How long did your 4L60E last?

I got my truck with 152k and it had been rebuilt at some point. The servo broke the case around 214k. My fear of beefing up a 4L60 was that there was still 4L60 stuff to break (i.e. some other underrated part becomes the weakest link). Everything in the 4L80 is heavier from the get go and I wanted that peace of mind so I rebuilt a stocker with a shift kit and tow in OD and never worry about the trans since it runs 160-180 with my trailer.

1998 1500 with the 4L60E had just under 196k on it when I lost 3rd and 4th gears. Used to tow a 5th wheel and other light bumper pull trailers.


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Bought my '99 k1500 (classic body style) Z71, 350 vortec new. It has 241,000 miles on original engine & 4L60e tranny. Flushed transmission oil every 50,000 miles. At 235,00 the transmission started "whining". I changed the transmission oil and filter at 240,000 miles, but it didn't help the whining. I'm guessing it's the pump making the noise?? All gears still shift ok.

mistaake said:

Please give type of vehicle and any other useful info.

For example in my 1996 GMC Yukon K1500 it lasted 115K behind the 5.7L before going bang.

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'98 4x4, Stock 5.7 Vortec, 3.42s until this last spring, minor 1-2 "slip" feeling but it hasn't changed for worse or better in years.

190k now, father bought new and I bought it from him about 10yrs ago, only thing done is trans fluid flush/filter change every 50k (deep pan). Daily driven until 2yrs ago (still daily driven except winter), minor crawling/off-road.

EDIT: Many miles are highway and a bunch of the other miles are towing an 18' Starcraft.

mikwallace said:

Bought my '99 k1500 (classic body style) Z71, 350 vortec new. It has 241,000 miles on original engine & 4L60e tranny. Flushed transmission oil every 50,000 miles. At 235,00 the transmission started "whining". I changed the transmission oil and filter at 240,000 miles, but it didn't help the whining. I'm guessing it's the pump making the noise?? All gears still shift ok.

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My 98 burban started to whine this morning too on the way to work. It is turning 315s for tires but I don't know gear ratio yet. Was gonna swap to 4.10s or 4.56s after Christmas so I'm just using it for light driving around town at the moment. But the whining is just after you slack off accelerator and come back onto it it'l whine for about 2 seconds and go away. It was -3 celsius this morning. I don't know if colder transmission fluid would cause that. I let it idle for 5 minutes before throwing it into drive. Do these transmissions pump their fluid in park or are they like my 96 cummins where I need to throw it into neutral to circulate?

I got my truck with 217,000 miles. The one that came in the truck lasted until 221,500 miles when it lost 3rd and 4th but it always had a small slip from 3-4.

The second came from craigslist (i know, i know) was supposedly rebuilt. Got it cheap, threw it in and it didnt have reverse but did shift nice at first. That went out on my way back from kentucky pulling my buddys rock bouncer home. Just started slipping like hell on the way there and lost all forward gears about 40 miles into Indiana. Truck had 228,237 miles when i was sitting on the side of the road for 5 hrs waiting on my dad.

The current one is a monster rebuild. I have 238,000 miles on the clock now and havnt had a single issue with the trans itself. About once every 6 months itll max out the line psi and when i hit drive itll chirp the tires and scare the sh*t outta me. Then i get mad unhook the battery for a bit and its fine again.


Tahoe has 243,000 on original. No funny business
G6 has 127,000 on original. No funny buisness.

Wife's car has 250k on the original trans, still going strong. All of mine have 3 pedals

'99 Tahoe, first owner with 165k on the clock. Regular fluid/filter changes towing 2000# trailer for firewood, auto transport, etc. No problems yet, knock on wood.

My Trailblazer is at 210k on the stock 4l60e. My Yukon had 308 on the stock 4L60e.

mikwallace said:

Bought my '99 k1500 (classic body style) Z71, 350 vortec new. It has 241,000 miles on original engine & 4L60e tranny. Flushed transmission oil every 50,000 miles. At 235,00 the transmission started "whining". I changed the transmission oil and filter at 240,000 miles, but it didn't help the whining. I'm guessing it's the pump making the noise?? All gears still shift ok.

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It's the pump and let it whine it's a rebuild anyway

Diminus said:

My 98 burban started to whine this morning too on the way to work. It is turning 315s for tires but I don't know gear ratio yet. Was gonna swap to 4.10s or 4.56s after Christmas so I'm just using it for light driving around town at the moment. But the whining is just after you slack off accelerator and come back onto it it'l whine for about 2 seconds and go away. It was -3 celsius this morning. I don't know if colder transmission fluid would cause that. I let it idle for 5 minutes before throwing it into drive. Do these transmissions pump their fluid in park or are they like my 96 cummins where I need to throw it into neutral to

They circulate in park

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