Loud Whine from Transmission Today

[cc333]

Well, that stinks then.

Is it hard to swap it in? Do I need to pull the engine, or can I just unbolt the transmission, undo some wiring and linkages, and drop it out?

I see the actual transmissions aren't terribly expensive in general (seems to depend on the make/model/year, though), but rather it's the labor that makes it costly.

Or perhaps I should just cut my losses and sell it. I'm really dumbfounded as to why this happened, and as much as I'd like to keep it and keep fixing it up, I can't have a truck that's going to keep having major problems like this (last year the cooling system went completely kaput and the engine almost blew up, and the year before the brakes burnt out and I almost crashed while carrying two horses down a 7% grade).

c

 

[cc333]

The question is do you put another 4l60e in and possibly blow it up again, or do you swap the 80e or some 5spd in and never worry about it again?

What makes the 80e better, and what is involved in the swap?

Also, a thought: would a bigger, better transmission cooler help prevent this from happening again, in the unlikely event I decide to fix it?

c

 

[red98]

Well, that stinks then.

Is it hard to swap it in? Do I need to pull the engine, or can I just unbolt the transmission, undo some wiring and linkages, and drop it out?

I see the actual transmissions aren't terribly expensive in general (seems to depend on the make/model/year, though), but rather it's the labor that makes it costly.

Or perhaps I should just cut my losses and sell it. I'm really dumbfounded as to why this happened, and as much as I'd like to keep it and keep fixing it up, I can't have a truck that's going to keep having major problems like this (last year the cooling system went completely kaput and the engine almost blew up, and the year before the brakes burnt out and I almost crashed while carrying two horses down a 7% grade).

c

Has the truck ever been looked at by a reputable mechanic? Cooling systems don't just explode, engines don't just overheat, and brakes don't just burn out. What ARE your losses and what will you replace it with that "doesn't have these kinds of problems" I honestly can't think of a truck that's cheaper to maintain and as reliable. Did you just buy it for 15k sight unseen? What do you think you'll get for it in its current state? I'd imagine like $1000 at most, vs $5000 minimum if its running driving and manual swapped lol.

A full brake system is like $500 on these things, new radiator and hoses etc is also probably around $500. Your cooling system got screwed up last year and now your trans just burnt up, I wonder if those could be related? Did the cooling system include a new trans cooler?

 

[cc333]

That's the thing. Up until literally this past March, we took it to a local mechanic who we thought was reputable, but as things like this kept happening, I began to doubt him, and after months of it basically not running well (hard starting, stalling, rough idle), I took it to a dealer in another town, and the mechanic there told me what was wrong with it (bad ignition coil+distributor, bad fuel injectors, bad radiator hoses, bad water pump... basically, everything that makes the engine run), I lost it, because the jerk mechanic kept telling me that he had fixed all these things (as I payed him probably $6-7k over the past 3-1/2 years), when, in fact, none of it was fixed at all, and I was driving a ticking time bomb! Needless to say, I'm no longer a customer of his.

So, it occurred to me today that something underhanded he did might've led to this, like maybe doing a half-baked job on the transmission cooler (which the dealer and I overlooked, since the transmission fluid looked good and it didn't show any signs of trouble). Is it possible the cooler got clogged, causing fluid to not flow properly?

So, basically, I bought the truck for $8,000 in 2017, put probably another $8k of work into it since then, and now I need a new transmission, so that's probably another $5,000 for a truck that's probably worth only that much at best.

c

 

[stutaeng]

Probably need to hook up a pressure guage to properly diagnose it, but if it doesn't go forward or backward, it's likely toast. You can check a thread I have on the LSX + Carb Swaps, sounds like what happened to my tranny, except mine didn't move at all. I did notice a whine the last time I had driven it, likely as the oil was starved in my case...

At this point, you probably need to take it to a shop or at minimum need to drop the pan. You can swap the unit, just try to find the newest one possible. Look at videos on the early vs late differences. Needs to be a 4x4 if that's what you have. The 4L80e are around $800+ around here, used.

Swapping one is not that difficult, but you'll need a transmission jack and a helper. These units are really heavy! Truck needs to be high enough to clear the bellhousing.

 

[cc333]

OK.

I did just remember something, now that I'm calming down a bit and less hot, it actually did drive like normal when it was cold (I was able to drive it up to my garage from its parking spot, a good 300-500 feet), and gradually stopped working as it got closer to normal operating temps (absolutely nothing when I was ready to take off down the driveway). And when I shut the engine off and let it sit awhile when it was slipping, it drove well enough to get part way down the driveway, which goes up a fairly steep hill before dropping down the other side, so is it possible to salvage it at all, given this new info?

c

 

[Schurkey]

You did the right thing by towing in 3rd but honestly 2000lbs isnt that much for a 454 and 4l80, you could have gotten away with OD and the TC lockup. When your in 3rd your torque converter isnt locked and inducing a ton of shear heat to the fluid when your under steady load like going up a long hill.

My 700R-4, and my 4L80E both lock up in 3rd gear.

I've heard the 4L80E locks in 2nd. I have not verified that.

OK, but looks like it's going nowhere for awhile.

I tried going to town today, and discovered when I tried taking off from home that it will not move in any gear unless I rev the engine up high, so the transmission, it would seem, is dead.

I checked the fluid again, and it was dark brown, very thin, and smelled burnt.

Could the fix be as simple as changing the fluid,

No. That trans has failed friction material.

You could drop the pan, and see how big the pieces of debris are. But that's unlikely to fix anything.

or do I need to start looking for a new truck? I ask because I don't really want to spend $3,000+ for a transmission job unless I have to, because it seems like every time I do something like that to get everything going smoothly, something like this happens and makes it all feel pointless.

I heard these trucks were supposed to be reliable, so what's going on here? Did I get a lemon?

New truck, new-to-you truck, new transmission, rebuilt transmission, used transmission.

You have multiple choices.

The more you fix your truck, the less there is to surprise you.

 

[stutaeng]

There's no telling. I believe what happens in that case is the filter gets clogged after a few seconds of running it. So when you start just start it, it will drive, as the filter get's clogged again, you go nowhere. Either way, it "seems" like the friction material is in the pan, so you need to drop it to confirm.

 

[df2x4]

What makes the 80e better, and what is involved in the swap?

The answer to both of these questions is "a lot."

There are people running basically stock 4L80Es in 1K+ HP drag cars and not blowing them up. The 4L60Es might as well be made of glass in comparison.

Here's a thread I made on the 60E to 80E swap in my red '97 C1500. Your truck being a 4WD means you'll have to deal with more than I did, mainly one more driveshaft and the transfer case input shaft.

https://www.gmt400.com/threads/97-c1500-4l60e-to-4l80e-swap.38819/

 

[cc333]

I just checked the RPO code label in the glove box, and I found the code MT1, which, if my research is correct, indicates that I already have a 4L80E, which means I've somehow managed to have likely destroyed a supposedly indestructible transmission!

So no upgrades needed. It came with one from the factory.

c