Transmission goes boom.

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df2x4

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One other thing regarding the gear ratios. You'll notice that the 4L80E has a .75 OD ratio while the 4L60E has a .70. What this translates to is that the 80E will run a couple hundred RPM higher than the 60E in OD. Which may not sound like a big deal, but it significantly reduced incline downshifts/hunting for gears on the highway in my experience.
 

L31MaxExpress

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Yes, im still braking in the rear end. Budget is tight too after the rear end build. Biggest issue with a 80 swap is not only time, but my truck is my daily. Without the truck, I have now way to go get anything. Even if I use the shop truck again, I dont want to drive it any more than I need to. I hope I can get my truck back next week. Since Im not on call this weekend, I think I will try to use the shop truck tomorrow night, then leave it there over the weekend. That way it will be there if they need it. I could go pick it back up Sunday evening, use it next week untill my truck is fixed. That boom was loud. I have blowin up a few trans before, but never heard one sound like it exploded like that before. I guess it will all depend on what the trans shop can do for me.

Sounds like the way my 2nd 4L60E that was built with 4L65E internals and heavier sunshell, etc Gave it ebough throttle to hit 1st gear again to keep a jackass from trying to run up snd cut me off. There was a bang and a noise that sounded like the jolly green giant unzipping his zipper. 1st was slipping terribly and 4th was non existant. Drove the nearly 40 miles home in 2nd and 3rd. 2nd gear to get rolling and 3rd on the highway.

Time for a 4L85E.
 

L31MaxExpress

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They're surely not awful transmissions. The 4L60E is far better than the early 700R4's. Most 4L60E's last beyond the warranty of the truck. Most of them last past 100K miles, which back when these trucks were still new, was the overwhelming school of thought of the reasonable service life of most vehicles. People that had the financial means (and sometimes not) to trade in their vehicles on a new one would generally consider 100K miles to be "used up."

However, most folks trying to save a buck and continue to own and drive used vehicles that have otherwise been reliable, have discovered the transmission is usually the weak link in these trucks once you cross that mileage threshold. Have some lasted far longer? Sure...but they are the exception to the rule.

Defend the 4L60E (and its older brother the 700R4) if you like, but history is not on your side. :D

Richard

Funny you say that about the early 700r4s. My 83 G20 built in 10/82 must have been an anomoly. Had over 200K on it behind a 305. I cammed the 305, put a performer RPM and long tube tri-ys on it. Drove it another 50K before the 305 spun rod bearings. Swapped the 305 heads onto a TBI 350 short block and drove it another 50K. 700r4 finally shreded around 300K. It was the firmest shifting, longest lasting 700r4 or 4L60E I have been around. That 700r4 actually did not even break any hard parts. The clutches nuked and welded the clutches to the steels. Every gear was forward even park and neutral.
 

L31MaxExpress

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No, the 4L60e is NOT a really bad transmission. They made bazzilions of them and they are reliable. For a fast, high-powered, lightweight car it is okay. For a medium truck/SUV like S10/Blazer it is okay. Just that seemingly some (not all) don't like to be behind the heavy-a$$ full-sized trucks/SUVs. Heavy footed drivers, high-performance mods, heavy towing, donuts, etc....usually don't play well.

More importantly, it cannot hold the power of the 4L80e, stock-for-stock and dollar-for-dollar. You know what I mean? I mean, that's why they made the 4L80e in the first place!

If I was in the business of rebuilding transmissions (and not messing with vehicle modifications) I would advise the client to rebuild his transmission. That's what shops are set up to do, rebuild them. They are not setup to mess with tunes, repining ECUs and all of that other non-sense. Rebuilding the existing transmission makes more money, so why would they advice against it? Order some heavier duty parts of common known failure points from a catalogue/website, add the extra cost to the customer for the upgrade and ship it...on to the next one. From a business standpoint, this works. I don't think that's a bad thing either. Nor is that implying that they don't look out for their customer.

Just my $0.02

Working in a shop around them the 4.3 Astro/Safari vans and the S10 Blazers seemed to kill them very quickly.
 

L31MaxExpress

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Also atleast a 4L80E because I am sure your 350 will grow if you ever have to build it. Looking back wouldn't have cost me another $800 to build a 415 with a Dart SHP block and a 3.875" stroke crank compared to my 383. My 383 would quickly shred the best built 4L60E in my heavy van especially pulling the travel trailer.
 

likestrucks

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Always run a cooler and a temp gauge. Heat is the number one killer of transmissions. How does a 60e die behind the 2.2 in the s10? It has nothing to do with power and everything to do with lack of power. Torque converter locking and unlocking more often, more gear hunting. All of that generates heat. Heat kills. In my 98 k1500 I don't let mine get over 200*f. 576000km(357000 miles) and it's the original transmission. I have towed as much as 8000 pounds. I tow in 3rd. I don't let it gear hunt, I keep the TC locked as much as possible. I watch the tranny temp. It's surprising how fast the temp climbs with just a bit of spirited driving when it's a hot summer day. Won't take long to start reducing the life of the transmission. I also change fluid regularly. Keep it cool, keep fresh high quality fluid in it and it will last. Make sure you have a good builder too. Sometimes they miss one little thing and that's the difference between the transmission lasting and not. They replace the 3-4 clutches with HD clutches cause they burnt up. But they don't figure out why they burnt up and then overlook that the seal on the forward piston is bleeding pressure which essentially causes the same thing as riding the clutch in a manual. You could put the best 3-4 clutch in that transmission in the world but if that piston is bleeding pressure the clutches will fail prematurely. Make sure you have a good builder that doesn't just know transmissions, make sure he knows 4l60e's.
 

kennythewelder

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Always run a cooler and a temp gauge. Heat is the number one killer of transmissions. How does a 60e die behind the 2.2 in the s10? It has nothing to do with power and everything to do with lack of power. Torque converter locking and unlocking more often, more gear hunting. All of that generates heat. Heat kills. In my 98 k1500 I don't let mine get over 200*f. 576000km(357000 miles) and it's the original transmission. I have towed as much as 8000 pounds. I tow in 3rd. I don't let it gear hunt, I keep the TC locked as much as possible. I watch the tranny temp. It's surprising how fast the temp climbs with just a bit of spirited driving when it's a hot summer day. Won't take long to start reducing the life of the transmission. I also change fluid regularly. Keep it cool, keep fresh high quality fluid in it and it will last. Make sure you have a good builder too. Sometimes they miss one little thing and that's the difference between the transmission lasting and not. They replace the 3-4 clutches with HD clutches cause they burnt up. But they don't figure out why they burnt up and then overlook that the seal on the forward piston is bleeding pressure which essentially causes the same thing as riding the clutch in a manual. You could put the best 3-4 clutch in that transmission in the world but if that piston is bleeding pressure the clutches will fail prematurely. Make sure you have a good builder that doesn't just know transmissions, make sure he knows 4l60e's.
Thanks for the advice. I do have a trasn cooler, and electric fans for the radiator. As for trusting the builder, I do. Has does drag race, not to mention he has ties to our shop. Mostly the owner of our shop, and thats who ce to pick me up when I dropped off my truck, so Im not just a regular customer off the streets, not that it really matters. Any good shop around me is a busy place, and He is busy. I was going to go to another shop, but I let the owner of our shop talk me into going there. Our owner has a lot of trust in this guy. He has had 3 tranmissions built there over the years, and never had an issue.
 
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Supercharged111

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Always run a cooler and a temp gauge. Heat is the number one killer of transmissions. How does a 60e die behind the 2.2 in the s10? It has nothing to do with power and everything to do with lack of power. Torque converter locking and unlocking more often, more gear hunting. All of that generates heat. Heat kills. In my 98 k1500 I don't let mine get over 200*f. 576000km(357000 miles) and it's the original transmission. I have towed as much as 8000 pounds. I tow in 3rd. I don't let it gear hunt, I keep the TC locked as much as possible. I watch the tranny temp. It's surprising how fast the temp climbs with just a bit of spirited driving when it's a hot summer day. Won't take long to start reducing the life of the transmission. I also change fluid regularly. Keep it cool, keep fresh high quality fluid in it and it will last. Make sure you have a good builder too. Sometimes they miss one little thing and that's the difference between the transmission lasting and not. They replace the 3-4 clutches with HD clutches cause they burnt up. But they don't figure out why they burnt up and then overlook that the seal on the forward piston is bleeding pressure which essentially causes the same thing as riding the clutch in a manual. You could put the best 3-4 clutch in that transmission in the world but if that piston is bleeding pressure the clutches will fail prematurely. Make sure you have a good builder that doesn't just know transmissions, make sure he knows 4l60e's.

What's also amazing is how well the stock cooler performs even when loaded. As long as the converter is locked that trans won't overheat.
 

likestrucks

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Thanks for the advice. I do have a trasn cooler, and electric fans for the radiator. As for trusting the builder, I do. Has does drag race, not to mention he has ties to our shop. Mostly the owner of our shop, and thats who ce to pick me up when I dropped off my truck, so Im not just a regular customer off the streets, not that it really matters. Any good shop around me is a busy place, and He is busy. I was going to go to another shop, but I let the owner of our shop talk me into going there. Our owner has a lot of trust in this guy. He has had 3 tranmissions built there over the years, and never had an issue.


That's awesome to have a builder you trust
 

likestrucks

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What's also amazing is how well the stock cooler performs even when loaded. As long as the converter is locked that trans won't overheat.

I agree. Any time I have been towing and I can keep it in 3rd with the TC locked everything is good. When I have to use 2nd though things start to heat up quick since the TC doesn't lock in 2nd. Have any of you ever had the TC re-programmed to lock in 2nd??
 
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