4L60E shift kit wisdom needed

[Wade]

Hello, I've been casting an eye towards a shift kit for my 4L60E. Just wondering what wisdom anyone might have on this subject, such as negative/positive side effects, what kind of difference I would see, and the difference between a "heavy duty" and "street/strip" shift kit.

Any insight is appreciated!

 

[df2x4]

Positive, it'll shift firmer.

Negative, it's still a 4L60E.

Seriously though, I ran a TransGo HD2 in my built 4L60E until my V6 killed it. Had it installed at the time I had the trans rebuilt. At the same time I upgraded both servos to billet units. (I believe from Sonnax? It's been a while.) I would NOT recommend that combination. It shifted extremely hard from 1-2, so hard I'm fairly certain it's what broke my blend doors in the dash. Adding all of the factory torque management back into the tune helped some, but it was still way too hard. Personally I wouldn't spend any money on a 4L60E after the experiences I've had. If you're set on a shift kit though, I'd do a TransGo HD2 and leave everything else alone. I'm no expert but I've been told that the TransGo kits are better designed than most of their competitors. I have the TransGo HD2 in the TH350 of my '70 Monte Carlo with no other upgrades and it shifts very nicely.

 

[RDF1]

OR to go even cheaper just use a Corvette servo. It will firm up the 1-2 shift some and they are usually only $20.

 

[Wade]

Considering the price of TransGo kits, I might have to go with a B&M kit if I go the shift kit route. I have started looking up Corvette servos, I'm just wondering what the shifting difference is between a shift kit and a corvette servo.

 

[RDF1]

Yea they have a larger apply surface for a little more force.
They were used in the 2002 corvettes. That's what I always looked up when I bought them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[L31MaxExpress]

The Vette servo only does the 2nd gear portion. I would look into one of the billet servos that helps hold 4th gear. Apply pressure in OD is lacking on a 4L60E or 700r4 for that matter and can cause the band to slip and burn under hard use.

I had a Transgo HD2 kit drilled with the HD/RV sized holes and shimmed accumulator to match, transgo seperator plate, used the stronger transgo return springs for the clutch pack included in the HD2 kit, pinless accumulator pistons, corvette wide band with a new drum and a billet servo in the 4L65E I built for my Express van when the 4L60E failed at 38K miles. You can also add an additional cushion spring inside the servo that firms up the 1-2 shift even more. Well it is still a 4L60E and it died again at 78K miles and I swapped a 4L85E into it from a 110K mile wrecked van. I probably helped the demise of the 65E though, running the piss out of it with zero torque management and no abuse management for most of the 40K it lived. I found the 85E shifts firmer and quicker on stock tuning than the 65E did after it was modified. After adding a Transgo to the 85E, dual feeding the clutches in the process and revisiting the tune the 85E would chirp the tires on a 1-2 shift at anything over half throttle between 35 and 50 mph which led to the 8.5s demise.

 

[Wade]

The Vette servo only does the 2nd gear portion. I would look into one of the billet servos that helps hold 4th gear. Apply pressure in OD is lacking on a 4L60E or 700r4 for that matter and can cause the band to slip and burn under hard use.

I had a Transgo HD2 kit drilled with the HD/RV sized holes and shimmed accumulator to match, transgo seperator plate, used the stronger transgo return springs for the clutch pack included in the HD2 kit, pinless accumulator pistons, corvette wide band with a new drum and a billet servo in the 4L65E I built for my Express van when the 4L60E failed at 38K miles. You can also add an additional cushion spring inside the servo that firms up the 1-2 shift even more. Well it is still a 4L60E and it died again at 78K miles and I swapped a 4L85E into it from a 110K mile wrecked van. I probably helped the demise of the 65E though, running the piss out of it with zero torque management and no abuse management for most of the 40K it lived. I found the 85E shifts firmer and quicker on stock tuning than the 65E did after it was modified. After adding a Transgo to the 85E, dual feeding the clutches in the process and revisiting the tune the 85E would chirp the tires on a 1-2 shift at anything over half throttle between 35 and 50 mph which led to the 8.5s demise.

Do you know offhand where I could find one of these servos? I've been skipping back and forth between shift kit and servo, and I'm leaning more towards a servo. I just haven't yet found one that goes beyond 2nd gear.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Do you know offhand where I could find one of these servos? I've been skipping back and forth between shift kit and servo, and I'm leaning more towards a servo. I just haven't yet found one that goes beyond 2nd gear.

Superior makes one. I believe it is K034. They also have a servo with more apply area than a Corvette for 2nd too. K012 IIRC. Firmest 1-2 shift you can get without a shift kit. Put one one of each in a stock Vortec Tahoe and it would chirp 2nd gear on 32" tall P305/50R20s.

 

[Wade]

Superior makes one. I believe it is K034. They also have a servo with more apply area than a Corvette for 2nd too. K012 IIRC. Firmest 1-2 shift you can get without a shift kit. Put one one of each in a stock Vortec Tahoe and it would chirp 2nd gear on 32" tall P305/50R20s.

Thanks, I'll look into those! I've gathered that I would need a 1-2 and 4th gear servo kit in order to get firmer shifts out of each gear, which Corvette servos don't do.