Gen 5 Camaro Drivetrain Tech - ZL1 6L90 trans swap into SS

I am currently replacing my 6L80 that is slipping with the 6L90 out of a ZL1. Wondering if anyone has done this and if anyone has the stock TCM calibration for a ZL1. Any input on this would be great.

keep us posted on this swap, sounds very interesting. i would get the trans all installed and find a gm tech that will bring his laptop and mdi unit to your place and re-flash the tcm with a factory ZL1 vin / cal file with tis.

Got the trans bolted to engine, found the 6L90 is about 1.5" longer so crossmember and drive shaft is different. Ordered ZL1 crossmemeber and looking at having a 1 piece shaft build by Drive Shaft Shop. I am a GM tech but when using TIS it pulls the calibration assigned to the vin you are flashing, meaning you can not choose what trans cal you want to program. I contacted GM tech line as they are the ones that can change cal's (example: adding remote start to a vehicle not originally equipped) but they weren't willing/able to do this.
Most likely going to have to flash it with stock SS trans tune then planning to have tampa tuning make changes and compare to ZL1, only problem is no one has posted one and I dont have a ZL1 I can pull the tune from right now.

im a gm tech also and you can flash the tcm with a zl1 vin,, when you get to the tis screen and it brings up the vin of your vehicle, just delete it and enter in a zl1 auto trans vin, then procede to re-program the tcm. trust me i have done this before on a camaro using a ctsv vin and calibration.

Oh ok, didn't know that. I won't have any problems with the TCM having one vin # and all other modules with another? Thanks for the help, didn't know you could do it that way.

nope, the ecm and other modules dont care what the trans vin# is.

Cool!!! that will make things pretty easy then.. Too bad it's going to take 4-5 weeks to get a driveshaft. Any other recommendations on where to have one make other than DSS?

look around locally.

Most likely going to have to flash it with stock SS trans tune then planning to have tampa tuning make changes and compare to ZL1, only problem is no one has posted one and I dont have a ZL1 I can pull the tune from right now.

I just checked again and no one has posted a ZL1 stock tune. I know a guy with a manual, and im still looking for an automatic to have the configureation to marry up to your tune.

We'll make it happen, if I can get the 6l90 ZL1 tune
Phil

he is a gm tech, all he has to do is program the tcm with a vin# from an auto zl1 car,, just have one on your salesman pull up a vin number for you from there dealer system. then flash it and then you can read it out with hp tuners or tunercats

he is a gm tech, all he has to do is program the tcm with a vin# from an auto zl1 car,, just have one on your salesman pull up a vin number for you from there dealer system. then flash it and then you can read it out with hp tuners or tunercats

Phil, I should be able to do this no problem. Just haven't had the time to button up the converter bolts and starter so I can connect the battery and flash it. I placed an order with DSS for an aluminum drive shaft and its 4 weeks out. Hopefully we can have a tune figured out long before then and then just slap a driveshaft in and go.

Thanks guys

any news?

I got the TCM flashed using VIN from a ZL1. Sent that tune off to Phil at Tampa tuning. He has already modified it and sent it back. I'm now only waiting on a drive shaft that is being built by DSS. Should be here next week and we'll see how it drives.. Fingers crossed.

We got the first line tune in there and it went well. I just updated for additional dial in. Three scans looked good, I just wanted to change some options at shift points.

so what all was needed for the swap, what did it run you $$$$

Curious to see how this turn out.

*Part # 24256841: ZL1 6L90 trans
*Part # 20952438: ZL1 cross-member
*Custom drive shaft from DSS (shorter than stock SS shaft)
*Tune done by Tampa Tuning

It's gonna be around 5K in parts including $1000 core charge as 6L80 can't be used as core.

Thanks for sharing the info. The CTS-V trans would be the same too?

yes, I think so

so how is the trans working?

do you think dss shop has the specs for your shaft yet, im thinking about doing the same swap.

did you happen to take any pictures of the swap?

I Mail order tuned to so I didnt.

I know it was a PITA on the labor side like any tranny drop

www.TampaTuning.com

Phil

wish this guy would at least come back on here so i could get his name so the drive shaft company can look up his data for future cust. that want to do this swap also.

Looks like I'm going to do this swap too. I was just about to do a 6L90 out of a 2500HD truck but the tail shaft output is way off. The length and mounting points are much longer and farther back. I don't want to risk it being hard or imposable to make those mounting points work. Would be cheaper if it worked, but I'm not going to risk it.

I'm really questioning if you actually have to reflash the TCM at the dealer. Both transmissions seem to function the same, so the operating system and firmware should be the same. It may take some different settings and adjustments in the tuning. But that's something any tuner should be able to do. Even if you just copy and paste the stock ZL1 values, that should work the same as a ZL1. Tampa Tuning, what do you think about that?

Looks like I'm going to do this swap too. I was just about to do a 6L90 out of a 2500HD truck but the tail shaft output is way off. The length and mounting points are much longer and farther back. I don't want to risk it being hard or imposable to make those mounting points work. Would be cheaper if it worked, but I'm not going to risk it.

I'm really questioning if you actually have to reflash the TCM at the dealer. Both transmissions seem to function the same, so the operating system and firmware should be the same. It may take some different settings and adjustments in the tuning. But that's something any tuner should be able to do. Even if you just copy and paste the stock ZL1 values, that should work the same as a ZL1. Tampa Tuning, what do you think about that?



there has been many changes to the valvebody / tcm over the years ( remember the tcm is built inside the trans along with the valve body), the correct o/s file must be flashed to the tcm, if you order the zl1 6l90e then you need to flash it with a zl1 file to start with , then read it out and modify it for your vehicle

flashing it with the wrong file will brick your valve body/tcm

Really sorry I have been on in a while guys, been a busy summer Kart racing and fishing :). Trans is working good so far, customer is happy with it. Do not have any track times yet to see if there was any improvment but at least its holding up on the street.

i dont know why you guys are wasting your time with this swap..

i dont know why you guys are wasting your time with this swap..

More clutches per pack seems like a good reason. Why are you saying it's a waste of time?

More clutches per pack seems like a good reason. Why are you saying it's a waste of time?

I had one of the first 6l80 corvettes in the country in the tens, I own a ctsv coupe that runs 11s and is a daily. The amount of time I have WASTED with these six speeds is large. You have great company s like RPM doing nice reliable 4l60 swaps that will support 650-750 hp all day, even in heavy cars like the fifth gen for what I can't see being any more money money than this 6 sneed swap you guys r doing.

I had one of the first 6l80 corvettes in the country in the tens, I own a ctsv coupe that runs 11s and is a daily. The amount of time I have WASTED with these six speeds is large. You have great company s like RPM doing nice reliable 4l60 swaps that will support 650-750 hp all day, even in heavy cars like the fifth gen for what I can't see being any more money money than this 6 sneed swap you guys r doing.

You are certainly not the first person I have heard this from. My hopes and dreams are that newer techniques by the aftermarket are maybe greater now than anything you had tried? Maybe starting with a factory better trans that has 150hp greater power capacity than the 6L80 to begin with. I know a couple guys making 900+whp through built 6L80's in Camaros, but it has only been a couple months. It seems like it can be done, but may require expensive rebuilds at a much shorter interval. Maybe a rebuild every other year. I could live with that.

I had one of the first 6l80 corvettes in the country in the tens, I own a ctsv coupe that runs 11s and is a daily. The amount of time I have WASTED with these six speeds is large. You have great company s like RPM doing nice reliable 4l60 swaps that will support 650-750 hp all day, even in heavy cars like the fifth gen for what I can't see being any more money money than this 6 sneed swap you guys r doing.

not an expert but i play one on tv... anyone that is spending money on a 6-4spd swap and doesn't go to a 4l80e is wasting their time. a stock 6l80 is equivalent to a th400 in terms of max torque. My friend's 950whp pro charged camaro still has the stock 6l80 in it and it shifts fine. car is on 20" camaro wheels (Nitto DR's).

If you're really hard on the car, like non stop beating the shit out of it then i could see the 90 swap, but it's still not as strong as a 4l80e. the 4l60-65-70 is a joke compared to the 80. for almost the same cash, i would go 4l80..Turbo LS3 Impala at my friend's shop obliterated a built 65. Car makes 750rwtq. That trans was top of the line. He's now going to do the 80 (which he was advised to do in the first place by the builder). Maybe one of the trans builders can come on in and straighten some of this out.

The 80 has its place. But being a much heavier trans and the fact it requires a lot more hp to run it ( loss through the trans) and the fact rpm has 4l60s GOING IN THE 8s in fifth gens really the 80 is most likely overkill..

I have a customer wanting to do this swap on a 2010 Camaro.. For reasons of keeping a 6spd, cruise control, paddle shift, etc he has adamantly stated that he would NOT go with a 4spd automatic.

Anyway, would the stock ZL1 driveshaft work? Is there a difference in the rear end, or in overall length (aside from the transmission) that would affect the driveshaft?

This is very interesting

Fire67, I wondered that also but never had a ZL1 to take measurements off of. And even being a GM employee my cost was like $750 if I remember correctly for a stock ZL1 shaft. This is why I didn't waste the time ordering one and take a chance of paying the re-stocking fee if it didn't work.