Well i promised a few of you guys that i would do a little first drive write up on the 4l60 to 4l80 difference. So here it is:
First off I started with the 5.3 4l60, fun to drive but boring at most times. Then I did the 6.0 4l60 and it was better but still felt sluggish at times, I decided to put in a yank tt3k stall and that woke up the truck. I was running great and well I couldn't get enough so on goes the turbo. Forget everything you have heard, nothing puts a smile on your face like FI. Started at 3.5 psi due to fuel issues and got that worked out and went to 7psi, after 2 weeks of beating on the truck just a few times and never gettting a good race the trans went. There aren't any really good comparisons here to see the difference in the two, as far as driving so I thought i'd share my opinion.

The 4l80 is heavy, if i had to guess prolly 150-200lbs more than the 60. Shift kit from transgo was fairly easy, if you can pull the trans you can install the shift kit. The actual swap on a scale of 1-10 would be 9 for the average joe(welding, cutting and measuring the x member and changing the wiring,tune). For a welder the swap would be a 5 if a segment swap was performed by a tuner.

Driving with the 80 for the first time sucked, it shifted horrible, the truck was sluggish, i really didn't beat on it the first time out cause i wanted to make sure it would be ok to go! I was logging and came back to take a look at the tune, and i realized that the trans settings were stock. So i went in for the night and had nonnie help me with some changes along with justin at blackbear performance.

After the updated tune i got the truck out and made my first real drive. It felt good but not right due to some shift points and things but better than before. I changed those things and the truck is running better. I lost a good bit down low, at a stand still the truck would blow the tires now it slowly takes off but the difference is at 3k rpm. It feels like another 5psi of boost had been added up top. Part throttle shifts are so much better than i could have ever imagined with the 60. WOT shifts are awesome, just a crisp bump and its in gear and keeps pulling with no hesitation. If the rain will quit ill get a comparison in times at the local 500ft drag/driveway. It will give a good indication of how much was lost down low.

Recommendations on the 80. FI motors this is a must. Guys with a big CI motor and nitrous......yes, but a head and cam 6.0 or a 5.3......would probably be interested in staying with a built 60 if reliability is not an issue and you just want to go fast!

Summary:
4l60 sucked a big one and blew
Installed 4l80 got aggrivated
changed tune and got a chubby!

 

I think the 80e weighs 90 lbs more, dry.

 

you are prolly right but that damn thing is heavy! plus i put the deep pan that holds 4 extra qarts and that stock converter and its crazy!

 

I think all these statements of huge power losses, lost low end are exaggerated. I think the biggest problem is the massive 72 lb converter. I have no hesitations about the 80 myselfp

 

So you are running the stock 80e converter? What gears do you have in the rear, 3.73s? How do the rpm's compare to the 60e in lockup cruising on the freeway at 60 or 70?

 

lockup is great its slips in and keeps pulling, with the 3.73's i have noticed about a 100 rpm gain on the high side at 70 but it doesn't feel like the truck works as hard to keep it there( if that makes sense). No Gmctrk the 80 is different on the inside as in its more of a gear driven trans than the 60 also the taller first gear has a bunch to do with parasitic loss as well as the massive converter. A smaller diameter converter would save some weight and rotational mass as well as a higher stall speed to give an illusion to the operator that you are moving faster, well you will be but the first gear is taller so you are still not 100% back to the same as the 4l60.

 

You think going with 4.10's and a lighter weight converter would help with the first gear much? But then you would lose some mpg on the highway

 

Ur losing 75rwhp EASY with this thing...I agree with all ur impressions. I have sloppy shifting too and Justin is in process of having a look. R/

 

I've never regretted my 80e swap. Wish I'd done it first thing. Haven't pulled a 1.6 60ft with the 80e that I could with a 60e. 1.7's is a best with the 80e. The closer ratio between 1/2 of the 80e is a vast improvement over the 60e. Overall I didn't loose a bit doing the 80e swap in 1/4 performance. 60e best 11.71. 80e best 11.68. Don't MPH quite as well with the 80e which is a surprise. What acceleration was lost in some spots were picked up or improved in other areas. Lost some MPG. Once its tuned right it is a much better round town transmission also. The taller first gear and tuning give you great/ smooth 40-45 drop downs that I never got in the 60e. Shift quality with the 80e is vastly improved over the 60e.

Loosing say 75whp compared to swapping transmissions every 6 months is well worth it.

 

This sounds like the way to go for a decently high hp daily driver (I probably won't go much over 500rwhp)

So after you buy the transmission and fab up the crossmember, what's the ballpark for how much all of the other needed swap parts cost?