4l80e help required please

[capssy]

hi guys beginning re assembling my 4l80e and noticed a chip is missing from my rear planetary drum please see picture my question is will this chip compromise the transmission in anyway to me that tooth on the drum serves no purpose there was no metal in the box when i disassembled it only damage i found was the direct clutch was smoked im just after some opinions on what to do i need a trans in the car and being from Australia 4l80 boxes and parts are very hard to find they never came in any cars here so any bits i order from the USA will take me 3 weeks plus to get took me over 2 months to land a core box and rebuild kit here. what do you think gents will it be ok to assemble this is my first 4l80 build

[Craig@Bowler]

That's actually a normal machine mark from when it was balanced. Some of those drums will have multiple lugs that look like that depending on how much material has to be shaved off to get it balanced. You're good to go.

[capssy]

That's actually a normal machine mark from when it was balanced. Some of those drums will have multiple lugs that look like that depending on how much material has to be shaved off to get it balanced. You're good to go.

Thankyou so much i thought this was the case had to confirm.
if you were in australia id buy you a beer thanks mate 👍👍👍👍

[Craig@Bowler]

Thankyou so much i thought this was the case had to confirm.
if you were in australia id buy you a beer thanks mate 👍👍👍👍

No worries. Just happy to be able to help.

[capssy]

No worries. Just happy to be able to help.

Another question mate about 4l80e stalls are they all the same fitting ie can i put a 4.3 v6 4l80 stall into a 6l lq9 4l80 i need to get a convertor and i read the v6 has a higher stall speed stock

[Craig@Bowler]

Another question mate about 4l80e stalls are they all the same fitting ie can i put a 4.3 v6 4l80 stall into a 6l lq9 4l80 i need to get a convertor and i read the v6 has a higher stall speed stock

Torque converter stall needs to be matched to the engine dynamics, vehicle weight, rear gear, and rear tire size for optimal performance. Yes you can put any stall speed you want and it will work, but it probably won't be right. If you have a good converter shop where you're at they should be able to put one together for you really easy, if not I can always make one and send it, but I'm sure the shipping cost will be crazy due to the weight of the converter.

[capssy]

Torque converter stall needs to be matched to the engine dynamics, vehicle weight, rear gear, and rear tire size for optimal performance. Yes you can put any stall speed you want and it will work, but it probably won't be right. If you have a good converter shop where you're at they should be able to put one together for you really easy, if not I can always make one and send it, but I'm sure the shipping cost will be crazy due to the weight of the converter.

Thats a good point but i need a convertor to get me going i figured my car (holden ute) probably weighs half a 4.3 truck but im making double the torque out put (ls1 with lsa blower) so the 4.3 convertor will be in the ball park i think

[Craig@Bowler]

Here is some additional info that may help you as well. The other thing that isn't mentioned here is that if you take a converter matched to the power band of one engine and put it behind an engine that builds power differently the stall speed will change.

Borrowed from protorque.com

What is a performance converter?

A regular torque converter is designed for stock engines. A performance torque converter is designed to allow a vehicle to perform beyond the vehicles stock settings.
a) The torque converter is strengthened to handle additional power.
b) The characteristics of the torque converter are altered in order to transfer additional power.
c) The stall is adjusted to more closely match the power curve of a higher performance engine.


What is stall speed and how do I determine what stall I have now?

Stall speed is a term used to describe the rpm at which the torque converter transfers the power from the engine to the transmission. There are different ways to test stall speed. "Foot brake stall" is when you press the brake pedal and then press the gas pedal. When the engine rpm doesn't go any higher or the tires start to spin that is "brake stall". (DO NOT TRY THIS! THIS MEASUREMENT IS MEANINGLESS AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO YOU, THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER!) "Flash stall" is when you, from a dead stop, press the gas pedal to wide open throttle (wot). Watch your tach needle, you will see the needle jump to a certain rpm, that is "flash stall". A drag racing-style trans brake will give you closer to the true stall speed of a torque converter.

How do I determine the best converter for my vehicle?

This can sometimes be a difficult question to give a general answer to. In many cases performance and drivability are somewhat of a trade off. However with a properly matched torque converter and turbo system you can easily achieve the best of both worlds.

Because stall speed is dependent on input torque, in a light throttle situation the turbos don't build a tremendous amount of boost. Therefore the stall speed is really nice and very drivable. In full throttle situations, if the turbo and torque converter are matched properly you will transfer the power at the optimal rpm and boost levels .... and FRY the tires!

Generally, with a higher stall speed you loose some of the drivability that you would have with a lower stall speed. The goal is to get a torque converter that will increase performance without sacrificing drivability. The most important thing to keep in mind, when selecting a torque converter, is that you want to match stall speed to the engine's power band. Many turbo companies will do testing to find out what is the optimum converter for their packages.

As a general rule of thumb ... when the turbo just starts to build boost is really what should determine what stall speed that you will need. The converter needs to have a high enough stall to enable the turbo to spool. As the turbo spools, it will build boost and more power. This added power will increase the stall speed and continue the spooling process. It is not uncommon for a turbo to pull the stall speed of the converter up an additional 500 rpm. If the converter is sized properly with a turbo application, you will get the best of both worlds; a low stall speed for good drivability in off-boost conditions as well as a higher stall under boosted conditions that will give you great performance. With a properly sized converter combined with a turbocharger, it is possible to have your cake and eat it too.

How is the torque converter going to effect the performance of your engine package?

More than likely you have spent an enormous effort making the most amount of power. The torque converter is charged with the job of transferring that power. If you are using inferior OE torque converters with your performance package you are, in essence, wasting that power. A torque converter designed to work in tandem with the engine will put the power back where it belongs - to the wheel.

Why bother with a product that is usually considered an integral part of the drive train not the engine package?

No other component effects the way a motor / vehicle combination makes power like the torque converter. Like every other part of an engine combination the torque converter needs to match the engine curve

What are the important factors that affect Stall Speed?

Vehicle Weight
Vane / Fin Angle
Horsepower
Impeller to Turbine Clearance
Powerband / CamShaft
Stator Design
Input Torque
Converter Diameter
Gear Ratio

[Motown 454]

Craig thanks for the informative answer.