I should be fitting my 6L80 into my '98 soon too. I've been visiting a lot of the 6L threads on here to get as much info as I can. I got a really good deal on my engine and transmission. It's all out of an '08. Trans is from an Escalade and my 6.0 LY6 is from a 2500HD. Custom wiring harness and computer tune. So hopefully, it all goes together smooth. But I chose the 6L80 because I'm looking for better gas mileage and I wanted to do something different. For $650 shipped with 20k, I couldn't turn away from this tranny. Would anyone choose the A4 over what I did?

 

^^^depends on whether or not you can get it to work properly

update?

 

Well guys, I hit a snag. I was planning on getting my car running soon but that won't happen without help. I was mating the 6l80 to my engine and realized the harness SSP made had a 4l60 connector on it instead of the 6l80. So I called them to find out why and they told me that I either had to use a 4l60 or get a stand alone transmission controller (which doesn't exist at this time). But they also remove my 58x reluctor from my engine and put a 24x on it so that they could convert it to the LS1 GEN III style computer. They told me without the LS1 computer, none of my gauges, cruise control, or ABS would work. And the 6l80 requires a 58x E38 computer to be controlled like the factory does. So it's one big chain reaction. At this point, I don't care about ABS or cruise control and I can run aftermarket gauges. Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts about this that might help? I'd like as much input as possible.

 

You have to have the 58x reluctor on the crank. Speartech installed an ls2 & 6l80e in a truck that originally had a 24x setup. https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversio...l80e-swap.html
Basically he kept the stock computer for stock gauges and such but used a 58x ecm for engine and transmission controls.

 

Hey, thanks. I think they should be able to handle what I'm trying to do. I just hope it's not too late to change. Wish I would have studied up more before I ordered my harness. If anyone else has any other idea, I open to everything. Really don't want my project to die.

 

No one is going to develop a standalone 6L80/90 system because it requires specific programming, networking information and protocol. Anyone who tells you they are going to develop one hasn't even begun to do their research. There is no single function of the 6L80/90 that does not require computer processing and no company, short of an OEM or OEM supplier, is going to invest the manpower or money into a kit for a handful of retrofit guys.

Regarding your project, if they already changed out your reluctor ring to a 24x, for all intent and purposes, your project is dead in the water. If they had at least made your harness for a 4L65E T42, you could salvage the harness, but that too is useless now. ONLY a 58x ECM can communicate with the T43. I don't know why they told you that your gauges wouldn't work bc my gauges work just fine. I think Speartech's gauges work, too.

I've been working on a retrofit 58x system for guys in your situation (on off project), but if your motor is already out of the car, it's wiser and probably cheaper to simply swap cranks and camshaft sprockets now. You should have someone who has actually performed this swap and worked with the 6L80/90 go over your entire system and collection of parts before spending anymore money. I know I went WAY overbudget on my first conversion buying crap that I didn't need, just to go out and get the right parts later.

 

Agreed. I think the best thing to do at this point if you still want to use the 6l80e is to swap the reluctor and re-do the harness because if you don't you are in for an expensive nightmare.

 

Ya, I'm trying to contact Speartech and make sure they are able to work with me on it for a reasonable cost. But I'm going to have the other company send my my 58x reluctor back to me but do I need a 58x sprocket too? And so far I am only into it for $3000 including engine and trans. But thanks for the help guys. I'll keep you posted.

 

Can't tell from your post just how screwed up your engine is. Looks like they took the 58X reluctor ring out and replaced it with a 24. If so, you had the correct ECM for 6L80E TCM, just needed a custom wire harness for them and your car rather than the srewed mess you have now.

I would give MAST Motorsports a call with the details of what you had at purchase and mess you have now and see if their ECM and wire harness set up might just be able to get you going and at cheapest cost to you.

http://www.mastmotorsports.com/2010/...ackages&id=241

Our Gen IV M-90 DBW Engine Control Package is designed to be a budget friendly solution for GM Gen IV applications that
utilize drive by wire throttles. It is the most affordable solution available to get a LS3, LS2, L92, L99, L76, LY6 pullout or crate
engine up and running in any application. All calibration is developed in house on our 2,000HP Super flow NSCR dyno test cell and and our 1,800HP Superflow eddy current chassis test cell.

Our Gen IV M-90 DBW Engine Control Package is designed to be a budget friendly solution for GM Gen IV applications that
utilize drive by wire throttles. It is the most affordable solution available to get a LS3, LS2, L92, L99, L76, LY6 pullout or crate
engine up and running in any application. All calibration is developed in house on our 2,000HP Super flow NSCR dyno test cell and and our 1,800HP Superflow eddy current chassis test cell.

FEATURES & BENEFITS:
• The most advanced ECM: Marine grade, fully sequential, embedded GM LAN supports GM 6L80 / 6L90 6-speed auto trans, CAN network gauges compatible, embedded wide band knock sensors, full diagnostic & data logging capability

• The highest quality harness: Weatherproof connectors, sonic welds, wire braid w/self vulcanized tape & wire ties

•The simplest wiring installation: The ECM mounts anywhere & the harness is truly Plug N’ Play (NO wire hacking, NOTHING to figure out & the harness plugs in only one way). All you need is power, ground & 60 PSI of fuel pressure and you’re good to go! Detailed, easy to follow instructions are included as is friendly phone/e-mail tech support if you have any questions.

• The easiest to tune: Pre calibrated, dyno tuned & READY TO RUN but is laptop programmable for modified applications requiring custom tuning.

• The most features: Includes main harness & all necessary sensors, relays, circuits & integrated fuse box w/on-board spare fuses PLUS fuel pump control & circuit, A/C compressor controls, electric fan controls & circuit, starter circuit, Delphi MAP/IAT harness & 8 layer washable performance air filter w/IAT sensor.

• The most options: Fuel pressure correction, bank to bank Bosch EGO sensors & USB com. cable

• The most applications: Available for all LS2, LS7, LS3, L92, L99, L76, & LY6 engines.

NOTE: GM foot pedal needed (P/N 115-004). USB com. cable recommended (P/N 302-102).

 

I bought the engine and the company replaced the truck intake with an LS3 and adapted it to cable throttle so it works with my stock pedal. I am just trying to make this as factory as possible. But I will contact them and see what options I have. Thank you.

 

Cant use a cable throttle body with 58x computer.

 

Ya. I found that out too. I decided I'm going to sell my harness SSP made, swap back to the 58x, and buy a factory harness off a junkyard GM. I'll just make the harness work and wire my gauges and whatnot to get it to work. Shouldn't cost too much or take too long. But the harness will work for anyone putting LS2 or LS3 with an A4 behind it. It's already tuned and would be good for an old car or pickup swap project, if anyone is interested in it. I've got it listed in the classifieds.

 

My god I was not expecting this to get so huge hahaha

 

6 months into this thread... Has ANYONE gotten a 6Lx0E into a 4th gen F-body yet??

 

Not yet. I have the engine and transmission. Pretty much everything I need but the harness and computer. Still needing help if anyone knows what I need to do to to fix SSP's f*ck up.

 

I don't mean to be the dick who bumps a thread that has been dead for four months, but has there been any more development on this? This is a topic that is really interesting to me and there is a lot of good info in this thread.

 

Ya. I know exactly what needs done to get it to work. I just don't have the money to finish. I decided to drop back to a 24x system and a 4L80. But you have to have a 58x engine, electric throttle body, Gen IV computer, a Gen III computer that will piggy back the new one so that your original features such as ABS, cruise control, ASR, and instrument panel still work. Speartech offers a system that, I believe, is plug-n-play. As for the fitment issues, I don't know if the driveshaft is the right length. I do know that it is fairly close. You will have to make a crossmember that will fit the 6L80 and relocate the torque arm. The shifter and bracket will have to be fitted for any customization needed. There might be some other things, but this is mainly all that is needed. Hope it helps.

 

What about driveline tunnel clearance? You'd think that you would have to cut out part of the tunnel from how large the 6L80E is vs. a 4L60E.

 

I should have fit the 6L80 in the tunnel just to test fit it for you guys. But I wasn't thinking. But I don't think it should be a problem. The 4L80 I put in, went in without modifying the tunnel at all. So I think to only issue with the 6L80 would be the pan sitting low (if you didn't get the Camaro 6L80) or the driveshaft angle difference because the output shaft is higher than an A4.

 

If you're good with code I think Megasquirt's GPIO could work. It's already CAN bus and completely configurable six ways to Sunday.

http://www.msgpio.com/forums/viewfor...5c5fdd36734aa1