I have a 4L80E in my 98 SS. It was gone through by transformance with their "level 1" package and FTI 3200 rpm FI/Nitrous converter spec'd for the car lock-up with a remote mounted switch. My question/problem is that when I am accelerating and going through the gears sometimes and only somtimes the 3-4 shift feels like I am already in 4th when I shift except it doesn't go into 4th. Usually doing it one more time gets it into 4th. When I am full throttle it doesn't do this, at part throttle (50%) it doesn't do this. It feels like it only does it at 35-40 mph and really light throttle and I am being very conservative with the car. I don't have any problems with this transmission at all, let me be clear. This thing is awesome and it shifts awesomely at WOT and part throttle. It's something I live with because it only happens 1-2 times during a 1-3 hour cruise. This was Jim at Transformance's first MVB 4L80E so I don't know if it's in the VB or if it's a linkage issue. The gears are fine in every other gear and like I said it happens so infrequently it's not an issue really. Any thoughts?

 

Probably a momentary bind up caused by the over-run clutches having a slow release and the overdrives coming on fast.
If you can feel it binding, it's causing some wear, but it's probably not a catastrophic failure in the works.
I believe he uses the TransGo -3 kit for MVB. He's a nice guy and from our conversations sounds like a good builder.

 

No no binding just nothing and then I bump it again and it goes in just like normal and feels completely normal. It's the feeling you get when your in N and you were to push up the shifter enough to feel the 'play' before R and before 4. From what Jarrod has told me his is an awesome guy that will do whatever needs to be done for the customer to be satisfied.

 

That sounds like a linkage issue.

 

Well I have more than a linkage issue now. I took the car to the track tonight for it's maiden shake-down passes with me in the car. Ran 3 8.0's at 98 with 2.1 60 ft's. I was having trouble all night building boost on the foot brake with out pushing through which is why my 60' were so shitty. So every pass I let the car cool down for at least 15-30 minutes. Last pass of the night I decided to get aggressive with the launch. I footbraked it and brought the boost in real slow and finally got it to build and hold. Well, that momentary win turned into a huge FAIL when smoke started pouring out from under the cupholder and shift boot. Basically trying to hold it still in boost on the foot brake the tranny obviously did not like it, at all. I am pretty sure the 1-2 bands are fried and that the tranny will need a re-build. I need a transbrake and heavier duty clutches and bands. I'd like for some of the vendors to put together a package for me with my current trans, but with a full rebuild with a new valve body with transbrake.

Now after speaking with the previous owner of the car's best friend (Mighty Mouse) he said that this tranny(4L80E) had the first generation of the transgo mvb's for the 80E's and they were having late shifting problems with the vb's, which is another problem I was having. I was having to shift at 5500rpm just to get the shifts timed right at 6200-6400rpm. There should not be that much delay in this tranny. I am thinking I may have a defect on my hands and that could be a reason why I smoked this tranny. David runs a 80E in Mighty Mouse except he has a BS3 and an automatic vb. I am thinking this is the way to go with either a TCI controller or a BS3. I have several options I know I can choose from I just need to find the best price. Thanks.

 

A transbrake will certainly help with building boost as will proper converter selection.
If you are sitting on the footbrake or transbrake for more than 4-5 seconds, you will cook the trans fluid. You HAVE to limit the time you sit on the brake for. This is where converter selection comes in, as well as tune, turbo sizing, etc.

I recommend the Optishift controller. Most price effective piece on the market. If you are using the BS3 already then go with that.

We have transbrakes or complete transmissions available.

The TransGo -3 kit did/does have delayed shifts in my experience. That is one reason we quit using it.

 

Honestly the guy in the slip booth told me there was a problem with the light, and I was going to mention this when I remembered it. When I tripped the first light I started to slowly slowly foot brake it. once I got it out of vaccum and into boost I let it creep foward and trip the second light. Once I did that I sat there for at least 4-5 seconds waiting for the light to drop and it never did. That's when I noticed the smoke. Stupid tree...

I know I can blame the tree all I want though, but **** breaks when you race, you just have to be prepared to pick up the pieces and keep going.

 

How hard would it be to put a 6L80E or 90E in my car? Can they handle as much power reliably as a 4L80E? I plan on going with a controller either way so I figured why not go with 6 gears instead of 4 right? How much more money realistically would this cost and who makes the best 6L80E, honestly and reliably without throwing a billet intermediate shaft and iron drum on it. Just the foward hub and billet input shaft is all I think I would need even when I put the LQ4 or LS2 in it.

 

No one has any other advice or suggestions as to what or how I should build this trans so that this doesn't happen again for a long time? I want this car to leave the line totin' the front tires like it's perfectly capable of doing. I just need a brake and a little looser stall, and a tranny to handle it.

 

Does anyone ever answer questions on this forum?

 

Sounds like you need a new vb and brake and learn not to leave it that long at the line. And tune it some more so it will build boost faster at the line.
Lots of people running mostly stock 4l80e w/76mm.

 

Yea it was completely my fault that it happened. I'm not blaming the tree although the booth confirmed my suspiscion that it had indeed malfunctioned. I should have realized something wasn't right after the first second as I was on a Pro Tree. It was going to get pulled out to have a transbrake and automatic vb put in it with a controller soon, just didn't plan on it being this soon. It will at least get built to handle my future motor upgrade to a LQ4 or LS2 one day as I am thinking I'll be at 700-800rwhp then which is my goal for the car and a 9.2x time slip

 

Why not contact Jake? He is answering your questions.

 

I have, Jake has been a great help so far in the pm's we have had. I am just trying to get 2-3 quotes. Jake knows who built the tranny before and beleives he will be fine to use again.