I was just reading a thread with a lot of dialog about the A4 breaking and having problems after being slightly abused (downshifting manually and such on the roll w/2.73) I just recently had a 3.42 installed. Since then I do not shift the car manually (dont feel a need to). Anybody that has done this mod please chime in on how your tranny has held up. I dont race but I do get on it from a roll pretty often.

 

Checkout my sig, running about 487 rwhp and track my A4, drag occaisionally. The stock tranny will go eventually if you hit it hard enough and especially if you ever get drag radials. If you're just messing around on the street I'd probably wait and see if it breaks
As far as downshifting the only gears I use on the streeet are "D" and "3". 3 is good if you don't want to get into overdrive (and have no torque unless you really stomp on it). Just make sure that you're not going too fast when you downshift. Since I was dragging my car I opted for the FLP level 4 tranny with 3.42's and a 2800 stall vigilante converter also have a deep tranny pan with fins and a cooler (helps on road courses). this combo has been trouble free

 

I switched to 3:42's last year and have not had any problems.
It seems that most of the problems occur when the torque converter has been swapped out to a bigger converter without also installing a larger aftermarket transmission cooler.
This is due to the increased slippage and subsequent increase in heat; whereas heat is the no.1 cause of transmission failures.
The 4L60E also will not hold up very well once you have increased your rearwheel horsepower output beyond 400. These transmissions have a maximum factory rating of 360 lb.ft. of torque.
If you plan on doing major mods to your Vette, you can upgrade to an FLP transmission, or swap over to a 4L65E transmission which is rated at 390 lb.ft. of torque.
You did not mention if you also upgraded your TC; if you did, I would install a transmission cooler right away!

 

"If you plan on doing major mods to your Vette, you can upgrade to an FLP transmission, or swap over to a 4L65E transmission which is rated at 390 lb.ft. of torque"

The new C6 tranny is rated at 690 ft-lbs not 390 according to Breathless Performance. Ernie has a nitrous A4 running low 11's dynos in the high 400's on the bottle.

 

The new C6 tranny is rated at 690 ft-lbs not 390 according to Breathless Performance. Ernie has a nitrous A4 running low 11's dynos in the high 400's on the bottle.[/QUOTE]

This discussion is on A4's not the new Z06 MN6!

 

The two biggest killers or the 4L60E seem to be getting to a RWHP point of 400 and above and aftermarket high stall converters without transmission coolers.

What you will find if you ask around is that the heads and cam , nitrous and FI folks usually end up with transmission problems sooner or later if they are running the stock 4L60E transmission. The same happens with the high stall 3500 and up folks.

These people are probably not going to get more than 50-60K additional miles out of their stock transmissions after such modifications and thats being mighty generous. They'll probably get considerably less.

I had a friend go heads and cam about a year after he had 3.42s and a Yank SS3600 installed. Less than a month after the heads and cam his stock transmission was dead.

He killed it demonstrating the new heads and cam package to me on the street on a Saturday. That following Monday he was calling FLP. It was that quick. You will find similar stories from the supercharger crowd.

I have a 2400 stall with a cooler. I hardly expect to get more than 50-60K total out of my transmission.

Drag radials seem to play less of a role and tend to break things like output shafts and differential cases during hard launches at the track and such.

You should be OK with just the gears.

 

I've had a SY3500+3.73s for nearly three years now. No tranny cooler here, just fan control through programming. Cooling, however you get it done, is what's required. Thinking it wouldn't take too long, I was going to wait for the tranny to go before doing any significant engine work. I've given up on that plan.

 

If you looking for a good Tranny, Have Crashed94 built you up an Level A4, his Name is Rodney and phone number is 765-524-5341. He built my Tranny and my car has 625 RWHP........Best Price in USA by a bunch. I shopped for a good Tranny Buildcer for about 2 months and I was recommended by many on the forum to him.

 

and a little-bit to do with eliminating torque management as well.

 

I had TM deleted and made over 130 track passes with a stock transmission and had two different TC installed; first a 3200 then a 3800. Of course I installed a cooler, but still all of those passes with zero failure. I don't manually shift it. I just think it's hit or miss with these trannies.

 

No problems with the bolt-ons w/TC and 3.42s for about 12 months. After going heads/cam the tranny went too. It can't handle the additional power. I think bolt-ons the longevitiy will vary but is generally good - with heads/cam it is more a matter of time - not if but when it will go.

 

A shift kit and proper software calibration will make the A4 reliable under 400 RWHP. Change the fluid every 10k miles or less to keep it clean. Also a tranny cooler or big radiator will extend life.