willizm

iTrader: (10)

I wanted hear from some of you FI guys that have killed your built 4l60e's and why going to a 4l80e or th400 has it's benefits over it.

Before you think this is a repost, it isn't. I'm having a hell of a time finding the point of failures that the 4l60e's have seemed to plague the members of this section. All I find is "it broke", but there is never any specifics.

My story is that I've burnt up the 3-4 clutches 2 times this summer. The trans and converter overall has been unaffected in terms of hardparts. So naturally I want a better solution and it makes me question. What makes the built 4l80e clutches so much better over the ones the builders put in the 60e's? Or further, what was your guys failures in the 60e and how is it addressed/strengthened in the 80. I know it's a more robust trans overall, but it's what's on the inside I want to know.

Bobsmyuncle

iTrader: (32)

u cant get a clutch good enough to hold any power. ive seen 50-60 4l60s lose 3-4 cutches. 99% of the time, thts wht fails. idk if its the physical size of them or what, but everytime i see one, thts whts wrong.

willizm

iTrader: (10)

For reference the car is full weight street driven and made 700whp through an unlocked converter and s60.

willizm

iTrader: (10)

Well add two more to that list because it happened to me twice. How or why is it different for the 4l80e'? Different size, material or way they are engaged?

JRENIGAR

iTrader: (37)

The clutch size is what I would think. Look at the trans sizes, the 80 is bigger in diamiter through the tunnel area.

StrokerTA

80 is a th400 with an overdrive planetary..
Who's 60 did you have in the car? 700whp is a lot, but I have personally witnessed 60's come get torn down making around the 1000whp mark and look fine after a full season of abuse.

willizm

iTrader: (10)

The thing is that my car is street driven not track dedicated. I drive all over the place and my thinking is that street driving is harsher than if it were tracked only doing a couple pass's with a cool down. :dunno:

2nd Gen Fl 'bird

iTrader: (13)

http://www.jakesperformance.com/4L80E_FAQ.html

Maybe this helps.

+badss+

iTrader: (12)

^^^ I'm with him

ross02ss

iTrader: (1)

I'm making right under 700rwhp with my 60 and no problems at all! And once I fix my fuel and add the meth i should b around 750 to the wheels. From what I've been through with two a4 cars with 60s is no mom and pops place around the house is gonna build it to hold! Spend the money the FIRST time and get a flt or rpm tranny. I'm running a flt now with no problems. My buddy just installed a 80 and he really regrets it. The weight and he gets a bad vibration through the whole car ..

SPRAYED 01

iTrader: (22)

I've been running an flt level 7. Im right at 800whp. Now I don't go to the track more then 2 times a year, so about 10 to 15 passes but I do beat on it on the street with drag radials for about 5k miles a year. No problems at all in 3 years. Had it freshened up once but not at all due to any issues

willizm

iTrader: (10)

I have an FLT lvl6

Hmmm, this is interesting. What sort of trans temps do you typically see city driving the car around with converter unlocked?

SPRAYED 01

iTrader: (22)

Trans temp is somthing I experimented alot with to find a setup that I would never have to even look at temps.

I ended up with a 28k gvw cooler with a 9 inch spal pusher on all the time. I can drive chicago style stop and go and beat on it for over an hour before it hits 185. Im sure if I was really trying to blow it up I could beat on it enough to hit 200 but that would take a long police chase through downtown

StrokerTA

Very good trans, tune is everything on the FLT transmissions. They are very very good transmissions.

willizm

iTrader: (10)

Do you got a part number on that cooler with fan? How do you have it mounted?

willizm

iTrader: (10)

It is a good trans no doubt and only have good things to say about chuck and flt. The first time my clutches went was do to a the p0757 code throwing which I treated as isolated. I didnt realize at the time tht it failed over to 3rd and it fried the clutches. Shame on me. I had the code along with corresponding p0751 IIRC completely disabled as it was thought that it was the reason why it fried. This time around though is different. Shame on the clutches as it gave out at the top of second going into 3rd .

I know the 4l60e can live with this power level but it's temperamental like having fun time with a pms'ing wife only to have to deal with the aftermath. On a side note at least i didnt have a puddle of trans fluid everywhere I don't want to step on egg shells when ever I want to get on it. Figure I'd just cut my losses and try my luck with a jakes.

hellbents10

iTrader: (10)

Best money you could ever spend is putting a 80e in it.

I have had 500+whp daily drivers and so do many of my customers. When they finally end up with an 80e they will all say it was the single best thing they did to their vehicle!

StrokerTA

I would never put an 80 behind anything unless it made 800rwhp or more, and mostly only when it's a BBC with a lot of torque.
But to each their own.
I would bet if it continuously burns up 3-4 clutches, it's in the tune.

NicD

iTrader: (7)

I don't know how anybody could even think of suggesting a 4l60 to anybody making 600+ rwhp/tq if it's beat on regularly.

willizm

iTrader: (10)

See that's the thing and reason why i'm not mad about the 60e holding up. I am sitting at 700whp/620wtq currently. I plan on getting a better turbo (pt7675 or pt88) and pushing a little more boost and hope to hit 800+whp over the winter. The 60e isn't that great of a trans for the power levels I want to grow to anyway. That's why I'm so apt to upgrade to an 80e anyway.
I am starting to see this as well although others seem to have better luck while others such as myself are burning through clutches whereas the 80e guys all seem to have really good luck and relative reliability.