Gear vendors worth the money

[jsconiers]

Is the gear vendors really worth $2500 when adding to a 4l60E or 4l80E? What are some experiences with it?

[toofun]

For 2500 dollars I would rather invest in a TKO 500 OR 600. Of course you would be spending about a grand more at the most but it is ten times better than a GV Overdrive unit. Just my .02 cents... I really dont think they are worth 2500 dollars!!!

Mark
TOOFUN

[HILROD]

I don't think you'd need one with a trans that already has overdrive. They work well with high horepower. I installed one behind a big block with a turbo 400. The owner loves it.

[hardline_42]

Personally, I would love to have one behind my 4L80E.

You would essentially have 8 gears, and with an aftermarket controller and a twist machine paddle shifter, you can actuate all of them with a flick of the wrist. You get instant, miss-proof, clutchless shifts with a high gear that is, IIRC, less than one tenth deeper than sixth gear on a T56.

Toofun, I'm not really sure how a TKO is ten times better than a GV unit. That would be like arguing that a manual is better than an automatic and we all know they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

If all you want is a higher OD, then a GV unit is a pretty expensive way to go about it, no doubt. However, if you can get use out of it's other potential benefits, $2500 may not be too much to spend.

That being said, whether or not it's worth it is really up to you.

[calforniacuda]

Seems like a good use would be behind a 2 speed power glide or a 3 speed 727 or turbo 400. Bullet proof overdrive for high hp.

[hardline_42]

Seems like a good use would be behind a 2 speed power glide or a 3 speed 727 or turbo 400. Bullet proof overdrive for high hp.
The TH400/GV combo is actually better than the 4L80E as far as power train loss in OD. The OD gear is at the back of the tranny instead of at the front so it doesn't have to turn all of the rotating components, just the driveshaft. Still, being that you can get a built 4L80E for about $2k, if all you want is OD the GV is an expensive option.

[Texas Hotrod]

2K (at least) for a 4L80, add the cost of a tranny computer and the hassle of programming. The TH400/GV combo doesn't look so bad after all.
The only issue that I can see, is if a stall converter (3K rpm) is used w/the GV unit and highway rpm is less than 3K rpm. The converter will generate more heat at low revs (in o/d mode) and might cause tranny issues.
The 4L80 has a lock-up conveter.

[DeltaT]

Programming the 80E, at least using the TCI T-Com, is a cinch and is intuitive to anyone with basic computer skills. Plus the base maps are drivable right from the chute.

I love my 80E and would never go back to a non-computerized setup. I also can't imagine needing gear splitting ala the GV overdrive on the 80E. Maybe it would be great, and I imagine the extra deep OD could be cool if you geared for it, but it is an unnecessary expense, IMHO.

Jim