Help with 4L60E with LS1 into '72 Cutlass
Help with 4L60E with LS1 into '72 Cutlass I have a '72 Cutlass that I'm going to swap an LS1 with a 4L60E into. The LS1 is from a 2000 Corvette and I've installed a SLP cam meant for trucks for the low end torque for towing. At the moment I plan on getting headers for the motor but I've heard of people using the stock manifolds. I don't know how much horsepower or torque the motor will make. The transmission label stays it's from a 2000 Corvette as well. Will the stock transmission hold up well with just a cam installed along with the proper tune? I would love to have a manual shift kit installed so I can hold a gear but will the stock trans do it still if you keep it in a lower gear? I would someday like to take it to a autocross style course but it will mainly be a vehicle to cruise around and maybe show off at shows.
I'm kind of stuck at my install right now because the motor is done but I don't know what I should do with it and it's starting to get nice out. Can anyone help me out on what I could do?
I'm kind of stuck at my install right now because the motor is done but I don't know what I should do with it and it's starting to get nice out. Can anyone help me out on what I could do?
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Joined: Aug 2010
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
Will a 4L60E hold up behind a LS1? - That depends upon the condition of the trans; if it has 100K+ miles on it and never been rebuilt, probably not for long, especially if you drag race the car with slicks or drag radials. GM did beef up the trans starting around 2003 to handle LS2 engines and therefore newer trans (also with fewer miles) will hold up better. To really hold up you need a rebuild with aftermarket parts.
A good shift kit like the Transgo HD2 will likely extend the life of any trans.
The stock trans will hold a gear for as long as you want. But if you are thinking like this, you probably want to get a rebuilt trans, perhaps from one of the sponsors.
To repeat my message from a previous post:
"People think they can buy a used 4L60E with 100K+ miles, that worked perfectly behind a 250HP engine in a family sedan and drag race it behind a 400HP+ LS2. Such attempts will lead to disappointment."
A good shift kit like the Transgo HD2 will likely extend the life of any trans.
The stock trans will hold a gear for as long as you want. But if you are thinking like this, you probably want to get a rebuilt trans, perhaps from one of the sponsors.
To repeat my message from a previous post:
"People think they can buy a used 4L60E with 100K+ miles, that worked perfectly behind a 250HP engine in a family sedan and drag race it behind a 400HP+ LS2. Such attempts will lead to disappointment."
Yeah I was looking at the Transgo HD2 with the Command Shift feature. That's basically everything I was looking for in what I would like to do with it. I'm thinking of getting it and also looking into getting more hardened internals so it will take a beating but I'm not quiet sure what all I need. If the transmission looks anything like the engine, than it looks like it's probably got only 15,000 miles on it.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7,323
Likes: 529
From: Ann Arbor, MI
The Command Shift feature supposedly lets you force a downshift into any gear at any speed. That sounds like a too-easy way to overrev and blow your engine and I therefore do not install this part of the kit. It is NOT needed to hold a gear while upshifting.
