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Hey everyone decided to tackle a trans rebuild. After my 4l60e gave up I came across a 4l80e @ work and the owner gave it to me. This unit comes from a 1999 chevy full size van. Toredown case last week and started disassembling sub assemblies yesterday for inspection. Any feedback on the wear found on hard parts would be great.
Here is my stand I used for gutting assemblies from barrel of the case. Simple 5 gal bucket with an extra ls1 flywheel I had laying around. It sits ontop of a furniture dolly.
Last edited by jlaudioholic; 07-03-2016 at 05:17 PM.
A tool I made to compress spring in sub assemblies with my shop press. Simple scrap metal and bolts. Using a broken cast iron shim from a previous 10 bolt rear build as feet. Used only bolt heads on the first spring I compressed for the intermdediate clutch and bent the top spring retainer. So now I use these peices to spred the force like the proper tool does.
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The rear planet had alot of play in it before I disassembled it
Other side of maishaft drum
Output side. Those deep gouges in the bushing were done by me. Trying to remove the bushing. Then I decided to take pic �� before I tried removing this bushing I fit these two peices together and they were very loose and showed bushing wear
Last edited by jlaudioholic; 07-03-2016 at 04:33 PM.
Next thing I notcied was on the Center support hub. The 4 rings were hardened plastic scarf cut style. Top 2 rings came out no problem, bottom 2 were a pain in the ***. Had to break them out in peices. I then test fit my new scarf cut rings from my rebuild kit and could not get the bottom 2 rings in the grooves. Looked closer and found bottom to grooves were damaged
Then checked direct drum were the rings ride
Yup bottom 2 rings left deep marks here as well. Deep to the touch
Another unusual wear part I found had to do with the front pump housing and torque converter. Noticed one of the 3 tabs were shaved down the torque coverter also had matching wear from this tab.
Last edited by jlaudioholic; 07-03-2016 at 07:26 PM.
The only issues I see so far is the Center Support & the Direct Drum.
The Center Support can be saved by taking a small thin fine file & knocking off the burrs on the lands, Be careful! Just remove burred edge.
The Drum is probably screwed if it it got into the center support, There is a sleeve available but requires machining.
The Direct drum splines into the Sun Gear Shaft & depends on the Center Support Bushing to stay square, Replace the 2 bushings in the Sun Gear Shaft as well, They keep the Main Shaft running true. The Center Support Bushing can be a bear for a first timer, Make sure to get it clocked correctly in the Center Support.
Check for wear on the Forward Drum where the Input Shaft rides....You may need 2 Drums.....
Check out the O/D carrier real good, Take the Pinions out & inspect all the needle bearings & Trust Washers, The Torrington bearing in the Carrier is known too give issues & take out the O/D Sun Gear surface that rides on the Bearing....The O/D carrier overruns in 4th gear while everything else is locked together.....So this is a high wear area on a unit with a ton of highway miles.
It is a good idea to replace all the Bushings & Torringtons anyway.
Checked od carrier. Pins, pinions,needle bearings and washers looked great. A pain to put back together though. Used lots of assembly lube to hold needle bearings. Torrington bearing was ok but I have new one from kit so stuck it in. One thing though, the ATSG manual says avoid disassembing OD carrier. And if you have to put all parts in same location. Well I read this after the fact and dissasembled and cleaned and reassembled but surely didnt keep track of locations. Will check end play of pinions. But will it be ok if end play checks out?
Last edited by jlaudioholic; 07-08-2016 at 09:01 PM.
Checked od carrier. Pins, pinions,needle bearings and washers looked great. A pain to put back together though. Used lots of assembly lube to hold needle bearings. Torrington bearing was ok but I have new one from kit so stuck it in. One thing though, the ATSG manual says avoid disassembing OD carrier. And if you have to put all parts in same location. Well I read this after the fact and dissasembled and cleaned and reassembled but surely didnt keep track of locations. Will check end play of pinions. But will it be ok if end play checks out?
90% of the content in a ATSG manual is straight from a factory service manual, The other 10% is bullshit most of the time, I generally keep the shims & thrust washers with their respective pinion, Just because something is a little challenging doesn't mean you don't need to thoroughly check the carrier for wear & damage.
Yes, If endplay on all the Pinion is good....Don't worry about it.
Is the"no walk" sonnax case bushing something I should consider? Any experiance with this part? Seems like extra insuarnce to me. Anything I need to do different if I choose to use one?
I use it on every "Non-Rollerized" TH400 & 4L80E I build. But it takes oddball shims under the 3-tab selective washer too set rear endplay because the lip on the Bushing, I use differential carrier shims, But I couldn't tell you the application because I just throw all my extra/take-off differential shims in a tote.
Alternatively you can use shims under the Output Shaft Trust Washer, Sonnax Part# 34006-05. I wouldn't use more than 4 (.020"), I like to set Rear Endplay at .010" +/- .003", So if you have more than .033" now (And all the Torringtons & Thrust are in good shape).....I recommend a thicker 3-tab Selective, Then you can fine tune with the .005" shims. Assemble the the rear of the unit up to the Center Support Snap Ring, Omit the Lo/Reverse Roller Clutch & Reaction Carrier while checking too make it easier, Check up & down movement of the Output Shaft with a dial indicator.
You can also use this shim to set Reaction Carrier Endplay by using them under the Thrust Washer on top of the Output Carrier. Even if you Rollerize, Check the Reaction Carrier Endplay by Placing the output shaft in a vise, & assemble up to the Center Support, Press down on the Center Support with your palms, Use you fingers & lift up & down on the Reaction Carrier, Shoot for .010" clearance, A dial indicator is useless here, You have to go by feel.
When I rollerize, I use either a TH400 Case Bushing, 4L80E Pump Bushing, Or a C6 Pump Bushing, Letting it protrude inside the Case about .080 so it can center the bearing & whatever shim it will take. Using a sleeve retaining compound on the Bushing or Red Loctite if that's all you have is a good idea.
Staking the Bushing is added insurance....If it can't move...It can't walk.
Use a TH350 Pump to Direct Drum Torrington bearing & corresponding shims to set Rear Endplay, Delete the Thrust & 3-tab Selective.
4L80E Pump Bushings do not have oil grooves, The TH400 Case & C6 Pump Bushing do, Though I have never had an issue running a 4L80E Pump Bushing.
Last edited by clinebarger; 07-20-2016 at 10:20 PM.
Hey clinebarger, another thing I noticed in teardown was that I did not have a "split black plastic silencer ring" on the output carrier as indicated by the manuals. Will post picture. Is this ring not on all 4l80e units? Is it needed?
It got eliminated sometime in 1995 with the introduction of the Low Roller Clutch with "Legs" on it, The elimination of the Spacer makes dialing in the Reaction Carrier Endplay that much more important because there is no longer auxiliary rear support of the Reaction Carrier from the Spacer in reverse when the Low/Reverse Band is applied.
If the metal around the nick doesn't come above the machined surface the bearing rides on.....Your fine.
If it does come above the machined surface......Knock it down with a flat end punch.
Test fit your bearing, The Bearing Race may not even contact that area.......
Not sure if you can make it out in this pic but I bent this inner seal for the forward drum on the edge when I pressed it in. Pulled it back out to look at it. Whats the best method to press this one in without damage? I used the old one flipped around and stuck it in a 3" pipe and pressed it. I read another thread were builders were saying that this inner seal and the direct imner seal could be ommited altogether.
Just leave the seal off. Also, be sure to keep the seal off in the center of the direct drum as well. And the 2nd from the top sealing ring on the center support. And plug the reverse passage hole in the case directly to the right of the center support bolt hole if looking straight at the case. Not familiar with the rebuild book you're using, so not sure if it has a list of recommended mods or not.
07-03-2016, 09:47 AM
4l80e teardown, inspection and rebuild 
