4l60e help!
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2015
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4l60e help! Recently did a lm7/4l60e swap on my 65 Chevelle. Donor vehicle was a 2003 Escalade. Of course I installed the tc wrong placing it on the flex plate. cranked motor runs great, park stops & every other gear nothing. Did some research and think I destroyed the pump or tc? Removed cooling lines to see if any fluid would shoot out and nothing. Removed it today and need some help identifying signs or symptoms on what I could have destroyed. I picked up a 4l60e for cheap $170 without a tc and placed them side by side. Only differences I could find was output shaft on both spun clockwise and counter clockwise besides in PARK, they both stopped. Input shaft on old trans I installed wrong spins freely both counter and clockwise while the used trans only spins clockwise by hand that is. Just want to avoid getting myself into a further headache. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Last edited by jpalega; Jan 14, 2018 at 01:40 PM. Reason: forgot something
Moderator
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7,323
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
First, welcome to ls1tech!
Second, sorry to hear of your trouble!
The wrong installation broke the pump rotor, which is barely visible from the outside. Then running engine ground the broken rotor into pump housing creating metal shavings. Depending upon how bad that went, you may or may not have aluminum shavings throughout the trans. If not, you only need a replacement pump; good used ones are $100 from various reputable ebay vendors. Or use the one from the $170 trans. However if metal went everywhere, a rebuild is the best idea including a replacement/rebuild of the converter.
Also, if the donor trans has much more than 100,000 miles on it, a rebuild might be in order anyway. Opening a well worn trans causes a slippery slope toward a rebuild; e.g. removing just the pump may tear a bunch of the teflon sealing rings and expose other wear.
I would suggest finding a non-chain local reputable trans shop and letting them evaluate what is needed.
Second, sorry to hear of your trouble!
The wrong installation broke the pump rotor, which is barely visible from the outside. Then running engine ground the broken rotor into pump housing creating metal shavings. Depending upon how bad that went, you may or may not have aluminum shavings throughout the trans. If not, you only need a replacement pump; good used ones are $100 from various reputable ebay vendors. Or use the one from the $170 trans. However if metal went everywhere, a rebuild is the best idea including a replacement/rebuild of the converter.
Also, if the donor trans has much more than 100,000 miles on it, a rebuild might be in order anyway. Opening a well worn trans causes a slippery slope toward a rebuild; e.g. removing just the pump may tear a bunch of the teflon sealing rings and expose other wear.
I would suggest finding a non-chain local reputable trans shop and letting them evaluate what is needed.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 6
Likes: 1
thanks guys, checked and could actually see some metal shavings around the input shaft and used a light seeing the pump rotor f&$ed up, no tabs. welp at least I learned. Anyway to flush my tc and reuse with tranny I picked up? don’t really have the funds as everything was a budget build and stock tc are around $200. If it’s not a good idea maybe I’ll just wait to get a higher stall tc? thanks again for the input.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7,323
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From: Ann Arbor, MI
^^^ Right.
Since the fluid in the pump is already past the filter, the shavings will go into the converter and get stuck in there. Just flushing the converter does not get them all out. Instead, they will slowly release and ruin the next transmission. A local shop might open, thoroughly clean and re-weld the converter for $150 or so. Else use another cheap and clean converter.
Not trying to rub it in, but incorrect assembly will ruin a 4l80e too.
Since the fluid in the pump is already past the filter, the shavings will go into the converter and get stuck in there. Just flushing the converter does not get them all out. Instead, they will slowly release and ruin the next transmission. A local shop might open, thoroughly clean and re-weld the converter for $150 or so. Else use another cheap and clean converter.
Not trying to rub it in, but incorrect assembly will ruin a 4l80e too.
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I was going to say that too 
Back in the 90's I had a girlfriend who used to deliver converters from one of the biggest converter companies in the state at the time. Whenever I needed one cut open and cleaned I could watch the process. A lot of times there was more garbage in them than what I expected.
Usually if a pump is damaged the pump drive on the converter is also damaged.
Back in the 90's I had a girlfriend who used to deliver converters from one of the biggest converter companies in the state at the time. Whenever I needed one cut open and cleaned I could watch the process. A lot of times there was more garbage in them than what I expected.
Usually if a pump is damaged the pump drive on the converter is also damaged.
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Teching In
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 6
Likes: 1
thanks guys, ended up flushing the converter as best as could, didn’t see any metal shavings in the fluid like I did with the old trans. reused the tc and bam a few hours later and $170 and my Chevelle is in all gears. realize this is most likely a temp fix but plan on building up the old trans and buying a better stall for the future so it’ll work for now.