My 4L80E issue is fixed. in the process of figuring things out the issue caused my converter to keep trying to lock up in1st and 2nd gears. So I got some clutch material throughout the tranny and converter now.

It operates perfectly so I don't think anything is wrong that needs a rebuild.

any ideas on how to flush it out the best......going to do it tomorrow.

Thanks.

 

i dont think converter will lockup up in 1st gear

 

FTI said it can if the solenoid is sticking open. Performabuilt also said it can. Taking off in 1st gear from a gradual acceleration had the lock up trying to bog the engine down....so clutch material was shed from my converter during the few test drives we did while trying to figure this out. Luckily I have a badass triple disc converter.

It was a string of unlucky mistakes by three different shops that caused this chain of events I just went through for one month to figure this out..... It was a xmas tree of codes going crazy because of the issue......and not a single thing was wrong with the engine or tranny. So all those weird electrical codes going off was causing the solenoid to stick open I guess...... This issue also cause the shift pattern to be all messed up.

Its fixed now. I just need to flush it real good. FTI saw the pictures of the black clutch material in it and said its absolutely no big deal.....just need to flush it a couple times.

 

While I agree the little material is likely fine, I would just change the filter in pan and clean, Not sure what purpose a flush would really serve as the pump does a pretty good job with that, But guess wouldnt hurt.
I am curious what the actual issue turned out to be?

 

ok, its long. Either the shop that pulled my old messed up engine out and yanked on my Frost 4l60E-to-4L80E conversion adapter cable......or the shop that installed my new engine yanked that cable too much and one ground wire was pulled out of its pin seat in the plug end on that adapter cable that attaches to the tranny.

A shop saw that so I ordered a new ICT Billet cable. They said it was for my exact set up (1998 Trans Am with a factory 1998 PCM using a 4L80E). But my old Frost cable had this cigerette pack sized black box builtinto the cable. 4 years ago the Frost cable required a 80e segment swap. So that Frost cable was installed, segment swap done and I've enjoyed 4 years of perfect operation.

So anyway....we installed the new cable and we got nothing but haywire operation. Engine codes like the MAF and IAT and TPS plus 5-6 transmission codes. Had a tuner come by to verify it was still in 80E segment and he said it was.

Symptoms were the converter locking up as we started to move in 1st gear.....stayed that way through 2nd but seemed like it got better, but still it was trying to lock up. This is what caused the clutch material to shed, we were fighting the lock up. Luckily we stopped driving it but had to take it around the block a few times thinking we fixed the issue.

So....PCM of NC.....their cable I saw had a little black box built into theor adapter cable like my old one. I called them and they said that Frost used to buy their cable and see it as his own. Sure enough it said "PCM" on my old black box. So now we're on to something. They said the black box switches the logic in the shifting pattern strategy so it doesn't shift in reverse order like the 4L80E shifting logic works. Makes sense because the ICT Billet cable felt a couple times to start off in 3rd gear...then the next time 1st or 2nd....hard to tell actually. So I believe as FTI and Perfomabuilt said, crazy electrical issues can cause the converter to lock up in 1st or 2nd gear. Taking off in 1st it would try to bog the engine down as it slipped under the engine power to try to keep it going. Shedding material. Makes sense.

So we got the PCM of NC cable yesterday, the tuner came back today and said he also saw that a bunch of items on their list of things you must do with HPTuners was changed. So I guess the guy that put in my base tune for break in also joing in this **** show and downloaded a 4L80E base tune from some tother 4L80E user.....adding to this mess of electrical and codes and just messed up PCM signals.

So today he set everything back to 60E segment as PCM of NC requires even though its 4L80E (everything is built into their circuit board black box built into the cable to switch everything properly) and changed everything back to whats required on their list of items to do.......and bam, test drive was perfect. Its back to normal and they said there's no problem with lock up, no slippage problems. So hopefully my triple disc is ok.

If we could have fixed that broken ground wire we still would have had a mystery of problems because that other base tune tuner messed me up by downloading someone elses 4L80E file. But this new tuner guy would have found that issue.....

But thanks.......I'll have this shop drain this fluid one more time tomorrow and put in a new filter. See what happens. Now I can drop this thing off for the turbo kit......1300 RWHP is the goal.

 

Ok I understand it had an adapter box that changed the 4l60e signals to 80e easy enough but then the PCM got flashed for 80e and the box tried to convert that, I can imagine that would give some interesting results also some strange log files. Not knowing exactly how the SCR logic is set up I can only imagine the confusion.

 

I change the fluid on my 4L80e trucks but running it with the cooler line disconnected at the radiator. I slip a clear vinyl tubing and run it to a 5 gallon pail. I have my young son start the engine and I'll signal when the tubing starts spitting to shut if off.

Drop the now mostly empty pan. Clean the magnet, replace the filter and reinstall it.

Dump like 5-6 quarts, then another 5 quarts and start checking the fluid level. I want to say it takes 11-12 quarts? I buy fluid in 5 gallon pails because I have several trucks. Probably not a true flushing, but seems to get a bit more fluid than what's in the pan.

 

I've got an aftermarket tranny fluid cooler up front so I can easily let one of those lines spit fluid into a bucket. Maybe we'll do it that way. FTI said its hardest to get the dirt out of the converter but your method will work as good as any I think as it'll be a constant flow or new fluid through everything.

Drove it from the shop this morning. The tranny is operating perfectly as it was before this whole mess so doesn;t seem like I hurt the clutches in the converter.

Thanks.

 

I pull a line off the cooler and run the engine until the line starts spitting, shut the engine off, add 4 more quarts of fluid and repeat. I will do this until the fluid coming out of the line is clean. Then drop the pan and change the filler. This way will take a good bit of fluid but IMO the only way to flush without a flushing machine.