in realistic terms.how much can i push through this tranny when "fully" built?

 

Speed Inc makes built 4L60-E that they claim will handle 850HP/800TQ, but what i dont know is how long will it handle that power

 

i think for the investment the money that you would spend on the 60 would probably be alot more than a fully built 350/400. if youre wanting to push it to the max why hang on to electronics and overdrive.

 

I'll let u know after saturday. going to put 600 rwhp on one then. that is if i can get the converter to lock up. did the full hardened upgrade with the z pack 3rd and 4th clutches and the 5 gear planetary. the converter isn't locking up though. I'll have it whipped before saturday. the track opens at 12 and i'm going to be there

 

thats exactly why i want the 4l60e...or a 700-r also, the fourth gear is a must.

im not just interested in drag racing....drift, road course are own my list of things to do....

 

These discussions always result in opinions so widely spread apart the result is pretty worthless anyway. What kills 4L60-E's is torque. The gear ratios are too far apart and the overall friction material surface is too small for these to be a reliable performance transmission. If they're so great then why is everyone with any good power looking to get rid of them as soon as physically possible?

Consider this:
The clutch in a top-fuel dragster is cable of transferring 2500HP without breaking. Pretty strong clutch, wouldn't you say? You could even call it a 2500HP clutch!
One thing though - it's good for ONE run.

Get my point?

 

So far so good at 60k miles and about 100 runs at Ennis. RWTQ is 363.

 

Consider this:
The clutch in a top-fuel dragster is cable of transferring 2500HP without breaking. Pretty strong clutch, wouldn't you say? You could even call it a 2500HP clutch!
One thing though - it's good for ONE run.

Get my point?[/QUOTE]


2500 HP?? Try more like 8000+ HP

 

Well okay. I only know power specs on groccery getters. lol

 

so, in theory, can these friction materials be swapped for stronger, lighter stuff?

I just cant and wont settle for a 3 speed tranny. Even with a gear vendor gear splitter behind it. Not trying to be negative towards your post but i know these can have a wide array of opinions, that is the beauty to these things right? I wanted to know specifically if anyone had had the same feelings i share and see wat they did or offer any advice (opinion) they could come up with.

 

Well you could go with a 4l65e or a 4l80e, they're both supposed to hold more power but then your gonna have to buy a new stall which is gonna be a pain in the ***.

 

actually, i have a 4l65e in the ride right now! now that i think about it..dont know why i put 4l60e on the thead title?

Also, the new stall im throwing in a ss3600 yank......

i would like to throw something like a 408ci (600hp) plus a procharger (15psi) on top....

anything that i can do to keep my four gears, and overdrive could possiby be optional.

impossible.....???

 

I'd like to know how a built 4l65e can hold also, and how long can it hold.

 

From what I've read the 4l65-e does not like high Rpms at all.

 

Your last option is a 4L80E, mechanical or electronic if you can repin your pcm or get a stant alone tci trans controller. Its been done on a few fbodys. Even lightly built they will take a lot of abuse. JamesB is a good source for 80E info

 

The RPM issue comes back to the ability of the friction materials (clutches, band) to withstand the heat of bringing the rotational difference of two assemblies to zero while under torque. The higher the RPM the shiftpoints are the more work those frictions have to do. In the 60 and 65 there is a limit to how firm/quick you can make the 1-2 and the 3-4 shift because those are handled by a band - the same band. Bands to not respond linearly to increases in apply speed because to some extent they are self-energizing. This is because the rotation of the drum contributes to pulling the band tighter. If too much apply is given to the band shifts become jolting and harsh because it grabs. Same principle as to why drum brakes lock up so much more easily than discs. In the 60/65 the jolting surge in torque this creates is destructive to the hard parts. The band itself is only held to the case by a small pin fixed to the case. The eye in the end of the band that sits on the pin can even tear open. The band can overheat too but that is less common. Once any friction material overheats and get glazed it's ruined forever. The engagement of the 3-4 clutch is more manageable for the 2-3 shift since it is an actual clutch pack. It's problem is overheating. This clutch pack is massively overworked. Timing the 2-3 upshift and 3-2 downshift correctly is critical. On a 2-3 upshift the band has to disengage and the 3-4 pack has to engage. If the 3-4 comes in too early it will feel for a moment like a 2-4 shift until the band lets go. If the 3-4 comes in too late it you'll get flare or even some rev limiter bouncing because the trans will slip into first for a moment before direct (third.) If the timing is off either way it makes more work for the 3-4 clutch pack because it has to overcome more RPM difference than if the trans were shifting with correct phasing. The 4L60/65 is full of torque-transfering parts made from aluminum. Open up a TH400 or a 4L80-E and count aluminum parts transfering torque, and count how many bands do upshifts.... Zero on both counts.

 

What about a th200r4? Those things have seen up to 900hp and crazy torque through ttypes and turbo regals. There has to be a bellhousing swap for these trannies and someone who makes a stall. Anyone?

 

interesting.....im seeing that a built 4l80e might be wat im looking for.

the tranny i hve has a 9 clutch kit, kevlar band, beast sun shell, etc. in also has a trans cooler and a **** kit. its rated at 650hp......so basically there is nothing i could do let say swap for even more heavy duty parts to make it handle my power requirements?

 

a 4L60E will handle 500fwhp for a long time.

 

Well i dunno about these other guys but my goal is around 450rwhp maybe a little more and a large shot of nitrious. So my tranny wouldn't be taking a beating at 600+hp all of the time just every now and then. So if i could get a 4l60e to hold something like that then i'd be more than happy.

But like Jordan57 said how about a th200r4 tranny? I've heard of f-body guys using them but how much would something like that cost and would it hold that much more hp?