anywereiroam

Finished my lt1 build a couple 600 miles ago. forged, rods, pistons, ported heads. I was planning on spraying the car and swapping a th400 since the
4l60 is slipping bad and overdrive does not work and using it for track use only. Also thought of selling the car to build my mustang but my grampa likes the car so I figure i would stick with the A4 since he drives on the highway alot, rebuild it and have it stay in the fam.

I will be doing the rebuild myself with help from my machinist since he has the proper tools needed.

Now before I begin the rebuild. My grampa wants to add lt headers, lt4 hot cam kit, with proper stall, gears, and tune later down the road. Just so he can have fun with the car as well.

What parts should i replace while the transmission is out? Any hard parts in particular? Stall recommendations? Rebuild kit recommendations? I honestly dont think the car will see more then 350rwhp. But, I think it would be a smart idea to rebuild it for some spirited driving use.

Another idea was to put a 4r70w behind it. Ive heard they can handle power pretty well from local shops and are pretty reliable if taken care of. But still not sure if it would be worth the time and money.

Any help, advice, input, would be greatly apperciated!

NorthTexasConverter

Never once heard of someone swapping a Ford engine into a GM car, and never known anyone to do the same with the trans. 4R70W is not a bad transmission, but why would you consider that over something like a 4L80E...?

350rwhp max will not need much for a 60E. Very basic rundown

- 29 element Dual Cage sprag
- Sonnax SmartShell or Beast Sunshell (I prefer the Sonnax part myself)
- New OEM shift solenoids
- New pressure switch manifold
- New wiring harness
- Corvette servo
- Wide sungear bushing
- New band (Hi energy stock width or carbon wide band)
- Closely inspect your reverse input drum. If it's grooved at all, scrap it and buy a new A/C Delco unit
- Sonnax boost valve

Honestly, some of those aren't even really a necessity per se, but it's what I would do if it were me. In fact, I would probably do more, but I'm also the person who probably has the only person in the world with a V6 Firebird 4L60E built anywhere to the level that it's at

mrvedit

^^^
All good, but left out a few things:
1. Use a 4L65E rebuild kit as that includes 7 frictions for the 3/4 clutch.
Alternatively use of the the 7 or 8 friction setups that I have documented.
2. If and ONLY if you replace the reverse drum, you can optionally install a wide band.

Also a new separator plate is highly recommended.

NorthTexasConverter

I don't use the 4L65E rebuild kit for the fact that it's a 7 friction setup, but more for the fact that they are Hi Energy clutches.

A new reverse input drum will be fine with a stock width band or a wide band, I don't see why the wide band would be a necessity in the case of a drum.

mrvedit

Lots of choices for the 3/4 clutch, but most everyone suggests a 7 or 8 friction setup.
I'm confused = seems most builders prefer the BW Hi-Energy clutches.

I was trying to say that if someone wants to use a wide band, a brand new reverse drum is highly recommended, if not a necessity. Obviously a new drum with a standard width band is fine too. And usually sufficient.

NorthTexasConverter

Ahh I get you now. I have no problem with a 7 friction setup, especially in a very mild application such as OPs. However, I'm also a bit spoiled in that I have a wall full of clutches and steels hanging there waiting to be used, so I don't always necessarily use the same clutches that come in the kit.

Not sure why you are confused though, I do prefer the BW Hi Energies

mrvedit

We are all on the same page. I clarified my earlier post about the band.
Not everyone has a "wall full of clutches and steels"; hence my suggestion to at a minimum get the 4L65E kit. For an extra $70, an 8 friction setup is usually better for a performance setup.

anywereiroam

Awesome thanks for the advice. And north Texas since you said its a basic rebuild and don't need some of the parts listed which ones could I leave out?

mrvedit

Since NorthTexas hasn't replied yet, let me take a shot...

Perhaps we are reading NorthTexas' post differently, but I think they are saying those are the minimum parts that should be included in a basic rebuild in addition to the basic rebuild kit. A basic rebuild kit is just frictions, steels, seals, gaskets and pistons for the input drum. Wholesale cost for a 4L60E rebuild kit is only around $130. $10 more for the 4L65E rebuild kit I recommended.
Here the approximate costs for the other parts:
$30 element Dual Cage sprag
$70 Sonnax SmartShell or Beast Sunshell (I prefer the Sonnax part myself)
$25 New OEM shift solenoids (I would add $50 for the other two solenoids)
$25 New pressure switch manifold
$50 New wiring harness (includes the TCC solenoid)
$15 Corvette servo
$5 Wide sungear bushing
$30 New band (Hi energy stock width or carbon wide band)
$95 If you need a new reverse drum; A/C Delco is preferred over generic ones.
$30 Sonnax boost valve

So those parts are $250 to $350 depending upon the Reverse drum. Add $140 for the 4L65E rebuild kit or spend $70 more for a 8 friction 3/4 clutch setup.
I would also suggest new aluminum accumulator pistons, about $10.

NorthTexasConverter

Mrvedit is more right than wrong. What I did actually mean is that technically there are some things that are not necessary (per se, as I added previously), but I would not do that. In fact, I'll just go ahead and say not doing most of that would be half assing the job or cutting corners (not saying YOU are half assing the rebuild anywhereiroam, just mean that for the trouble you go through to rebuild a transmission, you would be doing yourself and the trans a disservice by skimping out)

Bare minimum, those are the parts I would put in to every 4L6XE rebuild. You're not making a ton of power @ 350rwhp so you don't need an array of the highest end parts, but the list is a pretty solid guideline for a much stronger 4L60E than stock without getting too crazy or expensive.

If you really wanted to save a little bit on the prices listed above, The Beast sunshell is about half the cost of the Sonnax SmartShell, but the SmartShell is a nicer piece IMO. I really like the fact that it is rollerized and removes the thrust load from the captured bearing in the planetary. I'd used the Beast in the past, but after a friend (another member on here) had his bearing become damaged from the sunshell and created an obnoxious screeching noise a few years back from another builder out in California, I decided I would stick to the SmartShell whenever possible. This was further reinforced 3 months ago when I repaired a 4L60E with the exact same problem.