6l80
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 456
Likes: 81
From: columbus ohio
6l80
how tough is the a6 trany?
can you get 100,000 + before rebuild?
I know if you beat the crap out of any car they break sooner.
car will be driven with some care, not to many wot.
also is there a safety to keep you from going to a lower gear when your going to fast for that gear?
and yes I did a search.
can you get 100,000 + before rebuild?
I know if you beat the crap out of any car they break sooner.
car will be driven with some care, not to many wot.
also is there a safety to keep you from going to a lower gear when your going to fast for that gear?
and yes I did a search.
Pro
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 611
Likes: 3
From: Milwaukee WI
St. Jude Donor '13
6l80
There's plenty of folks over 100k on a 6l80e. My old ls1 z28 I sold to my nephew had 160000 miles on the 4l60e with several yrs of track passes still running fine. With the 4l60e you wanted to limit the times you went wot at free way speeds since the kickdown downshift while in od was kind of harsh on the internals, especially the 2 gear downshift. If you want to hammer on it from freeway speeds with your c6 it's best to paddle shift down to the optimal gear and manually paddle up shift. I have 89000mi on my heads/cam/fast102 stall converter 06. It goes to the dragstrip at least 2-3 times a year.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,104
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Part of how long the A6 will last is related to the power level and degree of use of that power. The other major factor is how hot it has been run.
As you approach the 550-600rwhp range the survival rate starts to drop quickly, assuming you use the power often. If the only reason you built 600hp is for the dashboard car show dyno sheet, then the trans will last a long time.
If you have a high stall converter and don't pay attention to the fluid temps to avoid constant 200+, a rebuild will come quickly.
I currently have 125K miles on my OEM A6 with only a couple fluid and filter changes. I have over 400 passes down the 1/4 mi strip and untold numbers of WOT occasions through a couple gears elsewhere. The mods are limited to bolt-ons, of which higher stall converters (3200, 3600, 4000) have been used for the last 70K miles. And yes, my expectations have been exceeded. YMMV
As you approach the 550-600rwhp range the survival rate starts to drop quickly, assuming you use the power often. If the only reason you built 600hp is for the dashboard car show dyno sheet, then the trans will last a long time.
If you have a high stall converter and don't pay attention to the fluid temps to avoid constant 200+, a rebuild will come quickly.
I currently have 125K miles on my OEM A6 with only a couple fluid and filter changes. I have over 400 passes down the 1/4 mi strip and untold numbers of WOT occasions through a couple gears elsewhere. The mods are limited to bolt-ons, of which higher stall converters (3200, 3600, 4000) have been used for the last 70K miles. And yes, my expectations have been exceeded. YMMV
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,104
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
I'm sure that Christopher (subfloor) has more passes and at a much higher power level. However, due to the stresses and subsequent failures, his car has been one of the leading testbeds for development of stronger components. Without his input and close association with Century Transmission, we wouldn't have progressed to where we are today. His experience is the reason I chose to stay at bolt-on power levels and with a 2.56 rear gear.
Pro
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 611
Likes: 3
From: Milwaukee WI
St. Jude Donor '13
6l80
When you're running 10's bolt on only why even bother with internal mods?
it's crazy how well your car, ls1lt1 and dennis50j cars run the 1/4.
When my 6l80 does finally go, century will definitely be the shop to do the upgrades.
it's crazy how well your car, ls1lt1 and dennis50j cars run the 1/4.When my 6l80 does finally go, century will definitely be the shop to do the upgrades.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 846
Likes: 105
From: Knoxville TN
Mine didn't make 100k.
But I believe the tune has a whole lot to do with it... Bought my car with 90k, bone stock (so I was told), drove and shifted great. Put vararm/headers/tune in it and trans went south immediately. BUT, the car had a messed up trans only tune in it for who knows how long. Guy that tuned the car, tuned the engine and turned off the torque management in trans tune and it wouldn't shift out of 1st at even 1/4 throttle. He added TM back to it and it still would shift anything over half throttle..
Needless to say, I am in process of swapping new trans in along with yank, cooler and torque tube rebuild.
But I believe the tune has a whole lot to do with it... Bought my car with 90k, bone stock (so I was told), drove and shifted great. Put vararm/headers/tune in it and trans went south immediately. BUT, the car had a messed up trans only tune in it for who knows how long. Guy that tuned the car, tuned the engine and turned off the torque management in trans tune and it wouldn't shift out of 1st at even 1/4 throttle. He added TM back to it and it still would shift anything over half throttle..
Needless to say, I am in process of swapping new trans in along with yank, cooler and torque tube rebuild.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 16,557
Likes: 2,104
From: Peoria/Phoenix AZ
C6 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Mine didn't make 100k.
But I believe the tune has a whole lot to do with it... Bought my car with 90k, bone stock (so I was told), drove and shifted great. Put vararm/headers/tune in it and trans went south immediately. BUT, the car had a messed up trans only tune in it for who knows how long. Guy that tuned the car, tuned the engine and turned off the torque management in trans tune and it wouldn't shift out of 1st at even 1/4 throttle. He added TM back to it and it still would shift anything over half throttle..
Needless to say, I am in process of swapping new trans in along with yank, cooler and torque tube rebuild.
But I believe the tune has a whole lot to do with it... Bought my car with 90k, bone stock (so I was told), drove and shifted great. Put vararm/headers/tune in it and trans went south immediately. BUT, the car had a messed up trans only tune in it for who knows how long. Guy that tuned the car, tuned the engine and turned off the torque management in trans tune and it wouldn't shift out of 1st at even 1/4 throttle. He added TM back to it and it still would shift anything over half throttle..
Needless to say, I am in process of swapping new trans in along with yank, cooler and torque tube rebuild.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every Model vs Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)
Joe Kucinski
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!
Brett Foote
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)
Joe Kucinski
Grand Sport & Grand Sport X Launch Alongside All-New 535hp LS6 V8!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Reasons Bad Drivers Crash & 5 Ways to Avoid a Costly Mistake!
Joe Kucinski
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,444
Likes: 324
From: Houston TX
I am at 115k miles on a 100% stock car ('07). I bought it brand new. Done the filter/fluid change at the dealer around 70k miles. The transmission runs consistently warmer (about 10 to 15 degrees) now than it used to, but otherwise I've had no real problems. Every now and then I think I may notice a flare, but that has been maybe 10 times over the last 115k miles. The car has never been to track, has never really been beat on, and has mostly highway miles.