T56 or 4L80e
03-14-2006, 10:21 AM
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T56 or 4L80e U all know, I purchased a 4L80E and I also ordered a fuddle 3600.Should be sometime this week for converter to get here.Now Im kinda thinking about it 
,that Ill probably go slower et wise,being that that the transmission is heavier.I also have a new T56 in my room with everything to do the swap,just need clutch.I want to go fatser et wise but I do not want to go TH350/400 route,I need my overdrive.Just want to get faster,any help.............. 
,that Ill probably go slower et wise,being that that the transmission is heavier.I also have a new T56 in my room with everything to do the swap,just need clutch.I want to go fatser et wise but I do not want to go TH350/400 route,I need my overdrive.Just want to get faster,any help.............. 
03-14-2006, 05:57 PM
#3
4l80e all the way...i have had t-56...4l60e...th400..4l80e is the best compromise of durability...mileage...and performance. i imagine you are only talking .10 difference between any of the automatics and unless you are a perfect shifter...t-56 is gonna be slower and not as consistant...just my 2 cents
03-14-2006, 08:42 PM
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John at fuddle told me I should be running the same or a tenth slower,should I trust his word????Hey cable bandit do u have any pics of ur 4L80E swap?
03-18-2008, 10:12 AM
#7
I agree 80e dumdumdum, I had a viper spec t56 built and end up selling it before I swapped it in to build my 80e. After talking to more people about it and thinking hard I really think it will be allot better. Might not be as much fun but less worries and with that much power the t-56 might get old fast.
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03-18-2008, 11:32 PM
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4l80e...I was sick of my t56....You will be much more consistent and faster IMO at the track with this setup. You would put more power down with a t56 yes....but that doesnt make you faster at the track.
03-19-2008, 04:03 PM
#10
As my stock t56 is on its last leg, I too am contemplating the unthinkable. AUTO. I can't believe I just said that. I'm a die hard manual, but thinking of how many clutches and t-56's I'm going to go though, an auto is looking better and better. Definetly not as fun to drive, but more reliable at higher hp. The money isn't the determining factor, its the pain in the *** of pulling the t-56 every year or less to atleast replace the clutch.
03-19-2008, 09:28 PM
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I had a 6 speed, it was fun. I didnt want to keep replacing and having clutch problems. I got sick of it. Granted some ppl get by ok with them, i wasnt having such luck.
03-23-2008, 06:45 PM
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has anyone done this swap under 4500 dollars , t56 only 26,000 mile on it , but 4l80e does sound good, what speed ,, will i pick up ,, 550 hp 11lbs boost,9in moser,bmr torque arm, bmr anit sway bar ,370 gr (pms welcome)
03-24-2008, 07:53 PM
#15
I figure with an auto, I could drop 3-4 tenths just from my 60. Then not waiting on the turbo to spool should pice up a good bit off the short time. ( haven't tried the 2step at the track yet ) I'm almost, sorta, kinda, decided to go with the manual auto. The manual auto should satisfy my shifting needs, but I'm going to miss the topend closed track pulls.
03-25-2008, 06:12 PM
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Its alot of money to spend and tranny to do the swap, but will it lower the value of the 2002 ss, my 60' foot as 1.81 no grip, i think it sould be 1.45 and 1.6, with some 15" tires, tired of these little pony getting me out of the hole , light weight p.o.s lol
Last edited by hotrod_tod; 03-25-2008 at 06:26 PM.
03-25-2008, 09:02 PM
#18
To answer a couple of your questions...
Yes, it looks like a lot of money to do the 4L80e swap. But, think about how much more it will cost you to swap it to a T56, then, replace the clutches a few times, be unsatisfied with its performance, ultimately causing you to do the 4L80e swap anyways.
It is expensive if you do it the expensive way, however, it can be done for a decent price. Get a used core 4L80e from a salvage yard, on here, ebay has good buys, etc. I have seen cores for seriously $200 picked up. Then, figure roughly $1000ish for the crossmember, yoke, etc needed for the swap (I paid roughly that). I bought the parts new, if you keep your eyes on the for sale section you can find a 4L80e conversion harness, then maybe the corssmember, then a th400 yoke, etc. The most expensive part will be the rebuilding of the 4L80e. You can do a decent rebuild on it for $1500 or go ***** to the wall and spend $2500-$3000. If you are not into doing the work yourself, you can find already built 4L80e's from some of the sponsors. You could also get a low mile 4L80e that has no damage but is not a built trans, do the swap, and keep your fingers crossed for as long as you can, if it breaks, that is when you pay to build it. Lastly, you will need a stall converter for the 4L80e-LSx conversion, which can be pretty pricey if you get a high quality, brand new converter. I found mine used =)
If you do the swap yourself, you will save some money. Some sponsors may have package deals to install it if you buy it from them at a discounted price. I believe I paid right at $1000 in labor for the full conversion, but, my mechanic had some time delaying issues I won't delve into. I do not believe it is to difficult to do it yourself if you are mechanically competent, there have been write-ups on it. I just do not have time being a full time med student so I had to bite the bullet. You will save money due to your lucky *** having a non 1998 PCM. Your PCM will be able to control the shift sequences so you will not need to swap for a 99pcm which is labor intensive, buy a TCI controller which is expensive, or go full manual which is not for everyone.
Mmmk now, for will it lower the value of your 2002 SS? I would highly doubt it. At the very least, it will not lower the value of your car faster than time itself will. Most people would be unswayed to offer less money for a car if it had a high performance transmission, some would pay more. I did not consider that as I have to much in this car to ever consider selling it.
Your 60ft will increase incredibly, especially over a T56. A stalled automatic with a shift kit and sticky tires is a very, very stout combination. Go ***** out and run full manual and have shifts so fast that you will not even feel them, and if you shift at your stall speed in daily driving like I do, you will not even hear them. I was positive the bitch wasn't changing gears...but it was =)
Ok I am done with my novel. Sorry for the long read, point of the story is go 4L80e and save yourself a ******* headache or pile of broken parts and regret.
Yes, it looks like a lot of money to do the 4L80e swap. But, think about how much more it will cost you to swap it to a T56, then, replace the clutches a few times, be unsatisfied with its performance, ultimately causing you to do the 4L80e swap anyways.
It is expensive if you do it the expensive way, however, it can be done for a decent price. Get a used core 4L80e from a salvage yard, on here, ebay has good buys, etc. I have seen cores for seriously $200 picked up. Then, figure roughly $1000ish for the crossmember, yoke, etc needed for the swap (I paid roughly that). I bought the parts new, if you keep your eyes on the for sale section you can find a 4L80e conversion harness, then maybe the corssmember, then a th400 yoke, etc. The most expensive part will be the rebuilding of the 4L80e. You can do a decent rebuild on it for $1500 or go ***** to the wall and spend $2500-$3000. If you are not into doing the work yourself, you can find already built 4L80e's from some of the sponsors. You could also get a low mile 4L80e that has no damage but is not a built trans, do the swap, and keep your fingers crossed for as long as you can, if it breaks, that is when you pay to build it. Lastly, you will need a stall converter for the 4L80e-LSx conversion, which can be pretty pricey if you get a high quality, brand new converter. I found mine used =)
If you do the swap yourself, you will save some money. Some sponsors may have package deals to install it if you buy it from them at a discounted price. I believe I paid right at $1000 in labor for the full conversion, but, my mechanic had some time delaying issues I won't delve into. I do not believe it is to difficult to do it yourself if you are mechanically competent, there have been write-ups on it. I just do not have time being a full time med student so I had to bite the bullet. You will save money due to your lucky *** having a non 1998 PCM. Your PCM will be able to control the shift sequences so you will not need to swap for a 99pcm which is labor intensive, buy a TCI controller which is expensive, or go full manual which is not for everyone.
Mmmk now, for will it lower the value of your 2002 SS? I would highly doubt it. At the very least, it will not lower the value of your car faster than time itself will. Most people would be unswayed to offer less money for a car if it had a high performance transmission, some would pay more. I did not consider that as I have to much in this car to ever consider selling it.
Your 60ft will increase incredibly, especially over a T56. A stalled automatic with a shift kit and sticky tires is a very, very stout combination. Go ***** out and run full manual and have shifts so fast that you will not even feel them, and if you shift at your stall speed in daily driving like I do, you will not even hear them. I was positive the bitch wasn't changing gears...but it was =)
Ok I am done with my novel. Sorry for the long read, point of the story is go 4L80e and save yourself a ******* headache or pile of broken parts and regret.
03-25-2008, 10:00 PM
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Im having questions about this swap too...I have a 12 bolt with a spool and Empire Driveshaft and am able to cut the lowest of a 1.5 Sixty and that is a 7.0 pass at 98? If i where to switch to an auto how much am i looking at at lowering my e/t...Could i get a big change with a stalled auto?
