Having to rebuild my 4l60e on my 94 TA. What if any mods need done/corrected on the early valve body? Was rebuilt by previous owner at a shop 2 years ago. I am going to go through whole thing. The valve body and pump are the two parts I can't find much info on other that being a non PWM pump. 1995 and newer are covered everywhere. May post a separate post on whats current recomendation on clutch plates for this transmission alto, raybestos, bw, etc. Thank you all i'm new to forum and the 4th gen F body.

 

the 94 Bodies mods are pretty much the same as the other years, bore plugs, end caps, etc I think this thread will cover pretty much anything you need, The only solid is you must use a 93-94 compatible plate if replacing ,
if you choose to do the 2-3 valve cut spring mod if you have a lathe a later stock valve is much easier to cut than the 94 steel but depends on your lathe and not much to do with the Converter regulator valve as its not pulsed like the 95 up so not prone to wear, I would at least replace the end caps on it and the 4-3 valve with new or better cringed. Normally I would suggest testing the AFL but it unlikely you have that capability so as long as it does not look like a presure issue such as the band and 3-4 both badly burned I would not be to concerned. 94 VB reman probably hard to come by though you can modify later bodies to work if needed.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/automatic...-everyone.html

 

Thank you for the reply. I will have to get the valve body off cleaned up and all apart to inspect what im dealing with. I bought a spare 1994 4l60e that im doing this work to as the original trans in the car is stuck in gear from P R N D 3 2 1 upon start up. Bought as a project. The builder trans was driving from what i was told then went all neutral. Its also a 4wd so switching over to 2wd with output shaft conversion. Do you know if the sonnax vb kit will work for valves or is it really 1995 up specific as stated? Also some folk dont like the TG brand of vb kit but not sure why. Once again thanks for your response.

 

There's a lot of great information in these threads:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/automatic...2-3-shift.html
https://ls1tech.com/forums/automatic...des-4l60e.html

Also, not to step on Frank's toes, but since you will have the valve body out anyway, I'd go ahead and replace the AFL valve with one from Central Valvebodies.

It's a cheap, easy mod.

For clutch plates, you can't go wrong with Borg Warner High Energy.

A lot of people don't like the Transgo valve body kit because it comes with a lot of stuff you really don't need.

Read those threads, and let us know if you have any more questions.

 

Thank you dixiebandit69 I read over the treads and quickly realized making changes to the valve body may have to wait till I learn more of how it functions. I believe the previous posts mentioned blocking PWM function which mine doesn't have or so i thought. My vb is a 1994 style pre PWM but the thread links were for much newer VB's. I am trying to learn as i am very hands on.

 

your valve body has a pwm 3-2 valve. it has the non-pwm TCC valve, which is good as it is recommended to make these an on-off arrangement.

 

Yes with the 94 you would just skip the PWM stuff other than the end cap for TCC . But in a rebuild addressing the VB leaks is imperative and cannot be skipped over

 

I was actually Unaware of the central VB AFL valve I will have to get and look over one , The reason I tend to gloss over the AFL when advising novices or suggest a valve body instead is the tooling for the sonnax is cost prohibitive to do a single job.
In his case I did not suggest a reman VB as I have found the 03 and 04 are not generally readily available, So in cases when I just had to have another VB I have ended up modding mater styles to work.
Good info on the central valve ill check it out myself as the sonnax reamer and such is kinda pain in the butt.

 

I do plan to go over the VB and will be checking all these responses again and again. My VB is a 94 not the newer LS transmission. I have the one piece trans. with the attatched belhousing for the LT1 motor. Where is the best place to get valves and caps/block offs for this VB? Springs etc?

 

An agreed on the Transgo kit as its needlessly complicated for a novice and honestly the instructions are not as clear as they should be IMO, I have helped a number of people who ran into issues after installing due to what really came down to wording in the instructions and they do have a lot of IMO less necessary things in them and more complicated ways to do things that can be done a much simpler way like the 1st gear manual hold that can be done in the tune in just a second 96 up.
Of note the first time i ever did the manual hold hydraulically the TG kit did not yet exist, I did it with a tube connecting manual low oil in it to the 1-2 solenoid with a one-way check valve in it so it could flood the solenoid and keep the valve stroked as long as in manual low lol / Just a useless comment and no toe stepping here I love when others chime in and of late the forum has been so quiet it has been like a frank forum and makes me feel kinda bad actually.

 

If you are talking my thread the springs are all from a harbor freight spring kit, The end plugs
Bore plugs
Central valve body AFL VALVE https://globaltransmissionparts.com/...xoC_wYQAvD_BwE

 

Well harbor freight always a surprise. As an add in to the vb would using alto plates with this transmission be ok, knowing its, only to get it going and not the long term transmission it will get? The kit im looking at only offers alto no BW option.

 

Everyone has preferences but as I have said many times the hydraulics are what really matter over the clutch material or brand. I do like the carbon based frictions for the 3-4 set and I have used the altos many many times over the years even in 800 plus HP applications with no issues,

Here is the truth as I see it. I would trust a trans with the cheapest frictions and steels available with the hydraulics properly addressed over the most expensive made without the hydraulics and leaks attended to.

The type and brand of clutches or steels is rarely if ever the cause of a failure. Though some can handle the issues longer before failing.

 

Nicely said. Fits with the VB mods of the thread. What about the Pump? Any changes being a non PWM pump with that function as was relayed is in the VB for this early transmission.

 

Mods you would do with the pump would not change with it being PWM OR NOT . And the only issue to deal with as far as the converter regulator valve is the end cap in 93 and 94 as they erode all years and leak badly.

 

Frank if my memory serves me the Central Valve Body AFL valve is .001 to .0015 larger than the stock valve. Dixiebandit69 may be able to correct me if I am wrong.

 

For Sonnax parts I check the prices between Rock Auto, Summit Racing and WIT, (Whatever It Takes). Most of the time they are close to the same in pricing, but if ordering enough Summit has free shipping and I don't think I need to tell anyone how out of hand shipping rates have gotten. Go to Sonnax's website get the part number and then search that part number for the best price.

 

I have no problem using Alto frictions in stockish hp builds. I would even use them in higher hp builds in static clutch packs, just not in the 3-4 pack.

 

Their website says that they are "gently oversized." I've never measured them, but I'd guess they're about .0005" larger.

All I know is that I use them every time I have one of these units opened up, and they vacuum check at 20+ in/hg every time. $25 well spent, if you ask me.

 

Gonna add another layer to this thread, altho i am loving everything I am learning so far. The transmission currently in the car will start and run but acts like its loaded in park wanting to move forward. Will drive in (D) and all other gears but never comes out of first. I bought the car this way hoping to repair with transmission this thread is discussing. Is there another thread on the forum, that discusses this symptom of a failed transmission, or are there possible solutions or repairs that could be made without dropping the transmission to aleviate the issue? Second piece if no hope without a full rebuild what section of the transmission should i expect to find failure? This is not the transmission i am rebuilding and doing VB and pump improvements on at this time. If it needs to be another separate post I can do that.