what a civilized fuel filter looks like, this one happens to be a Product of the USA from AC Delco (lets pause in appreciation for a minute)

some will have an arrow marking the direction of the fuel flow, that is important, some of the aftermarket ones can be installed in either directions but once installed you should not flip them around

if the filters are not marked I noticed the welded end is the outlet side and the nicely curved smooth end is the inlet side

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as mentioned before these AN to Metric adapter doodads are required to plumb the OEM fuel filter and this is where you will spend 73.8 percent of your time whilst carrying out an LS Swap Operation aka LSSO hunting down adapters, converters, and flux capacitors