4L60E Tranny Life
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Belleair FL
4L60E Tranny Life
Just wanted to get some responses from you all on your experiences..
The other night I finally fixed my elusive vibration problem..... Turned out to be a warped rotor (didnt suspect it cause it was turned only 4K earlier so I eliminated from the line up... they must have had it in the jig cocked).
Anyways, in celebration of vibration free speeds above 75mph I decided to do a couple runs. Second time into it on the 2/3 shift, major mush. RPMs didnt come down much as the tranny slipped and slipped some more. It tried to catch gear but I didnt lay off of it... I am pretty certain I went thru the clutch packs.. 1st and 2nd still there so I was able to limp home...
Brass Tacks: The transmission has 72.5 Kmi on it. I am turning 410 HP at the crank but am a relatively easy driver and have only had this kind of HP for the past 15Kmi. I havent done hundreds of WOT runs on the tranny, but definitely not prissy with it (its built to be driven, right?). Is this premature failure, or what to expect from a stock 4L60E???
Also any recommedations on upgrades to this tranny as it gets rebuilt???
The other night I finally fixed my elusive vibration problem..... Turned out to be a warped rotor (didnt suspect it cause it was turned only 4K earlier so I eliminated from the line up... they must have had it in the jig cocked).
Anyways, in celebration of vibration free speeds above 75mph I decided to do a couple runs. Second time into it on the 2/3 shift, major mush. RPMs didnt come down much as the tranny slipped and slipped some more. It tried to catch gear but I didnt lay off of it... I am pretty certain I went thru the clutch packs.. 1st and 2nd still there so I was able to limp home...
Brass Tacks: The transmission has 72.5 Kmi on it. I am turning 410 HP at the crank but am a relatively easy driver and have only had this kind of HP for the past 15Kmi. I havent done hundreds of WOT runs on the tranny, but definitely not prissy with it (its built to be driven, right?). Is this premature failure, or what to expect from a stock 4L60E???
Also any recommedations on upgrades to this tranny as it gets rebuilt???
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 32,782
Likes: 11
From: Former NCM Drag Racing coordinator, National director Corvette Challenge Spring Hill, Tennessee: Whiting, New Jersey
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: 4L60E Tranny Life (Stratocaster)
My stock (I don't even have a shift kit) 4L60E is just starting to slip between shift but I've got over 700 1/4 mile passes and 96,000 road miles on it. So If it give up now, It doesn't owe me a thing.
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 32,782
Likes: 11
From: Former NCM Drag Racing coordinator, National director Corvette Challenge Spring Hill, Tennessee: Whiting, New Jersey
Cruise-In VI Veteran
Cruise-In VII Veteran
Re: 4L60E Tranny Life (JD 90 383)
S E V E N- H U N D R E D PASSES!! My God!!! :eek:
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,767
Likes: 5
From: Jacksonville Fl
Re: 4L60E Tranny Life (mackeyred96)
The 700R4 seems to have longevity issues with anything over 400 HP. Then again, so does everything else.
Slipping clutches can sometimes be remedied with TV cable adjusting, but 9 times out of 10, you noticed it slippiong too late to save it.
I would save up for a rebuild...and do some research on who you can trust to rebuild it.
Slipping clutches can sometimes be remedied with TV cable adjusting, but 9 times out of 10, you noticed it slippiong too late to save it.
I would save up for a rebuild...and do some research on who you can trust to rebuild it.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,620
Likes: 2
From: Hillsboro OR
Re: 4L60E Tranny Life (Stratocaster)
The other night I finally fixed my elusive vibration problem..... Turned out to be a warped rotor (didnt suspect it cause it was turned only 4K earlier so I eliminated from the line up... they must have had it in the jig cocked).
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 22,267
Likes: 3
From: Dallas TX
Re: 4L60E Tranny Life (BBA)
Slipping clutches can sometimes be remedied with TV cable adjusting, but 9 times out of 10, you noticed it slippiong too late to save it.
I think i've got 133k miles on my tranny. I don't know much of the past history of my car, but I was told by the original owner as far as he new it was original.
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Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Belleair FL
Re: 4L60E Tranny Life (Glock'94)
Thanks for your replies everyone.....
After more research I have the following article to post.... http://www.levelten.com/pdf/hi_tech.pdf
Some good info in that article.... describes exactly what I thought that I had done to the tranny.
The longevity issue I am rationalizing this way. Many note that cars running longer gears with high output engines experience more frequent yoke and U joint failures than cars with shorter gears. This due to components taking on more stress since it isnt being applied as readily to the pavement as would with say 3.73s or 4.10s... In my case I am running 3.07s. I am guessing that this long gear arrangement was the culprit causing the stock tranny to eventually give way...
I may be on the low side of how long I'd expect the tranny to last, but cant say that it was under "typical" operating conditions the factory planned on... Articles written by the biggies like Art Carr et al are sharply critical of the OEM 700R4/4L60E and have identified and created fixes for the short comings.
But sometimes tragedy turns into opportunity. Vigilante and finally the install of the Transgo that I have been procrastinating can occur.
After more research I have the following article to post.... http://www.levelten.com/pdf/hi_tech.pdf
Some good info in that article.... describes exactly what I thought that I had done to the tranny.
The longevity issue I am rationalizing this way. Many note that cars running longer gears with high output engines experience more frequent yoke and U joint failures than cars with shorter gears. This due to components taking on more stress since it isnt being applied as readily to the pavement as would with say 3.73s or 4.10s... In my case I am running 3.07s. I am guessing that this long gear arrangement was the culprit causing the stock tranny to eventually give way...
I may be on the low side of how long I'd expect the tranny to last, but cant say that it was under "typical" operating conditions the factory planned on... Articles written by the biggies like Art Carr et al are sharply critical of the OEM 700R4/4L60E and have identified and created fixes for the short comings.
But sometimes tragedy turns into opportunity. Vigilante and finally the install of the Transgo that I have been procrastinating can occur.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Belleair FL
Re: 4L60E Tranny Life (Glock'94)
Glock94, sorry.. You are seeing what I am....
Also, another good piece of reference material on 700R4/4L60E is at....
http://home.twcny.rr.com/mcss/drivetrain.html
Also, another good piece of reference material on 700R4/4L60E is at....
http://home.twcny.rr.com/mcss/drivetrain.html
