I have been talking to a trans. shop about beefing up my 4L60E? (2002 Tahoe 4X2). I am installing a Radix next week, hopefully. I have a cat back exhaust and a Westers tune and another Westers tune sitting on top of the Radix in the garage, waiting for the 3.4" pulley and a gasket to come in from Magnacharger. I was worried about tearing up the tranny so the shop suggested a trans-go shift kit. First of all, do I really need it? If yes, any suggestions on other mode to the tranny to make it hold up better? I've head of servo upgrades and acc pistons and oversized boost valves etc.., this is all greek to me. This is a daily driver that I like to stomp on from time to time, no towing, and I haven't made it to a track yet but that is planned in the future, just for fun. The Tahoe has 65K on it so I figured I better give the tranny some help before I destroy it with the added HP/TQ. Thoughts?
Chris
P.S. I wasn't sure if this was the correct forum since it is a trans question but it is linked to a Radix install, please forgive the new guy if I messed up.

 

A trans-go shift kit will prolong the life of a tranny somewhat, however, running a radix on a Tahoe with 65K miles, the tranny will probably start giving out as soon as you start giving it some spirited driving. If you want to beef up an already stock 4l60e without tearing it open and replacing clutches , gears, etc. You can try the trans-go hd kit, get a large tranny cooler, replace the plastic acc piston with a metal one, and you can throw in some vette or billet servos. Then again, dont be suprised if the tranny still gives out after a few thousand miles. However, a few 4l60e have lasted a while with extended abuse and mileage (note: a few). You can always opt to replace your stock one with a built 4l60e or even better drop in a 4l80e.

 

Any idea what a built 60 or a 80 would cost? I don't want to invest $450 in a kit and install, and service the trans, just to replace it in a few months. I'd rather put the $ toward a new/better tranny. Where do I begin to look for one? Is there a tranny shop that does this type of thing and ships in the U.S.?

 

A built 4L65e from Jag performance or FLP will run ya about 3 grand.

 

I just spend 4 grand on a biuld 4l80e and everything else that is needed to convert. mine over. Spped Engineering is whare I got mine. You could get a 4l80e cheaper if you go to a junk yard for the trans.

 

Will a 4l80e bolt right up where the 60 was or does it require mods? Is the 4l80 just a heavier duty version of the 60?

 

I'd go with the built 4L65E and a YankTT3000,make sure it's from a reputable builder and it has vacuum controlled line pressures with a check valve to protect it from boost.My Tahoe was breaking 4L60E transmissions on a regular basis,so I went with a 4L80E which was a real pain in the A$$ with no conversion parts available at the time.The 4L80E conversion is easier now with the availability conversion kits,but unless you are planning to go totally overboard with your mods,the 4L65E is a lot easier to live with as it is a straight swap using the same converter and programing as your stock 4L60E.

 

With the weight of the tahoe and the low end torque of a radix I'd suggest going straight for the 80. I have blown up way too many 4l60e and wish I would of done that the first time around.

 

The 4l80e is what came in 2500 and 3500 HD chevys. I will be installing mine this week I hope, so I don't know how hard it will be but if you do go with a 80 I know you will need.

4L80e trans
New cross member and mount
80e dip stick tube
flexplate spacer
ECM update
The 80e output shaft to be machined down the fit your transfercase or a new transfercase input shaft gear.
New shorter rear drive shaft
New longer front drive shaft * drive shafts should be replaced anyway IMHO.*
80e wiring harness
80e converter cover
And you might need to make your trans. cooler lines longer
A stall converter, if you want one

The list is long but when you are done You should never have to deal with any trans problems again.

 

Sounds like a lot of time & $$ to swap to the 80.

1) What does the 65E bring to the table that the 60E doesn't?
2) Is the 65E a middle ground between the 60 and 80?

I don't plan on putting much more into this pig after the radix. I have a Westers tune, cat back exhaust, a crappy intake that I plan to replace with a K&N or equivilent and that's it for performance mods. I just want to have a tranny that will hold up to 400 hp/400 lb ft. I'm not too sure about replacing the factory TC yet either, maybe a heavy duty one but I don't really have a need for a high stall, mostly a daily driver...ideas?