Who has ran a 4L80e?
04-03-2015, 05:56 PM
#1
Who has ran a 4L80e? So I have a friend of a friend of a friend who has had a nasty motor sitting on a stand for years and is starting to work on it again. He is thinking of a 4L80e, but wants to pick the brain of someone who has ran one before behind an LT1 or SBC.
Anyone here use one? Even though it's expensive, they are damn near bullet proof and with the 24x getting popular, I imagine it is a bit more popular of a swap now. I know you will need a special stall to go from the 80e shaft to the LT1 flywheel, and a different crossmember, but the little things I am not sure yet.
I figure a max built 4l60e is still almost a maintenance item after ~600hp, and a modest 4L80e is stronger then all but the best 4L60s. Just not sure on specifics like what options will make the speedo work with the 24x setup, and what typical driveshaft length ends up at.
I've seen too many people kill "700hp" 4L60's at 500hp to consider a small trans...I want to do it once right the first time.
Anyone here use one? Even though it's expensive, they are damn near bullet proof and with the 24x getting popular, I imagine it is a bit more popular of a swap now. I know you will need a special stall to go from the 80e shaft to the LT1 flywheel, and a different crossmember, but the little things I am not sure yet.
I figure a max built 4l60e is still almost a maintenance item after ~600hp, and a modest 4L80e is stronger then all but the best 4L60s. Just not sure on specifics like what options will make the speedo work with the 24x setup, and what typical driveshaft length ends up at.
I've seen too many people kill "700hp" 4L60's at 500hp to consider a small trans...I want to do it once right the first time.
04-03-2015, 06:33 PM
#3
Awesome.
Couple questions:
I'm assuming you had a 411 PCM...did the tune need anything special or does it natively work fine?
Who did your stall? I want an ATI Treemaster...can I just have them weld on the LT1 bolt pattern on a 4L80e stall?
What year speedo did you use and what needed to be done to make it work? Is it something you can do strictly through the tune as long as your harness is made for it, or does it need a gear set like the TH400? I'm assuming my 4L60 is just like the 700r4 and has a speedo gear in the tail...so I'm guessing I have to replace my speedo gauge to a newer electrical one?
Sorry to bombard you. It seems like a straight forward swap at first, but I know a lot of little things can mess up a swap if you're not expecting it. I'm planning on a custom 24x harness from BP, he has 4L80e as an option.
Couple questions:
I'm assuming you had a 411 PCM...did the tune need anything special or does it natively work fine?
Who did your stall? I want an ATI Treemaster...can I just have them weld on the LT1 bolt pattern on a 4L80e stall?
What year speedo did you use and what needed to be done to make it work? Is it something you can do strictly through the tune as long as your harness is made for it, or does it need a gear set like the TH400? I'm assuming my 4L60 is just like the 700r4 and has a speedo gear in the tail...so I'm guessing I have to replace my speedo gauge to a newer electrical one?
Sorry to bombard you. It seems like a straight forward swap at first, but I know a lot of little things can mess up a swap if you're not expecting it. I'm planning on a custom 24x harness from BP, he has 4L80e as an option.
04-03-2015, 06:51 PM
#5
Awesome.
Couple questions:
I'm assuming you had a 411 PCM...did the tune need anything special or does it natively work fine?
Who did your stall? I want an ATI Treemaster...can I just have them weld on the LT1 bolt pattern on a 4L80e stall?
What year speedo did you use and what needed to be done to make it work? Is it something you can do strictly through the tune as long as your harness is made for it, or does it need a gear set like the TH400? I'm assuming my 4L60 is just like the 700r4 and has a speedo gear in the tail...so I'm guessing I have to replace my speedo gauge to a newer electrical one?
Sorry to bombard you. It seems like a straight forward swap at first, but I know a lot of little things can mess up a swap if you're not expecting it. I'm planning on a custom 24x harness from BP, he has 4L80e as an option.
Couple questions:
I'm assuming you had a 411 PCM...did the tune need anything special or does it natively work fine?
Who did your stall? I want an ATI Treemaster...can I just have them weld on the LT1 bolt pattern on a 4L80e stall?
What year speedo did you use and what needed to be done to make it work? Is it something you can do strictly through the tune as long as your harness is made for it, or does it need a gear set like the TH400? I'm assuming my 4L60 is just like the 700r4 and has a speedo gear in the tail...so I'm guessing I have to replace my speedo gauge to a newer electrical one?
Sorry to bombard you. It seems like a straight forward swap at first, but I know a lot of little things can mess up a swap if you're not expecting it. I'm planning on a custom 24x harness from BP, he has 4L80e as an option.
I run a FTI triple disk, most of all the big names now offer the 153 tooth flexplate stuff to 80e input shaft.
I use the stock cluster, again, PCM looks for a 80e, and everything is kosher. (There may be tuning details I am missing, but I know my speedo works fine and I did not wiring anything extra) [I have a 95 car chassis though]
You will need to have a ISS and VSS pigtail in the addition to the main trans connector and if you are going from 60e to 80e you can rearrange the trans connector. (Thats what I did, and added the ISS/VSS pigtails)
You will need a fancy yoke and conversion U joint if you wish to use stock DS, with a stock rear end, a stock DS length will work. I run a S60 with the DS they supplied for a 60e setup, so thats an easy hurdle. Some of the late 80e cores have special fittings for the cooler lines, older cores use the same fittings as 60e stuff.
The biggest hurdle IMO is the clearance on the tunnel to make the main trans connector fit in the tunnel. I ended up using a hole saw to drill from inside car to the trans. If you can cut/weld, its simple task to cut out and then box a area.
04-03-2015, 07:39 PM
#6
Yes, 0411 PCM, segment swap to run an 80e. If you have HPT its literally a drop down menu to select 80e.
I run a FTI triple disk, most of all the big names now offer the 153 tooth flexplate stuff to 80e input shaft.
I use the stock cluster, again, PCM looks for a 80e, and everything is kosher. (There may be tuning details I am missing, but I know my speedo works fine and I did not wiring anything extra) [I have a 95 car chassis though]
You will need to have a ISS and VSS pigtail in the addition to the main trans connector and if you are going from 60e to 80e you can rearrange the trans connector. (Thats what I did, and added the ISS/VSS pigtails)
You will need a fancy yoke and conversion U joint if you wish to use stock DS, with a stock rear end, a stock DS length will work. I run a S60 with the DS they supplied for a 60e setup, so thats an easy hurdle. Some of the late 80e cores have special fittings for the cooler lines, older cores use the same fittings as 60e stuff.
The biggest hurdle IMO is the clearance on the tunnel to make the main trans connector fit in the tunnel. I ended up using a hole saw to drill from inside car to the trans. If you can cut/weld, its simple task to cut out and then box a area.
I run a FTI triple disk, most of all the big names now offer the 153 tooth flexplate stuff to 80e input shaft.
I use the stock cluster, again, PCM looks for a 80e, and everything is kosher. (There may be tuning details I am missing, but I know my speedo works fine and I did not wiring anything extra) [I have a 95 car chassis though]
You will need to have a ISS and VSS pigtail in the addition to the main trans connector and if you are going from 60e to 80e you can rearrange the trans connector. (Thats what I did, and added the ISS/VSS pigtails)
You will need a fancy yoke and conversion U joint if you wish to use stock DS, with a stock rear end, a stock DS length will work. I run a S60 with the DS they supplied for a 60e setup, so thats an easy hurdle. Some of the late 80e cores have special fittings for the cooler lines, older cores use the same fittings as 60e stuff.
The biggest hurdle IMO is the clearance on the tunnel to make the main trans connector fit in the tunnel. I ended up using a hole saw to drill from inside car to the trans. If you can cut/weld, its simple task to cut out and then box a area.
My chassis is a 93, so I am expecting to still run into random issues like with the gauge, so hoping I can just replace with a factory gauge from a newer model to keep everything looking clean.
I'm not worried about clearance the tunnel, and seeing that I was going from a 4L60 non-e (glorified 700r4) I am having all the harnesses parts done new. Pretty much nothing from the stock car is being reused besides the dash/gauges and the already suspended roller so I am trying to order everything right the first time.
Again, thanks for the info
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