4L60E Torque Management, Shift Kits and Towing

[beigebus]

Howdy, folks.

I've got a '99 Burb 4x4 with the tow package and 138k miles. I'm going to be using it to pull my travel trailer around the Pacific Northwest this summer, and I'm wanting to do a few mods to make the 4L60E survive. I've already got a temp gauge and an increased capacity pan. I intend to run Dex VI whenever I get around to installing it. I have the factory trans cooler- it looks like a fairly beefy stacked plate style cooler. It is worth a $#!+?

My main question here is: from what I understand, my '99 has torque management. Transgo states that their shift kits won't provide firm shifts with torque management. I could car less about snappy shifts in my big 6,500 pound beige school bus- what I care about is positive engagement on the shifts. I want the next gear to be selected as quickly as possible to prevent wear and heat buildup. Will I actually see any benefit, or will the torque management just do its job and protect the transmission so I don't need a shift kit? Also, will the Vette servo mod do me any good?

I've done some searching, but aside from people saying "get a Black Bear tune" (I plan to some day soonish) to turn down TM, there's not much out there.

Thanks!

 

[beardeddummy]

Vette servo will help. torque management is supposed to help but it makes a racheting effect. a positive engagement will not happen with out parts. my advice get the tune service the fluid. wait till it goes find a local builder that can upgrade parts as shift kits only increase fluid pressure. save money for it and tell them your budget and make sure they know what you're using it for

 

[df2x4]

My .02 on torque management... Leave it alone. I removed 100% of it from a stock 4L60E and about a week later that transmission was toast. You'll still get much firmer shifts with a TransGo HD2 kit and vette servo. I had that grenaded 4L60E rebuilt with a ton of upgrades (including TransGo HD2 and billet servos) and had Black Bear return the torque management to factory in my tune, and it's still a major kick in the teeth when it grabs second. The truck is a '97 4.3L V6 and it will burn the tires into second every single time at WOT. I'm all for a tune, but I'm also of the opinion that torque management is there for a reason. You'll get more improvements from the actual parts than from removing TM anyway.

Personally if I were you, I'd leave the whole thing alone unless it presents some sort of an issue. Don't fix it if it ain't broke. If you end up needing a rebuild at some point, then you can throw all the upgrades at it you want.

 

[DirtBag]

My .02 on torque management... Leave it alone. I removed 100% of it from a stock 4L60E and about a week later that transmission was toast. You'll still get much firmer shifts with a TransGo HD2 kit and vette servo. I had that grenaded 4L60E rebuilt with a ton of upgrades (including TransGo HD2 and billet servos) and had Black Bear return the torque management to factory in my tune, and it's still a major kick in the teeth when it grabs second. The truck is a '97 4.3L V6 and it will burn the tires into second every single time at WOT. I'm all for a tune, but I'm also of the opinion that torque management is there for a reason. You'll get more improvements from the actual parts than from removing TM anyway.

Personally if I were you, I'd leave the whole thing alone unless it presents some sort of an issue. Don't fix it if it ain't broke. If you end up needing a rebuild at some point, then you can throw all the upgrades at it you want.

This is great advice right here. Learn from others experiences.

 

[Idaho4x4]

For Fluid do Amsoil, nothing better for handling heat and handling wear.... I have a shift kit and corvette servo in my 4l60e it shifts great with the 35s, gets rid of the laggy shifts.... up to me on tq management I would get rid of 50% put ask your tuner what he recommends for towing

 

[Ironhead]

Everybody has an opinion (or two) on things like this, right? I'm of the opinion that keeping the trans fluid cool is critical to the longevity of the whole mess. My 69, with the original TH 350 (quite similar in many ways to the 4L60e) has a very large auxiliary trans cooler hung out in front of the rad, and the trans, now 48 years young, and after hauling a camper for many, many miles, is still shifting like new.

Second opinion: change the fluid reasonably frequently.