LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

th350

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 06:40 PM
  #1  
speedracer2536's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 751
Likes: 0
Default th350

anyone running one in a "street car" im looking at pro's and con's between that and a 4l60e.

car is a 94 lt1 with a cc306 cam and 150 wetshot.
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:03 PM
  #2  
96capricemgr's Avatar
11 Second Club
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,975
Likes: 15
Default

IMO for a street car how can you give up OD and LOCKUP. Lockup allows you to comfortably use more stall.

The only pro I see to this is maybe slightly better track times with the reduced 1-2 rpm drop BUT that is given the same stall and like I said above with a 4L60E you will be comfortable with more stall because it locks up at cruising speeds.

Someone will say price BUT they will likely be neglecting swap costs. A properly built 4L60E is not cheap, but they can be very reliable. Mine is over 6 years old and built when I thought 400fwhp was a dream I would never achieve, these days the car makes more than that at the tire based on performance. Only change I made to the tranny was redrilling the 1-2 feed hole.

Point being the 4L60E CAN take anything you are looking to throw at it, IF you are willing to use a good builder.
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:13 PM
  #3  
fastfox's Avatar
On The Tree
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 146
Likes: 0
From: baton rouge la
Default

I have a th350 in my 97 ss alot better than the 4l60e.Broke mine few times.The th350 is alot stronger but you dont have a od.But every one got there own opinion.
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:17 PM
  #4  
speedracer2536's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 751
Likes: 0
Default

ya i mean i wont be going to the track really too much.. i do drive the car its an original 6spd car just looking to see how it would be will prob have 3.73's in the future as well. just looking at the 350 for the cost benefit
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:21 PM
  #5  
1badzee's Avatar
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (12)
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,011
Likes: 0
From: SFL
Default

I drive mine on the street daily. It's fun as hell, but gas mileage blows.
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:26 PM
  #6  
speedracer2536's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 751
Likes: 0
Default

what are you getting gas mileage wise? im still a 350ci motor
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:33 PM
  #7  
93v8clone's Avatar
TECH Regular
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 448
Likes: 0
From: new york
Default

a th350 isnt much cheaper to build than a good 4l60 is gonna be ,in a knowledgable tranny guys hands . i had one in my 93 liked it a lot untilllll the days i actually drove the car for a long dist .now in my 94 i have a decantly built 4l60 and prolly wouldnt go back to a th350 again ,if ya want a stronger trans do a th400 and be done with it cause a th350 isnt much better than a 4l60
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:37 PM
  #8  
AGH's Avatar
AGH
Staging Lane
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Default

My son has a 97 LT1 with the CC503 cam and he took out his 4L60E and put a TH350 in it's place. I think it was a mistake. You loose your overdrive. He had a 4.10 gear in the rearend and it was humming 2500rpm at 40mph. He took out the 4.10 and put a 3.23 and it now hums 2500rpm at 55mph. It hurt his low end power going down in gear, but loosing 2 gears in the switch to the turbo was not the best thing, IMO.

I guess if the car is not your daily driver you can live with it.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:38 PM
  #9  
1badzee's Avatar
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (12)
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,011
Likes: 0
From: SFL
Default

I get like 10mpg. I drive like a dick though
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:39 PM
  #10  
speedracer2536's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 751
Likes: 0
Default

i mean it will be semi dd.. i have a motorcycle too.. i dont drive too far. i do prob about 50 miles a day
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:43 PM
  #11  
93v8clone's Avatar
TECH Regular
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 448
Likes: 0
From: new york
Default

id do up the 4l60 and call it a day
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:44 PM
  #12  
speedracer2536's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 751
Likes: 0
Default

i dont have a tranny at this point LOL
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 07:44 PM
  #13  
93v8clone's Avatar
TECH Regular
 
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 448
Likes: 0
From: new york
Default

or find a 200-4r and do that ,ya get o/d great efficient trans "when built right " if ya wanna do things diff
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 08:41 PM
  #14  
speedracer2536's Avatar
Thread Starter
TECH Resident
iTrader: (15)
 
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 751
Likes: 0
Default

ive never ever seen on elike that
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 09:05 PM
  #15  
stevo9389's Avatar
TECH Enthusiast
 
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 680
Likes: 7
From: Clearwater
Default

you can find a 200-4r trans in like 80s regals and assorted other box chevys.
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 09:38 PM
  #16  
Mighty Whitey's Avatar
12 Second Club
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 876
Likes: 0
From: Catlettsburg, Ky
Default

I've swapped in quite a few th350's and replaced quite a few 4L60e's in lt1 cars over the past few years.
I haven't seen a single th350 **** out. but more than half of the 4l60e's have **** out, some of which, the owner decided to go ahead, and swap in a th350 anyways.
with a core, a hardened 2nd gear sprag, and a transgo kit, I've got $500 bucks in my th350. plus $498 bucks for an Edge 3400 converter. modified a stock crossmember, and wired the speed sensor to the rear ABS sensor, and reflashed the computer accordingly.
for just shy of a grand, I've got a tranny/converter that I'd put up against the nastiest "built" 4L60e on the planet.
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 11:44 PM
  #17  
MattSapp95_T/A's Avatar
9 Second Club
iTrader: (35)
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,542
Likes: 2
From: Macclenny Florida
Default

I love my th350 but I think if it was my DD I would get annoyed with it....

i haven't heard much good about the 4l60e unless you dump a pile of money in them....

It is cheaper to do a th350 swap into an F body than to try and build the 4l60 to handle the power.......
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2010 | 07:44 AM
  #18  
96capricemgr's Avatar
11 Second Club
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,975
Likes: 15
Default

The problem with the 4L60E is there are a lot of shops that claim to be able to build them and relatively few that actually can.

mine is from ProBuilt Automatics, the closest thing to a fancy part in it is the vacuum modulator, other than that it is a lot of stock parts with a Transgo, but all the clearances are right and the Transgo setup properly. Stock servo, stock sunshell, stock planetary. The input is NOT sleeved, the output NOT cryo'd, no Kevlar gimmicks, 10-vane pump because that is what belongs in a pump that came 10-vane.
Shifts are positive but NOT harsh, that is important.

When I had him build it I thought my end goal was a ZZ4 cam and some mildly self worked iron heads. Been putting a LOT more than that through it for almost 4 years of the 6 I have had it.

Before that I trusted a local shop, HUGE mistake.

There are 9 second cars running 4L60Es but every kid with a 11-12 second car thinks he needs a 3 speed.

One of the 9 second Impalas, the one with the 434ci Donovan "LT1", ABS AC etc still runs a 4L60E, Rossler built it. That is the single most impressive application of the 4L60E I know of because he is taking 4400lbs or so to up around 160 in the quarter. He has not posted new slips in some time but has posted about rotor cracking issues from 160mph stops. Yes I am sure it was not cheap, but if fully upgraded it is capable of that. The average 4-600fwhp street car really does not need anything too fancy just a competent builder.
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2010 | 10:58 AM
  #19  
bleakdragonmage's Avatar
On The Tree
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
Default

I hope the TH350 isnt too bad to drive on the street. I have one going behind my LT1 with 3.90 rear gears. I don't drive freeways too often so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2010 | 11:08 AM
  #20  
96capricemgr's Avatar
11 Second Club
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,975
Likes: 15
Default

It will be like losing OD and lockup on a 4L60E.

Without accounting for non-lockup slip I get about 3000rpms at 60mph assuming a 26" tire.

One more plus for the 4L60E is the DEEP 3.06 first gear, compared to 2.52 for a standard TH350 so you want to launch the same you will need more rearend gear with a TH350.

I will say the closer gearing 1-2 of a TH350 keeps the engine in the powerband better BUT a good converter in a 4L60E goes a long ways towards keeping the engine happy there anyway.
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:53 PM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE