'97 C1500 4L60E to 4L80E Swap

[df2x4]

This is awesome! I'm contemplating swapping my burb to an 80 when the 60 goes. Keep us posted.

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Thanks! Will do!

Just emailed Circle D asking for recommendations on a torque converter (probably one of the weirder emails they've ever gotten), and I think I've got a line on a tested good junkyard 4L80E out of a '97 C3500 for $500. Going to grab a TransGo HD2 kit to slap in it as well.

 

[df2x4]

Research update...

Circle D emailed me back about torque converters and were very helpful. Unfortunately I can't deal with $900 for a custom converter right now, so I'll be using a factory converter and flexplate for a 4.3/4L80E 2500 Express van.

Filled out the form for the tune alteration from Black Bear, going to leave shift firmness and torque management alone for now. Going to go swap computers in the truck tomorrow so I can send that in.

If all goes according to plan I'm going to go grab that 4L80E from the C3500, along with the crossmember, trans cooler lines, and fill tube/dipstick. Not sure how much of that will work for my needs but I figure the more I have on hand, the better. Anyone aware of any issues I'll run into with all that one ton stuff on my half ton? I figure they should be in the ballpark at least.

I've been trying to find a part number for a flexplate inspection cover from a 4.3/4L80E Express van but I haven't had any luck. Anybody know or have better Google-fu so I can look for one?

 

[df2x4]

Just scooped up that 80E and the crossmember from the '97 3500. They cut the cooler lines getting it out, so I still need those, and they didn't have the dipstick or the inspection cover. No worries though, at least I have the biggest piece of the puzzle!

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Walked out for $550 and they cleaned it up and helped me load it with the forklift. I think I did OK.

 

[df2x4]

Here's where I'm at with my parts research so far.

1.) 4L80E transmission from '97 C3500 ($500)
2.) Transmission crossmember from '97 C3500 ($50)
3.) ACDelco 15767858 transmission mount ($32)
4.) PCM tune from Black Bear Performance ($15, price of shipping)
5.) Nelson Performance 4L60E to 4L80E jumper harness with speed sensor ($90)
6.) GM Performance 12554824 flexplate ($119)
7.) Dacco B82 4.3L/4L80E torque converter ($175) - This is a factory converter for a '97 4.3L/4L80E 2500 Express Van
8.) ACDelco 14088764 flexplate bolts (X6, $13)
9.) ARP 230-7305 torque converter bolts (X6, $23)
10.) ACDelco 15729870 fill tube ($20)
11.) ACDelco 1259475 dipstick seal ($2)
12.) ACDelco 15996922 dipstick (Re-use from 4L60E)
13.) ACDelco 15687274 inspection cover ($27)
14.) TransGo 4L80E-HD2 shift kit ($120)
15.) ACDelco 24210956 filter/gasket kit ($32)
16.) ACDelco 15039490 crossmember nuts (X4, $56)
17.) ACDelco 15687110 crossmember bolts (X4, $16)
18.) ACDelco 11516845 transmission mount bolt (X2, $7)
19.) ACDelco 15659699 transmission mount washer M11x30x3 (Discontinued, re-use from 4L60E mount?)
20.) ACDelco 11516754 transmission mount nut ($4)
21.) ACDelco 12337828 inspection cover screws (X4, $3)

And here's the stuff I'm still not sure about.

1.) Transmission cooler lines... it appears there are a couple different options for the lines from the 2500/3500 trucks, and I can't make sense of the diagrams to save my life. Don't want to order the wrong ones so I'm trying to dig deeper into this.
2.) Transmission yoke and/or conversion U-joint... I know I'll need something different to get the 80E to bolt up to my factory driveshaft, but I can't find any definitive info on what exactly I'll need.
3.) Driveshaft length... None of the threads I can find on this swap involve a standard cab long bed truck, so I'm really not sure if I'll need to have the driveshaft shortened or not.

If anyone has any input on this stuff, especially the parts I'm unsure about (or if you can think of anything I'm forgetting), please chime in! I feel like I'm on the verge of wrapping up the research here but the last few things are pretty significant.

Edited 8/17/17 for parts list update
Edited 8/24/17 for parts list update

 

[dylan5299]

I didn't swap an 80e into my truck but I did buy the truck without a transmission (98 3/4 ton). I will tell you that the cooler lines were a ******* to mess with. The truck didn't have any lines included in it either so I had to find them. I'm 95% positive that the bottom cooler lines was easier to find. I ordered the wrong thing a couple times for the top line so I ended up going to the junkyard and just pulled one out of a 3500 van. They had the same top cooler line and it booted right on no problem. Best of luck in your swap.

 

[CRF450R]

Neat swap weird your having problems with the 4l60e they have bin nothing but bullet proof for me and my towing needs.


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[df2x4]

I didn't swap an 80e into my truck but I did buy the truck without a transmission (98 3/4 ton). I will tell you that the cooler lines were a ******* to mess with. The truck didn't have any lines included in it either so I had to find them. I'm 95% positive that the bottom cooler lines was easier to find. I ordered the wrong thing a couple times for the top line so I ended up going to the junkyard and just pulled one out of a 3500 van. They had the same top cooler line and it booted right on no problem. Best of luck in your swap.

Thanks! Yeah it's not looking fun. I'm sure we'll figure it out though.

Neat swap weird your having problems with the 4l60e they have bin nothing but bullet proof for me and my towing needs.


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In all fairness I drive my vehicles very hard on occasion. This truck has been known to do a few standing burnouts and donuts.

Seems I'm not the only one having issues with 60Es, though. I read horror stories similar to mine pretty regularly on Facebook, although usually on vehicles with a lot more power than my little 4.3L.

 

[Supercharged111]

You're wasting a lot of money on that stupid jumper harness. $90?! Just take 5 minutes and repin the damn thing, it doesn't take rocket appliances. You're seriously moving like 2 wires. I'm also curious why the cross member? Just drill your frame and move the 60 member back. Done. Trans mounts are the same too. VSS are the same, you need only add the wiring for the front speed sensor. Now the converter you're after also came behind the small block. I didn't bother with flex plates, just bolted it to the original. I was lucky enough to pull my own donor so I grabbed the lines all the way to the front of the motor and spliced there. The donor cooler setup was different than mine. Trans cooler lines differ based on the year of the trand but luckily you got a later one with the updates. Keep the yoke, just get a crossover u joint. When it's all together get with your local driveshaft shop and they'll tell you how they want you to measure to their liking.

 

[df2x4]

You're wasting a lot of money on that stupid jumper harness. $90?! Just take 5 minutes and repin the damn thing, it doesn't take rocket appliances. You're seriously moving like 2 wires. I'm also curious why the cross member? Just drill your frame and move the 60 member back. Done. Trans mounts are the same too. VSS are the same, you need only add the wiring for the front speed sensor. Now the converter you're after also came behind the small block. I didn't bother with flex plates, just bolted it to the original. I was lucky enough to pull my own donor so I grabbed the lines all the way to the front of the motor and spliced there. The donor cooler setup was different than mine. Trans cooler lines differ based on the year of the trand but luckily you got a later one with the updates. Keep the yoke, just get a crossover u joint. When it's all together get with your local driveshaft shop and they'll tell you how they want you to measure to their liking.

First off, thanks for the info! Nice to see input from someone who's actually done this on a half ton. I'll try and go through what you listed in order...

I agree that the jumper harness is pricey, but it's actually the cheapest one of about three that I looked up. I like plug and play whenever possible, plus I'm not the one who's actually going to be doing the labor on this. I'm just researching and gathering parts to drop off with my mechanic. Anything I can do to make his life a little easier is worth the extra cost to me. The crossmember was more of a "just in case" thing, as I've seen a couple people mention that they were different. Upon closer inspection though it seems like I won't be needing it. Might try and take that back to the yard. I know the trans mounts are similar, but they don't appear to interchange according to Rock Auto. Maybe a different durometer of rubber or something? Either way, for $4 I figure it can't be a bad idea to put a new one in there while everything is apart. VSS, once again part of the jumper harness and I like easy. Torque converter, where are you finding that the Dacco B82 is used for 5.7L applications? I've cross referenced it as much as I know how and all I can find are V6/80E applications, hence why I was looking at it instead of just using the TC that came on my trans. Donor was a 350 truck. Looks like the Dacco B81 is for the small blocks. As far as flexplates, don't the 60E and 80E plates have different bolt patterns for the TC? That's why I picked out a new one, I was under the impression that the 80E TC would not bolt to my stock flexplate. Cooler lines and later 80Es, believe it or not that wasn't luck haha. I knew about the changes to the cooler line locations and purposely searched out a trans from a 97-99. As far as the conversion U-joints, do you happen to have a part number? I know what you used will probably be different on account of yours being a 4WD, but it might at least point me in the right direction.

Thanks again!

 

[Supercharged111]

I'd rather have a factory trans mount than a cheap aftermarket piece. I used a parts store mount before and it was massively inferior. I'd rather have 20 year old quality parts than nrw junk parys. What do you think $4 is going to buy you? Pick the truck up with the trans unplugged, drive home in 2nd, and repin there. It's stupid easy, but not as stupid as spending $90 on a harness you don't need. If you leave the trans unplugged, it'll just stay in 2nd gear the while time and won't hurt anything. Rear VSS is plug and play from the 60, I don't understand what the jumper harness has to do with anything here. You will be adding 2 pins to the PCM for the front speed sensor, so just do that when you repin at home. No jumper harness will get you out of this. I did my swap at a shop and drove home in 2nd until i figured out how to segment swap the PCM and wire up that front VSS. When I went looking at converters, Transtar only had the B80 and B82 so my truck got the B82. They listed the B80 as big block/diesel and B82 as small block. The flex plates are different. The 4L60 uses a 3 bolt converter and the 4L80 uses a 6 bolt comverter. I, like others, just used 3 bolts to the converter and kept the original flywheel. For the u joint go to Napa. Look up the front for your truck and the front for the donor. There should be a crossover listed, it's basically a half and half joint. I kept my original front joint because I kept the same t case. I did get a crossover for the rear when I swapped in the 14 bolt however. Did the same when I put an S10 driveshaft into a Crown Victoria.