How much can the 4l60e handle?
How much can the 4l60e handle? Im planning on adding a cam as my next mod, but my biggest concern is my tranny. My friend put in a g5x3 and his tranny started slipping withing the first two weeks. So, how much can the 4l60e handle saftley, and do you think i'd be alright going with a tsp 231/233 or a futral 228/228 as far as the tranny goes, or should i be looking a little smaller, like a tr224?
Don't make power according to your drivetrain limitaitions. That's no way to build a car. Setup your drivetrain to handle your power plans for the car. Build once, build right. 
A properly built 4L60e can handle quite a bit. Unless you're making tons of HP or spraying over 200, you won't need a RACE(th400 etc...) transmission. FLP, Rock On, Century, and Rossler all make great 4L60es. 
A properly built 4L60e can handle quite a bit. Unless you're making tons of HP or spraying over 200, you won't need a RACE(th400 etc...) transmission. FLP, Rock On, Century, and Rossler all make great 4L60es. Thats great, and i'd love nothing more than to put a built tranny in... but im in college now and it all comes down to money. I'm gonna be stretching to afford the cam alone, so i have to worry about my drivetrain's limitations right now as i cant afford a new tranny if i screw up. So im looking for a good power boost from a some-what mild cam. My ultimate goal is to reach the 11's through a cam... and if needed, a little juice.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
Your rear will go before your tranny does. Then it will be your aluminum drive shaft. Then probably your tranny. Im sure you know that you cant just buy a cam only, youll need springs at the very least to go with it. Depending on the cam size you will probably need a tune. I would drive it till I got out of college, thats what I did. A good way to tell if the tranny is bad is to look at the fluid. Red is good, orange with/or metalic flakes is bad.
Launching!
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 235
Likes: 0
From: White Salmon, WA.
Really depends on the mileage on the tranny now and abuse it has been given.
Now I drive the lowly LT1
I did my heads,cam,stall, etc. The stock 4L60E lasted quite awhile really. I don't beat on it on the street but I would drive it 300 miles one way to race it. I would drive to the racetrack run several 12.0 1/4 mile runs and drive it home.
It puked on me one night driving it normally. Just started slipping! It will go sooner or later. I went with an FLP stage 4 after that one. It threw a Timpken bearing in the low/reverse planetary at normal driving patterns. Rebuilding this one now. Anyone wanna buy a rebuilt FLP stage 4?
I just installed a TH400.
Now to answer your question. With "only" a cam you really should have nothing to worry about. The tranny should hold well enough. The rear end should hold just fine too. Auto tranny's a very forgiving to the rear end.
I am running Hoosier QTP's out back with a 2800 stall when I was running the 4L60E. No problem with the rear end. Granted I had Strange gears and a girdle but you should be fine.
We will see how the 10 bolt holds up to a TH400 with a Frank Lupo 4200 stall TC now!
Ken
Now I drive the lowly LT1
I did my heads,cam,stall, etc. The stock 4L60E lasted quite awhile really. I don't beat on it on the street but I would drive it 300 miles one way to race it. I would drive to the racetrack run several 12.0 1/4 mile runs and drive it home.It puked on me one night driving it normally. Just started slipping! It will go sooner or later. I went with an FLP stage 4 after that one. It threw a Timpken bearing in the low/reverse planetary at normal driving patterns. Rebuilding this one now. Anyone wanna buy a rebuilt FLP stage 4?
I just installed a TH400.
Now to answer your question. With "only" a cam you really should have nothing to worry about. The tranny should hold well enough. The rear end should hold just fine too. Auto tranny's a very forgiving to the rear end.
I am running Hoosier QTP's out back with a 2800 stall when I was running the 4L60E. No problem with the rear end. Granted I had Strange gears and a girdle but you should be fine.
We will see how the 10 bolt holds up to a TH400 with a Frank Lupo 4200 stall TC now!
Ken
