I'm considering doing a 10 % a$$ job.

[skylark]

Normally i'm 100% for doing everything properly. There are rare times where I will shortcut something. I'm seriously considering this being one of those times.

We bought a 95 K2500 with the 4L60E and I'm 90% certain that the 2-4 band is broken and not worn out. The fluid is bright red and it doesn't smell burned. It doesn't slip in any of the other gears. Based upon everything that I have found and talking to a friend of mine that used to own a transmission shop, I don't believe that there is anything else wrong with it. For a little while I did R&R in a tranny shop and I have torn many of these apart but never built one.

I really don't want to put a lot of money into this thing because I don't plan to keep it that long. Used trannys are a of the dice at best. I've had prices between $2600-3800 for a "stock" bench build. I'm too much of a cheap bastar..., uh frugal man for that.

I'm seriously considering buying a master kit, corvette servo and assembly grease from Oregon Performance Transmission and installing everything that I can without special tools. This is 90+% because I have bearing and seal drivers. I see no reason to not reuse my converter, it still locks as it should. There are many upgrades that I could do but realistically it made it 185k and I don't want to spend money on it. OPT will run $235 plus shipping for the parts. I'm looking at about $80 in fluid plus some brake clean ought to put me in the $350 range for a functioning tranny.

 

[RanchWelder]

You are only 90% certain... you prefer to be 100% certain...
10% chance of getting this wrong? 10% too much...
What if your pump filter is clogged and your converter is damaged, slightly?

Everything you wrote, without investigation, might be wrong... ?

Unless you tear it down and mic everything and rebuild the converter, NO MATTER WHAT, what is inside will never be KNOWN.

It's the things we do not know, can hurt us.

Suggesting you re-use the converter, is "contempt prior to investigation".
This behavior, over time, exhibits a detachment from reality and possible failure by refusing to investigate the unknown thoroughly, before making any decision. (Don't be upset or offended, you asked for an opinion... )

My focus is to acknowledge: What I do NOT know and admit it. Prevent it from harming me or anyone else and taking risks based upon full disclosure of the facts. It's not always possible to hit all the checks in that sentence. Trying to avoid failure, means knowing when to save a few extra bucks and doing it better. There really is no right and wrong. Gut instinct on mechanical tolerances and unknown wear, is problematic. Every builder's nightmare.

You do not have to spend $900 on a converter to get a "known good one" or rebuild your unit, to factory specs.

I'm in the middle of rebuilding a 4L80E because I'm dis-satisfied with the performance of the 700R4/4L60.
I bought the books to rebuild the 700R4 four months ago. My plan has changed. Transmission specialists are ready to chime in and humiliate me for suggesting this course of action... I do not care. I build what I want to build, based upon MY research, not parts volume purchases from my suppliers...

Now I am tooling up to rebuild a 4L80E, with a controller and shortened rear drive shaft, 4x4 with added output reluctor/VSS Speed sensor, to run NP208. I'm scrapping my GMT400 and rebuilding my 87' Blazer with the 400 parts, because I can work on the 87' and the replacement parts are 1/2 the cost of the GMT drive line. It sucks every way possible to post that statement here. I love the K2500. I cannot afford to restore it. The A/C having to be removed every time I need to maintain injectors and top end mods, is stoopid. Extracting the A/C system is a mess.

Every question you asked has rolled through my mind a hundred times the past few months.

I'm done with a 700R4 transmission. I have to start things moving to shift gears 700R4, vs stop things moving in order to shift gears 4L80E.
The inertia dynamics and the way I want to think about rotational mass, has changed. I don't want to learn hydraulics and fluid dynamics bass-ackwards to rebuild transmissions or succeed at building one. I'm not racing, weight does not concern me, I am seeking reliability, even if I have to weld a drive shaft or two and buy a controller.

My goal is not to over spend while upgrading and getting it right the first time. (Watch out for the human...)

My main concern is properly coming to a full stop, in order to put the 4L80E in reverse, EVERY TIME NO MATTER WHAT...
It's the human that becomes the issue. It's not always the machine that causes the failure. Has anybody ever told you the 4L80E cannot tolerate a moving shift to REV? One builder on YT (out of hundreds watched), finally outed the fact... How many guys shift to rev, while still moving while plowing, towing or hooking to a trailer using the 4L80E? So driving it, is probable cause for operator error, in every rebuild shop in the US?
There is no warranty...

It's possible to build a stronger transmission for the 350 and move up in reliability, if you read and ask for more advice from the great forum members here. I admit to knowing nothing and I can prove it...

Good Luck with your build!

 

[CumminsFever]

You'd be real happy if you did your 90% build, put it back in, and found it still doesn't work.
Me personally, I'd do it anyway, as I consider myself captain of the cheap club.
Re-used head gaskets? I've done that!
In the end, it's your choice, but you most likely won't make it worse than what it is.

 

[someotherguy]

This feels like one of the scenarios I've been in where I think I know what's wrong, replace it, and it is exactly the same.. or worse.

Richard

 

[bluex]

This feels like one of the scenarios I've been in where I think I know what's wrong, replace it, and it is exactly the same.. or worse.

Richard

I've done 3 jobs now on my cheap beater buick that I was sure I had tracked down the issue an made no change in the symptoms at all. At least the grand total in parts so far has only been like $120 it needed those parts changed anyway but man it sucks to do something an not fix the issue.

 

[NickTransmissions]

Normally i'm 100% for doing everything properly. There are rare times where I will shortcut something. I'm seriously considering this being one of those times.

We bought a 95 K2500 with the 4L60E and I'm 90% certain that the 2-4 band is broken and not worn out. The fluid is bright red and it doesn't smell burned. It doesn't slip in any of the other gears. Based upon everything that I have found and talking to a friend of mine that used to own a transmission shop, I don't believe that there is anything else wrong with it. For a little while I did R&R in a tranny shop and I have torn many of these apart but never built one.

I really don't want to put a lot of money into this thing because I don't plan to keep it that long. Used trannys are a of the dice at best. I've had prices between $2600-3800 for a "stock" bench build. I'm too much of a cheap bastar..., uh frugal man for that.

I'm seriously considering buying a master kit, corvette servo and assembly grease from Oregon Performance Transmission and installing everything that I can without special tools. This is 90+% because I have bearing and seal drivers. I see no reason to not reuse my converter, it still locks as it should. There are many upgrades that I could do but realistically it made it 185k and I don't want to spend money on it. OPT will run $235 plus shipping for the parts. I'm looking at about $80 in fluid plus some brake clean ought to put me in the $350 range for a functioning tranny.

Don't buy anything until you have it all apart, cleaned up and fully inspected all hard parts (drums, pump, gear train components, etc). Then spend a little more money so you can avoid doing the job twice or three times. If you're not sure what to specifically look for and how to test/evaluate parts for reusability, watch my 4L60E Teardown and Inspection video - I get into the weeds and cover everything I look for on these units.

Once inspection is complete, replace all of your clutches, 3-4 steels (the others are usually reusable), 2-4 band, accumulator pistons, paper/rubber, forward sprag clutch. The kit from OPT should have everything except the sprag / acc pistons so just tell them you want a Borg Warner 29 element forward sprag and the accumulator pistons added to the order.

Pump will likely need resurfacing (cover and body); you'll want to install a Sonnax boost valve and spring kit for improved line pressure characteristics. Outsource bushing removal/replacement to a trans shop if you don't have the correct bushing drivers (bearing, race and seal driver kits won't work except for maybe a couple bushings).

Watch my 200-4R 'Special Tools' video for a very cost effective method for resizing the one-piece teflon sealing rings on the input shaft after installing them. Watch my 4L60E rebuild series if you need step by step guidance on reassembly.

Let me know when you're ready to disassemble the valve body, accumulators, spacer plate and servo and I'll give you a few tips on mods you can do for less than the cost of a shift kit.

 

[skylark]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm still debating what I want to do. The truck is reasonably clean. I just wish that my Suburban wasn't crunched. The 4L60E in that thing is 100% stock (I have the receipts since new) and has over 300k on it. It should've failed in massive fashion years ago. I've had many loads that exceeded 15,000 pounds combined weight that have been towed 200-300 miles through mountains. I even had one load that was pushing 19k. That one is a freaking unicorn.

I only need this until Pearl is done and then I will sell it. I don't intend to bring anything heavy home again.

 

[NickTransmissions]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm still debating what I want to do. The truck is reasonably clean. I just wish that my Suburban wasn't crunched. The 4L60E in that thing is 100% stock (I have the receipts since new) and has over 300k on it. It should've failed in massive fashion years ago. I've had many loads that exceeded 15,000 pounds combined weight that have been towed 200-300 miles through mountains. I even had one load that was pushing 19k. That one is a freaking unicorn.

I only need this until Pearl is done and then I will sell it. I don't intend to bring anything heavy home again.

Some 4L60Es last a very long time, some ***** the bed in under 100k...Fortunately, yours is in the top .01% of lifespan expectency so good job maintaining and keeping after it.

Post here if you decide to go into the trans yourself as all the above applies regardless of how long you plan on keeping it...

 

[smdk2500]

I don't intend to bring anything heavy home again.

Thats what you say now. Then you will see something you just have to have.

 

[Vic327]

Why not pop the servo out and see what you can with the band. If it already broke and not driving why not tear it down and buy what you need after getting a look at it? I wouldn't spend the time to pull a trans and not at least change the 3-4 pack. Lock out the TCC while in there and add aluminum pistons in the valve body. A corvette servo is good but I would skip it and not go with a shift kit or larger boost vavle if you're planning to sell it. Some people don't like to feel shifts and may even think it has a problem. Also if it lasted as long as it had and only wore out the soft parts that are inexpecnsive do you wnat to risk the hard parts.

If you were really cheap you would reuse the fluid, for anyone doing that at least run it through a paint strainer for big chunks.