jakes 4l80 wiring question
10-20-2011, 02:30 AM
#1
Teching In
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Utah
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jakes 4l80 wiring question I just finished assembling my 56 chevy and it's taken me a lot longer than I thought to build since my son was born 6 months ago. I bought a stage 4 4l80 from jake with the manual shift harness about a year ago and haven't even used it yet.. well, my build is all done now minus the wiring of the trans brake & lockup and I have a couple questions.
Jake has been great at answering emails but I don't want to bug him or take any of his time when it comes to general wiring questions. he has always been great at answering my questions but I figure this is more of a question for the forum and not for jake on how to wire switches. Jake did say to run the lockup and the trans brake through a switch to a good ground, not power.. I've always used 2 wire trans brake setups and never wired one before that engages off a single ground wire. I would like to run a lighted switch if possible so I know when each thing is on, so what's the best way to do this? All the switches that are lighted have 3 pins on them and when you turn the switch to the on position it sends power through the output wire ( not ground ). I obviously don't want to use one of those switches and fry something in the trans. a standard 2 pin on/off switch will work since I can run one side from the harness and the other side to a good ground but it wont be lighted.. I know I can wire in a relay to control a lighted switch and make it send out a ground signal but I don't think using a relay will work well for the trans brake due to response time engaging the relay.. (obviously the point of a trans brake is fast reaction time so waiting for the relay to click on may cost me time, even if it's barely noticeable)
For now, Just to get it through the tune I will run the lockup through a standard toggle switch to a good ground and the trans brake i'll run through a standard toggle switch and then from the output on the toggle switch to the button on my shifter handle..( this way when the toggle switch is off the trans brake wont engage if I accidentally bump the button on the shifter) seems to be the best and safest way to wire it but i'm still curious how I would wire this setup with a lighted switch and without using a relay ( does anyone sell special light up switches that sends out a ground signal instead of power when flipped on? ) I am going to start my car for the first time tomorrow and then I have some dyno time scheduled for saturday so I am way excited to see what kind of power my setup makes and how my 4l80 responds to the torque and power. I asked jake to install the mild brake that lets me down shift since my car is 90% street 10% track but i'm sure it will still be loads of fun! Yes my 4l80 was expensive but I'm totally stoked about it because I was tired of spending 1500.00 for a clutch on my old tko 600. If this setup works well for me ( im sure it will ) i'm going to order up another one for my 63 chevy C10 LS1 setup and ditch the stock 4l60 that's in there now
One last thing.. The speed sensor is the 2 pin plug on the most rear of the transmission right? I'm going to be running the wire from the speed sensor ( VSS ) to my dakota digital gauges as well so I wanted to make sure. Is one wire a ground and the other a signal? Is that how the VSS works? ( i've never owned a 4l80 before, sorry for the ignorance ) At least my dakota gauges are made to accept a VSS signal so I don't have to buy the special tail housing to adapt my old manual speedo cable to the transmission.
Let me know, Thanks guys
Jake has been great at answering emails but I don't want to bug him or take any of his time when it comes to general wiring questions. he has always been great at answering my questions but I figure this is more of a question for the forum and not for jake on how to wire switches. Jake did say to run the lockup and the trans brake through a switch to a good ground, not power.. I've always used 2 wire trans brake setups and never wired one before that engages off a single ground wire. I would like to run a lighted switch if possible so I know when each thing is on, so what's the best way to do this? All the switches that are lighted have 3 pins on them and when you turn the switch to the on position it sends power through the output wire ( not ground ). I obviously don't want to use one of those switches and fry something in the trans. a standard 2 pin on/off switch will work since I can run one side from the harness and the other side to a good ground but it wont be lighted.. I know I can wire in a relay to control a lighted switch and make it send out a ground signal but I don't think using a relay will work well for the trans brake due to response time engaging the relay.. (obviously the point of a trans brake is fast reaction time so waiting for the relay to click on may cost me time, even if it's barely noticeable)
For now, Just to get it through the tune I will run the lockup through a standard toggle switch to a good ground and the trans brake i'll run through a standard toggle switch and then from the output on the toggle switch to the button on my shifter handle..( this way when the toggle switch is off the trans brake wont engage if I accidentally bump the button on the shifter) seems to be the best and safest way to wire it but i'm still curious how I would wire this setup with a lighted switch and without using a relay ( does anyone sell special light up switches that sends out a ground signal instead of power when flipped on? ) I am going to start my car for the first time tomorrow and then I have some dyno time scheduled for saturday so I am way excited to see what kind of power my setup makes and how my 4l80 responds to the torque and power. I asked jake to install the mild brake that lets me down shift since my car is 90% street 10% track but i'm sure it will still be loads of fun! Yes my 4l80 was expensive but I'm totally stoked about it because I was tired of spending 1500.00 for a clutch on my old tko 600. If this setup works well for me ( im sure it will ) i'm going to order up another one for my 63 chevy C10 LS1 setup and ditch the stock 4l60 that's in there now
One last thing.. The speed sensor is the 2 pin plug on the most rear of the transmission right? I'm going to be running the wire from the speed sensor ( VSS ) to my dakota digital gauges as well so I wanted to make sure. Is one wire a ground and the other a signal? Is that how the VSS works? ( i've never owned a 4l80 before, sorry for the ignorance ) At least my dakota gauges are made to accept a VSS signal so I don't have to buy the special tail housing to adapt my old manual speedo cable to the transmission.
Let me know, Thanks guys
Last edited by nesluopetan; 10-20-2011 at 02:49 AM.
10-20-2011, 07:42 AM
#2
If the switch uses an incandescent light, polarity won't matter. If it uses an LED, it might be polarity sensitive, it might not. If it is, take the switch apart, and flip the LED around re-solder it back together.
Yes, the rear VSS is the speed sensor. If it is like an autometer digital speedo, yes, one side is ground, the other is your VSS signal. You may want to ground it in the same place as your gauge.
Yes, the rear VSS is the speed sensor. If it is like an autometer digital speedo, yes, one side is ground, the other is your VSS signal. You may want to ground it in the same place as your gauge.
