View Poll Results: Built 4L60E vs. TH400?
Built 4L60E
197
44.37%
TH400
247
55.63%
Voters: 444. You may not vote on this poll
Built 4L60E vs. TH400?
TECH Resident
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 840
Likes: 0
Built 4L80E....
Try to find a 2002 and up 4L80E or 4L85E...
Awesome 5 pinion planetaries
Or get a lower ratio aftermarket gear set.
Drop in some goodies... Things like the sprag from a TH400, kolene steels and HQ friction etc....
I dont think autos are that hard to build at all... Knowing what parts to use in the build up and getting them is harder than puting it together..
Try to find a 2002 and up 4L80E or 4L85E...
Awesome 5 pinion planetaries
Or get a lower ratio aftermarket gear set.
Drop in some goodies... Things like the sprag from a TH400, kolene steels and HQ friction etc....
I dont think autos are that hard to build at all... Knowing what parts to use in the build up and getting them is harder than puting it together..
200r4, yeah, plenty of GN's that are running huge power thru on eof those.. but you are talking 5 grand for a top of the line one. I was gonna take that route myself.. until I saw that. TH400 for me.. in my basement as I type, and collect the remaining parts for the swap this spring.
All I know is the one I have sitting in my basement was built to take 1200 HP, and was going to go back in the eastside black camaro that went 8.90... but the owner of the car sold the car.. and I bought the tranny of him. It's back from hughes all redone,and ready to go. Considering I'm making about 1/3 of what they built the tranny to take.. I think I'll be good forever on this thing, no fear of it ever giving out, even after I build a BIG ci all motor setup.
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
i would vote a 400, as thats what i use in my buggy. its a bombproof tranny, simple and reliable. top it off with a manual vb and your set. and they are cheap to build too. the old man that builds my trannies says mine will handle 1500+ hp, and i have just right at $2000 in each with converter. granted i dont have a trans brake and i use a milder converter (to you guys its mild, but i have a 40:1 first gear to jump with). you should only go with art carr, tci, or hughes for a vb. and make sure you dont get one with compression braking (thats what i use) as it will be kinda annoying on the street. theres too much electronics and stuff to go wrong with a 4l60 in my opinion. and to fix it gets expensive.
im suprised no one has mentioned art carr shifters.
jeremy
im suprised no one has mentioned art carr shifters.
jeremy
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Launching!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
Guess i'm be going the TH-400 route. I sure hope the 4L60E doesnt brake when i drop in the 396 in my 94 Z28. I want it to last long as possible. But from what i'm hearing the 4L60E doesnt take alot of power without busting all the internals. I have a Th-400 sittin behind my house, it just needs to be built with all racing parts. I just don't wanna lose my $1200 investment in my rebuilt 4L60E, if yall know what i mean. But we'll see in the future what will happen.
Last edited by 94Z396; Jan 21, 2006 at 10:07 PM.
I'm trying the 4L60E route but so far no luck. I trashed the stock trans bought a $3000.00 Art Carr trans/Converter combo 4L60E it lasted 2 weeks Art Carr agreed to fix it under warrantee. I got it back and it's making a strange noise so we get to pull it out again and send it back again! This sucks! Can a 4L60E handle 700 rwhp? Art Carr says it can and they guarantee it. I'm thinking of going T400 and a gear vender over drive.
Originally Posted by MountainMotor
I've heard about the gear vendors over-drive, how much do they usually cost?
Originally Posted by nojdrof
I'm trying the 4L60E route but so far no luck. I trashed the stock trans bought a $3000.00 Art Carr trans/Converter combo 4L60E it lasted 2 weeks Art Carr agreed to fix it under warrantee. I got it back and it's making a strange noise so we get to pull it out again and send it back again! This sucks! Can a 4L60E handle 700 rwhp? Art Carr says it can and they guarantee it. I'm thinking of going T400 and a gear vender over drive.
Good luck with 700 rwhp and a 4l60.. I dont' care who guarintee's what, it's not gonna take it period. Sure you can run one, if you like taking it out and sending it back probably every 4 passes down teh track, or 1500 miles.
I'd think about the TH400 swap... and unless you REALLY need the gear vendors unit.. I'd skip that as well. A converter that's just right, and the right rear gear, and it's not as bad as everyone thinks. Besides... I don't think that the gear vendors will hodl up to that kind of power all to well either.
Unless you daily drive the car, or drive alot of long distance trips, a 2.73 geared TH400 setup on the street won't be that bad. And if you do daily the car... what on earth do you need 700 rwhp for LOL!
Launching!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
It's basically TH-400, there isnt nothin much out there want take 500hp plus. 4L60E is basically junk cause it can't handle the Tq of a high horsepower engine. Do yall think i sould just go ahead and install a TH-400 when i install the 396? Or just run the 4L60E until it breaks?
If you start talking about a built TH400 AND a GV Overdrive, you really need to look at a built 4L80E instead. It will end up about the same price and is very tunable (line pressures vs. TPS in each gear, up/downshift points in each gear, datalogging, etc.). Hughes built mine to handle 1000HP. With the TCI computer, it ended up being a $4800 setup. But I have it set to change from Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde at about 1/2 throttle, just when the secondary throttle blades start to open... 
It flat out rips!
Here it is attached to my blown 383:
Jim
It flat out rips!Here it is attached to my blown 383:
Jim
I haven't talked to many guys that have built 4L80E's, where is a good place to buy them from? I've been looking at Rossler, Rock-on, etc. and Rock-on is the only place that I can find 4L80E's from, how much does a mildly built 4L80E usually run, can't find any prices?
www.hughesperformance.com the site where you can see their products, but I ordered through Sallee Chevrolet (www.sallee-chevrolet.com), who is a distributor of Hughes. Better prices that way. 1-800-545-0048. Ask for Tom Sallee.
I have bought 1 crate motor, a 4L60 tranny and the full 4L80E setup with GMPP computer (TCI T-Com) from Tom. Each time they sent what they promised when they said they would ship it. He is also a racer, and runs their parts dept.
Jim
I have bought 1 crate motor, a 4L60 tranny and the full 4L80E setup with GMPP computer (TCI T-Com) from Tom. Each time they sent what they promised when they said they would ship it. He is also a racer, and runs their parts dept.
Jim
I struggled with a similar question with my Typhoon. I've gone through 3 700R4's in 3 years. That's quite a bit of money I've thrown out the window. The latest rage over in Sy/Ty land is the 4L80E conversion. If I looked at the amount I'd have to spend on that vs. a Rossler Full Comp TH400 with auto valvebody, it was a no-brainer. With the extra funds, I can also change from the 3.42's to 3.08's and still be fine on the highway. As far as durability, a few syty'ers are running them, and they are holding ~4000 lb. trucks into the 9's without a hitch. Made my decision much easier.