4l60e swap

[Cherryred98]

I have a 98 k1500, I pulled a trans out of a 94 1500 z71. So far everything is going smoothly, but I’m using the neutral safety switch from the 98 trans, and it doesn’t go on all the way on becausue the “gear selector thing” ( I don’t know what it’s called but the part that the linkage hooks to on the trans) is shorter than the 98’s. I have a trip on Friday so I’m trying to get it done before then, can I just leave the nss in park and zip tie it up out of the way till I figure something out? Also what do I do to fix it properly? It also looks like I have to flip the linkage bracket upside down so it doesn’t hit the pan, which I think should be fine. I used the fluid cooler fittings from the 98 trans so I can keep the quick disconnects, all I have to do is bend them a little so they will go in. Is there anything else that I’m missing?

 

[NickTransmissions]

I have a 98 k1500, I pulled a trans out of a 94 1500 z71. So far everything is going smoothly, but I’m using the neutral safety switch from the 98 trans, and it doesn’t go on all the way on becausue the “gear selector thing” ( I don’t know what it’s called but the part that the linkage hooks to on the trans) is shorter than the 98’s. I have a trip on Friday so I’m trying to get it done before then, can I just leave the nss in park and zip tie it up out of the way till I figure something out? Also what do I do to fix it properly? It also looks like I have to flip the linkage bracket upside down so it doesn’t hit the pan, which I think should be fine. I used the fluid cooler fittings from the 98 trans so I can keep the quick disconnects, all I have to do is bend them a little so they will go in. Is there anything else that I’m missing?

Curious - have you attempted to start up and drive the vehicle as of yet?

I ask as you are attempting to swap a trans that is completely incompatible with your vehicle. They are both 4L60Es but have vastly different command and control configurations.

 

[Cherryred98]

Well… no not yet, I’m finishing hooking everything up today and I’m waiting on a replacement wiring harness from summit for the transmission because the guy who pulled it out messed up the main plug. What will I need to do?

 

[Cherryred98]

I called around, Gm, transmission shops, even summit and they said that it should all be the same although I’m waiting on this harness. Summit said worse comes to worse I will need to get a trans controller I’m pretty much stuck as of right now

 

[NickTransmissions]

Well… no not yet, I’m finishing hooking everything up today and I’m waiting on a replacement wiring harness from summit for the transmission because the guy who pulled it out messed up the main plug. What will I need to do?

The 1995+ units had two threaded bolt hole locations to mount the manual lever position sensor. The 1993-994 units do not have these bolt holes...

Here's a pic of a 1994 unit in my cores yard - note the lack of bolt hole locations on either side of the selector shaft. the 1995/96 units all have those on the exterior of the case.

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Here's a 2000 model year unit - note the bolt hole locations for the MLPS and longer selector shaft..

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I called around, Gm, transmission shops, even summit and they said that it should all be the same although I’m waiting on this harness. Summit said worse comes to worse I will need to get a trans controller I’m pretty much stuck as of right now

Who told you those two years of 4L60E were the same?

Are you sure they weren't referring to just the wiring harness?

I have a feeling they were, if you were discussing the harness itself and transmission with whomever you spoke to during those conversations but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about that....the Rostra or updated GM 4L60E wiring harnesses made for 1993-2002 model year units will service all those years, hence they are the same...The wiring harnesses, not the entire transmission...Certainly not the transmission case when comparing 1993-1994 to 1998-2000 units that otherwise went behind Gen1 small block chevy engines.

1993-1994 were pre-PWM; 1995 was the first year of PWM for all 4L60Es...GM made more changes starting in 1996 and the changes were extensive enough that made 1995 a stand-alone year for the 4L60E...Meaning you couldn't install that transmission into any other year without significant adaptation. The kind of adaptation you would never do because it requires taking the case half apart and swapping a different pump, valve body, spacer plate in addition to a new harness and you would only do it to adapt a 1995 unit to work with a 93-94 vehicle or 96-97 vehicle. You would simply rebuild your original transmission at that point.

You couldn't adapt a 1993-1994 unit to work with a 1995+ vehicle because you'd have no way to properly mount that MLPS unless you somehow fabricated a bracket of some sort and found a means to attach it to the case so that it was stable.

Let me know if you have any quesitons.

 

[kylenautique]

That transmission will not work in your 98. There are some ways to "frankenstein" the electronics from the 98 into the 94, but I still don't recommend it. You need a 96-98 OBD2 4l60e.

 

[NickTransmissions]

That transmission will not work in your 98. There are some ways to "frankenstein" the electronics from the 98 into the 94, but I still don't recommend it. You need a 96-98 OBD2 4l60e.

96-2000 will work as long as it's configured for a gen1 sbc (98-2000), meaning bell housing has no bolt hole at the 12 o'clock location and the input shaft has a small pilot at the end jist like a 700R4.

No corvette or 98-02 camaro/trans am units will work as they were set up with 300 input shaft/stator/bell housing combos for the Gen3 small blocks (LS1/6 and the truck engines).

 

[Cherryred98]

The 94 transmission was given to me from my uncle, because I’m tight on funds “as in im broke, just trying to make this work any way I can because it’s what I have to work with” and it’s already in the truck now, it sounds like other than the pwm in the transmission all I have to worry about is the MLPS. So I have two questions
1. I know the 94 doesn’t have pwm in it so would it still work with my computer? Meaning will the computer be fine without the pwm transmission ?

2. If I “Frankenstein” a way to mount the MLPS so that it works, I should be fine right?

My apologies for being bird brained, I’m just trying to make do with what I’ve got and understand to the best of my ability

 

[NickTransmissions]

The 94 transmission was given to me from my uncle, because I’m tight on funds “as in im broke, just trying to make this work any way I can because it’s what I have to work with” and it’s already in the truck now, it sounds like other than the pwm in the transmission all I have to worry about is the MLPS. So I have two questions
1. I know the 94 doesn’t have pwm in it so would it still work with my computer? Meaning will the computer be fine without the pwm transmission ?

2. If I “Frankenstein” a way to mount the MLPS so that it works, I should be fine right?

My apologies for being bird brained, I’m just trying to make do with what I’ve got and understand to the best of my ability

I'd sell the 94 unit to fund the purchase of a 1998-2000 model year 4L60E so you don't have to "Frankenstein" anything.

 

[Cherryred98]

I really appreciate the help all of you, but I’m not really getting any clear answers to my questions, I originally asked if I could just leave the MLPS in park and be fine (I don’t care about the lights on the dash) if I have to fab up a part to make it work I will. It seems like that’s the biggest thing and most concrete problem with a direction towards a solution. Besides for tearing apart the trans and swapping out parts from a newer one what do I have to do to make the computer work with this trans? Or will it work as is besides for the MLPS