how can i tell that a trans is a 4l80e? guy at the local swap meet has a trans that he says is a 4l80e...id like to use it to swap into my 2000 z28...it has a large wire harness coming out the drivers side and a few little plugs on the drivers side also...has a bolt on yoke not a slip yoke...he says its from a 94 chevy...is this a good unit to buy...he says that it works but for the $200 price tag its worht it for a core to get rebuilt and beefed up....what do you guys think....ill be swapping from a M6 and have all the swap parts minus the trans

 

Sounds like a 4L80E, you can't beat $200 if it's rebuildable. The bolt on yoke can be removed and a slip yoke used.

 

Mine says "4L80E" on the side.

 

They started that in the '99 build date. I have a '95 and a '98 that don't say it, and I have a '99 that does.

 

Yea I have a 94 and it doesnt say 4l80e on the side either. I also believe this has started in the newer years.

 

FWIW mine says "4L80E" on the side too.



Rob (Bad30th)

 

I thought the older ones werent worth having?

 

I hope that you modified that rear fitting. Reason being that it needs an extension tube to allow lube oil to reach the center support. If you did not do this you could have a lube failure in the rear of that case.

 

There were some updates to the newer units but the older ones are still compared to the 4L60E quite capable I mean they lived in 3/4 ton trucks/buses ETC so life in a car for either is pretty easy. Agreeded on that fitting I have seen that done a few times and it kills the planet perty quick.

 

Wow, thanks for the info guys, I will have to check with the guy who did the swap on whether the fitting was modified with an extension tube.

That would be good info to add to the '80 swap sticky at the top...

Rob (Bad30th)

 

Sorry for the thread-jack...

Can someone post a pic of what the "extension" on that rear return fitting is supposed to look like ?

Is it a part of the original factory '80E provision too ?

Just trying to get an idea of what should be there - don't wanna go roasting the planetaries in my new '80E...

Thanks !
Rob (Bad30th)

 

will a 4l80e bolt in and use the same electronics and convertor?

 

You need a special converter that mates the LS1 flywheel to the '80E, and the easiest way to wire it up is with the harness from Speedtech. You have to either use a custom tune with the '80E tables loaded into the tune (which is what I did, via HPT), or run an aftermarket trans controller.

Lots more info in the sticky at the top of the forum.

Now, does anyone have any more info on the tube extension mentioned above on the rear return line ???

Rob (Bad30th)

 

you have to bang up the car to get it to fit?

 

It looks just like a th400 but with a harness plug in like on a 4l60e. It also says "4L80E" on the side lol.

 

Now, does anyone have any more info on the tube extension mentioned above on the rear return line ???

I second that question

 

Ill 3rd it. Im confused as to what they are saying. I had the stock 4l80e lines with my trans whwn I got it and nothing was "extended". They looked just like the stock 4l60e lines but longer and a tad bigger in diameter. I did just like the pic above and cut them and made them a little longer with some rubber hose. So far no problems.

 

Here is what he's talking about. The fitting on the right is for the rear, the one on the left is for the front and the same as used on 4L60E's

The rear one is longer because it extends into the center support, theres a seal on the center support that this extended fitting reaches, so I'd assume without the extension it's going to leak internally. This lube circuit change was probably the biggest most extensive change made to the 4L80E in the '97 build date.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words ! Thanks a lot !!

Now to locate one of those little buggers...

Rob (Bad30th)

 

Good deal, well im in the clear because I had those in my trans already.