What do i do about a tranny?
Truck is a heavy 2003 Escalade ESV 6.0 AWD. pulley, intake, E fans, Comp cam 224/230 .581" .591" 114, T-76 front mount turbo, big intercooler. I installed Yank PT3200 Transgo hd-2 shift kit, aluminum forward accumulator piston, aluminum 1-2 accumulator piston, Transgo seperator plate, Corvette 2nd gear servo, Sonnax Billet 4th gear servo, new filter and pan gasket in my tranny about 9 months ago. Installed the turbo about 4-5 months ago.
Went to the track a hand full of times before the turbo and it did great. I have been kinda scared to get it tuned WOT with the turbo cause i thought it would destroy the tranny.
Well the 3-4 clutches are out and so i bought a cheap stock tranny so i can still drive it. So... what do i do so it can handle the power? I don't mind spending the $$$ on it. I just don't want to be pulling trannies every few months. I wanna do it right, do it once.
Honestly i will probably only get on it once a month and maybe hit the track twice a year. I drive it like an 80 year old lady the rest of the time cause the wife is usually with me.
I have obviously been looking at the Performabuilt Level 3 and the FLT Level 7. I like the no core required, $900 better price and twice as long warranty of PB but are the billet shafts in the FLT level 7 a must for me because of my weight? Honestly I'd probably order a converter from PB just to get the two year warranty even though i love my Yank. I complete understand the only 6 month warranty on a race trans but if a company says race this tranny all you want and we'll warranty it for 2 years, holy crap!
I have read gobs and gobs of threads about both companies but haven't found someone racing something as heavy as me so just looking for some opinions.
Would also LOVE to hear if there was someone with a tranny equally as good as the above mentioned sponsors here in the DFW. Hell even better if they could build up my tranny since i already got a couple good parts in it.
A few people have told me to do an 80e swap but i think that might be too involved since i want to keep it AWD and i HATE HATE HATE my truck being down. the almost 2 months it was down for the turbo install was torture on me.
i know my truck is a colossal waste of $$$ but i love it and just don't want it to be down again. I finally want to get it tuned and see how fast it can waddle down the 1/4.
all your input is greatly appreciated.

 

i like the 2 year warranty.... but i really like my 80e.... although i dont know how involved a awd 80e is.. good luck...

 

Since you're local, have you contacted built408?

 

I actually bought my tranny parts from him last year, didn't know he built trannies. Will shoot him a PM.

 

Wasting your time with anything but an 80e in your pig. Its not that big of a deal to convert to AWD, just chop the driveshafts, modify your crossmember, extend one trans line, run an additional speed sensor from teh PCM, do a segment swap in the PCM, and swap the input gear in the tcase. About a days worth of work besides the driveshaft mods.

 

i do have an extra transfer case that came with that tranny i bought.

 

Low mileage 80e with a shift kit will go a LONG ways and the turbo guys seem to love teh 80e too.

 

yeah a 80e and converter from Perfomabuilt would go a really long ways imo

 

Read my Sig
JK..


I agree, do the 80E swap. I have info up in the Transmission section if you need some help PM me. Its really simple..