Gotta love those 4L60E's(insert sarcasm)

[df2x4]

df2x4, so you have a 4L80E behind a 4.3 Vortec? I thought I was reading that wrong? But I (started) reading your thread. Cool!

Yup, the little V6 killed two 60Es.

As mentioned previously, the 4L80E was offered behind the 4.3L but only in the Express vans. Black Bear Performance used one of those Express van base tunes to build the tune for my truck. Stock black box PCM runs the 80E just fine.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

Yup, the little V6 killed two 60Es.

As mentioned previously, the 4L80E was offered behind the 4.3L but only in the Express vans. Black Bear Performance used one of those Express van base tunes to build the tune for my truck. Stock black box PCM runs the 80E just fine.

I did a segment swap for a local guy that put a 4L80E into a black box controlled GMT800. Used his V6 file with the 4L80E segment out of a V8 truck.

 

[Vodka0tter]

I push ~ 500 hp out of my 383 into a 60E (and a 10 bolt for that matter). They both see action with 10" slicks putting my yank 3200 stall to work. While mine is not DD I gotta say an ounce of prevention goes a long way in quality parts and maint (fluids, filters, cooler, frequent inspections) Sonnax goodies in the slush box - stand alone controller helps and a quality girdle for the rear can make a big difference.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I push ~ 500 hp out of my 383 into a 60E (and a 10 bolt for that matter). They both see action with 10" slicks putting my yank 3200 stall to work. While mine is not DD I gotta say an ounce of prevention goes a long way in quality parts and maint (fluids, filters, cooler, frequent inspections) Sonnax goodies in the slush box - stand alone controller helps and a quality girdle for the rear can make a big difference.

Stock L31 killed one even being conservatively driven in 38K miles. The built 4L65E only lived 40K (78k on the odometer)with a small cam and tuning added at 57K on the odometer when the first L31 died. It hydrolocked after sitting for 2 weeks on coolant on startup from failed intake gaskets and shattered #2 connecting rod, windowing the block. I swapped the 4L65E POS out for an 85E and finally put a trailer hitch on it. The 8.5 died after the 4L85E went into it. The pinon nut backed off after the hard upshifts crushed the pinon sleeve and it ate the ring and pinon. I put a 9.5" 14 bolt into it and converted it to 6 lug. Later I swapped in a 10.5 and converted to 1-ton suspension and 8 lug wheels and brakes.

 

[stutaeng]

Yup, the little V6 killed two 60Es.

As mentioned previously, the 4L80E was offered behind the 4.3L but only in the Express vans. Black Bear Performance used one of those Express van base tunes to build the tune for my truck. Stock black box PCM runs the 80E just fine.

So what was the reasoning behind the 4.3/4L80 combination in the vans? Those had steep rear axle ratios? I mean, if the 4L60 was offered mostly with the 5.7 and smaller in the 1/2 tons? The 5.7/4L80 combination found in trucks made more sense, no?

Durability in the 3/4 vans? Vans are driven like crazy. In fact, out of high school ('01) I drove a ('97) 5.7 cargo van doing deliveries and drove it like mad man. I think it was a 3500. All I remembered is it hauled a$$, LOL.

I know my K3500 manual lists the 5.0 engine in 2500 series truck. I think only the C2500? I may have seen one or two of those for sale around here. Really rare, it seems.

 

[df2x4]

So what was the reasoning behind the 4.3/4L80 combination in the vans?

I have no idea. Honestly the question in my mind is why the full size trucks got the 4L60Es at all. In my opinion all the automatic trucks (including the 4.3s) should have been equipped with 4L80Es from the factory. I sometimes wonder if it was a marketing thing, so that people who bought 2500s and 3500s felt like they were getting a little more truck for their money. I feel like the 4L60Es are better off in smaller vehicles.

 

[stutaeng]

I see your point.

One of my theories is that the vans get what GM has left over from the previous generation of trucks, since they seem to be sort of like Franksteins, LOL. I've looked at new-ish passenger Express vans and a lot of them seem to have the outgoing 4.8 engines. Kinda weird. Very few 6.0 and I don't recall seeing any 5.3s. These are all the 2500 series vans, since it seems like the 1500 series Express have been discontinued.

For a fleet buyer, I don't think they really care, since they are after durability and serviceability anyways.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

I have no idea. Honestly the question in my mind is why the full size trucks got the 4L60Es at all. In my opinion all the automatic trucks (including the 4.3s) should have been equipped with 4L80Es from the factory. I sometimes wonder if it was a marketing thing, so that people who bought 2500s and 3500s felt like they were getting a little more truck for their money. I feel like the 4L60Es are better off in smaller vehicles.

Probably because the 4L60E does a smidge better in fuel economy testing. The Astro/Safari vans were also 4L60E killers. We put more 4L60Es in those than just about anything else.

 

[L31MaxExpress]

So what was the reasoning behind the 4.3/4L80 combination in the vans? Those had steep rear axle ratios? I mean, if the 4L60 was offered mostly with the 5.7 and smaller in the 1/2 tons? The 5.7/4L80 combination found in trucks made more sense, no?

Durability in the 3/4 vans? Vans are driven like crazy. In fact, out of high school ('01) I drove a ('97) 5.7 cargo van doing deliveries and drove it like mad man. I think it was a 3500. All I remembered is it hauled a$$, LOL.

I know my K3500 manual lists the 5.0 engine in 2500 series truck. I think only the C2500? I may have seen one or two of those for sale around here. Really rare, it seems.

4.3/4L80E in the Express van came with 4.10s. 350 had either 3.73s or 4.10s. I think drw was offered up to 4.56 or 5.13.

The 5.0L came in the 1/2 ton and light 3/4 tons boths trucks and vans.

 

[885speed]

First part of the damage report. I have a couple more pictures but will have to wait until I get home to post them all up.
The ring gear is also cracked/expanded with a definitive blue ring of heat around the outside. So somehow with my easy going driving style, and fairly rare light weight towing caused some excessive heat. My best guess is that the ring gear got hot and expanded, causing a gear mesh issue, which lead to breaking the carrier and cracking the ring gear.

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