I AM BRAND NEW and Desperately need HELP!

[leosavinoDFW]

There’s at least 100 different ways to go about this. I’d suggest to start by buying an engine that meets your requirements and go from there.

You’ll have 10 people that will tell you it’s a waste of time and another 10 people that will argue with those people, so just get your project started and ask for help as you need it.

Thank you for responding. Yeah, exactly my thought...so many ways to go overwhelemed. I just want a more up to date daily driver. I've redone the interior, all glass and seals, did dash core swap, and about to send out for painting. Before i do the drop (conservative mind you) I wanted to get the LS done so I would have my teen truck as my daily ML Crisis is real, lol

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Either 6.0 from 99-06 would be fine. I wouldn’t mess around with a 5.3 personally unless you care about fuel mileage

 

[GoToGuy]

I have both these books I got off Amazon. I've read through both. And when I'm ready to swap into my 91 short stepside, I'll start my parts list with these for reference, and update with what's changed or improved. Good luck!

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[NickTransmissions]

Dang! Well first of all thank you and everyone who has joined in this thread to help out a newcommer. I greatly appreciate it. I was hoping my rebuilt 4l60e would mate up to an LS. I'm looking at the gen3 engines and would most likely get an LM7 ot LQ9 from circa 2003-2006 but would that mate up fine? Or would I need another flex plate and spacer or is it a Sshow bc of the input spline etc?

No 4L60E that was originally installed behind a gen1 SBC will bolt up and work as-is to any generation 3+ small block like the 4.8L, 5.3L, 6.0, 6.2, etc.

You need a different transmission or will have to convert the one you have (conversion = 300mm input shaft and pump stator, bell housing, TMBX converter). Alternatively, you can look to see if any companies make adaptor kits with spacers, flexplates etc to use a pre-TMBX converter and early input shaft, pump stator, bell housing for an early 4L60E or 700R4.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

No 4L60E that was originally installed behind a gen1 SBC will bolt up and work as-is to any generation 3+ small block like the 4.8L, 5.3L, 6.0, 6.2, etc.

You need a different transmission or will have to convert the one you have (conversion = 300mm input shaft and pump stator, bell housing, TMBX converter). Alternatively, you can look to see if any companies make adaptor kits with spacers, flexplates etc to use a pre-TMBX converter and early input shaft, pump stator, bell housing for an early 4L60E or 700R4.

Those are the mechanical constraints / differences. Thanks for the insight.

Are they electrically equivalent… same sensors, valves, solenoid(s), even so much as to having the same electrical connector, thus allowing the LS ECU harness to be plug-n-play with the older (OP’s 1998) 4L60E… or not?

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

My transmission rebuilder said everything Nick did, but I'm pretty sure there are a lot of swaps out there using the old transmission and flex plate adapters/spacers. He said he wouldn't warranty it if I did that and since mine was junk anyway, I just got a later core and rebuilt that instead.

Right about here is where people will say just scrap it and get a 4L80e.

 

[NickTransmissions]

Those are the mechanical constraints / differences. Thanks for the insight.

Are they electrically equivalent… same sensors, valves, solenoid(s), even so much as to having the same electrical connector, thus allowing the LS ECU harness to be plug-n-play with the older (OP’s 1998) 4L60E… or not?

If you can get around the mechanical constraints/parts' fitment incompatibility issues, all of the command and control functions were identical for the most part from 1996-early 2006 (a slight redesign of the PWM TCC reg valve took place starting in 2001-no changes to solenoids though)...Late 2006-2008 were different (ISS introduced) and 2009+ is completely different (Internal Mode Switch introduced; MLPS, 3-2 solenoid, PSM all eliminated)...1993-1994 are interchangeable/the same and 1995 is a stand-alone year (first year of the PWM TCC apply strategy)...Those are all of the 4L60Es 'vintages' throughout its lifecycle from a command and control standpoint.

Command and control = PCM's trans control programming/logic, electrical/electronic components, valve body, pump hydraulics, separator plate, accumulator configuration.

I've built 700R4s for LS swaps in the past so there has to be some kits or adaptive methods used by these folks to run those transmissions behind LSX engines...But I only do bench/carry out builds, never see the vehicles the customer installs the transmission into so am not up on all the available kits or approaches folks use for these swaps.

 

[1998_K1500_Sub]

If you can get around the mechanical constraints/parts' fitment incompatibility issues, all of the command and control functions were identical for the most part from 1996-early 2006 (a slight redesign of the PWM TCC reg valve took place starting in 2001-no changes to solenoids though)...Late 2006-2008 were different (ISS introduced) and 2009+ is completely different (Internal Mode Switch introduced; MLPS, 3-2 solenoid, PSM all eliminated)...1993-1994 are interchangeable/the same and 1995 is a stand-alone year (first year of the PWM TCC apply strategy)...Those are all of the 4L60Es 'vintages' throughout its lifecycle from a command and control standpoint.

Command and control = PCM's trans control programming/logic, electrical/electronic components, valve body, pump hydraulics, separator plate, accumulator configuration.

I've built 700R4s for LS swaps in the past so there has to be some kits or adaptive methods used by these folks to run those transmissions behind LSX engines...But I only do bench/carry out builds, never see the vehicles the customer installs the transmission into so am not up on all the available kits or approaches folks use for these swaps.

Nicely articulated, thank you for the response.

 

[618 Syndicate]

Either 6.0 from 99-06 would be fine. I wouldn’t mess around with a 5.3 personally unless you care about fuel mileage

Dollar for dollar a 5.3 or 4.8 is a way better value than a 6.0

 

[Sean Buick 76]

Dollar for dollar a 5.3 or 4.8 is a way better value than a 6.0

Unless adding boost the 6.0 is much stronger and sounds better