6l80 in 1969 camaro

[69bluecoupe]

Have a 6l80e that came out of 08 escalade,don't know any thing about this trans ,so is it a keeper or not? For a 1969 camaro,thanks

[Poorhousenext]

Have a 6l80e that came out of 08 escalade,don't know any thing about this trans ,so is it a keeper or not? For a 1969 camaro,thanks

I'm not up on if the 08 Escalade 6L80E has a tail housing that uses slip joint or not, if not that will be a cost problem to convert it for use. You don't say what engine you will be mating it to. For the most part engine needs to LS3, 7, 9 etc 58 reluctor engine. MAST Motorsports has a controller they say will allow the 6L80E to be used with some later model LS2 engines. TCM is internal mounted in trans too.


Here is the best all in one thread I know of for 6L80/90E on internet that is on LS1tech. LS1 forum's automatic section has some good info also. You might want to join so you can search section of forum for more info on 6L.


http://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids/898899-6l80-6l90-into-68-camaro-does-go.html


I have a 6L80E in a 66 Corvette convertilbe. It makes for a nice "Look at me I have a 6 speed auto in my car" to try and be different from others...LOL Car is great for cruising around in, but I'm not about to take it out and flog car, due to it's gearing. You might want to take a good look at that, as well as amount of TQ and HP it can handle. It's a trans that still in the stage of how to make it reliable for motor sports use, Vs daily driving.

Gear ratios. No 1:1 gear, so choose your rear gear carefully. Granny 1st gear, to get weight moving. G8 Pontiac use 3.27 rear gear so it could be competive with G8 with manual top speed an that also allow 6L80e to be 2th of second quicker than manual equip trans G8.

Compared to 4L transmission, it does have the least amount of rpm lost between shifts. 1st to 2nd has the most lost. Need to take a good look at TQ stall you think you may want to use also, it not easy trans to launch with due to it's first gear ratio, believe me.

1st 4.03
2nd 2.36
3rd 1.53
4th 1.15
5th 0.85
6th 0.67

[Steve Chryssos]

It's not the best 6L starting point, but if you got it super cheap then go for it. For a slip yoke tail shaft, you can order the right tailshaft housing and output shaft from a 2wd Silverado and have a trans shop lift out the gear train and do the conversion. There are other options to make Camaro style "prop-shaft" tails work. Price for that conversion around here in FL is $500. Next up you'll want to match it up with a similar vintage ECM. I also recommend having a tuner replace the Escalade calibration with a Vette calibration in order to achieve a true performance scheme along with simplified wiring and true paddle shift capability.

The big rule with the 6L is to get your ducks in a row with a good harness builder / TCM tuner before you get in deep. These are great transmissions with excellent torque capacity and phenomenal shifting schemes. As long as you don't expect it to jump off the floor and install itself, you'll be thrilled.

[69bluecoupe]

I think if I try to put this 6sp auto in,I'm going to speed the amount of money it takes to just buy a 6sp manual

[MarkB]

As Steve mentioned the 6L80E / 6L90E is a great transmission, but it is not a simple installation like most other automatic options. If the tune isn't right it will never live. The six speed manual option probably will be more affordable in the long run. If you need a quote on a complete package, just let us know. We would appreciate an opportunity to quote one for you.


Thanks,

Mark

[69bluecoupe]

Thanks mark I think ,I need that quote.

[Steve Chryssos]

There are plenty of cars running around with functioning 6L swaps. It's really about working with a good harness builder and a good tuner. Best to secure those sources before picking up a 6L trans. For those who want a true 6 speed manumatic with real engine braking and quick shifting, it's worth the effort. There are great harness builders and tuners around the country such as Speartech, EFI Connection, Modern Vintage Systems, Mark Romans and Howell EFI.

Here are some guidelines:
-- You must have an LS engine as of this posting.
-- As Mark Bowler stated, it is best to put a 6L behind a stock or relatively stock engine -- At least for the immediate future.
-- ECM and TCM should be of similar vintage. An 09 TCM, for example, cannot talk to a 2014 ECM.
-- Your DBW throttle is an important part of the equation.
-- Vette TCM tune is yielding the best results. If you have an Escalade or other TCM, overwrite the stock tune with a vette tune and have your harness built to suit the vette scheme.

[1989GTA]

"-- ECM and TCM should be of similar vintage. An 09 TCM, for example, cannot talk to a 2014 ECM.
-- Your DBW throttle is an important part of the equation.
-- Vette TCM tune is yielding the best results. If you have an Escalade or other TCM, overwrite the stock tune with a vette tune and have your harness built to suit the vette scheme."


Ditto to all that. I went with the 2011 Covette tune in both the ECM and TCM.