4L80e and paddle shifter

[540' chevelle]

Well I finally made up my mind and went with the 4l80e.
Traded my old m22 and some cash for a TCI street fighter, 2500 stall converter, wiring harness with TCI controller.
the car is at the tranny shop getting it installed.

Now I'm thinking paddle shifter, from reading Twist Machine site all I need now is the paddle shifter.
Who has done it that can shed some light on the install.
I have a grant steering wheel so the universal unit right? is running the wiring down the column hard?
Any other info is appreciated.

[neki67]

There is no wiring down the column. The paddle shifter sends a signal to a receiver that's connected to the TCI controller. The receiver already has the right connector, so it's plug and play.

I'm sure Steve will jump in to answer your question concerning the steering wheel adapter.

[Steve Chryssos]

Hi,
You'll need a 10043 splined paddle shifter to match your column and a 10085 adapter for your steering wheel. The Shrifter installs onto your column wirelessly. Then connect the wireless receiver to a switched 12v source and plug it into your trans controller. That's it. We include lifetime tech support. Don't hesitate to call or email with questions. We just set up secure online ordering.
Thanks for choosing our products.
/Steve

[Fesler built]

I am doing two different systems right now and if you would like to know my thoughts you can contact me tomorrow. to much to type here but might be some good info for you.

[Steve Chryssos]

Better to post your knowledge and experience here, so that the entire community can benefit.

[540' chevelle]

After a couple of weeks dealing with this trans install and getting a run around from everybody on the kind of yolk that I needed with a machined area inside the shaft becouse there is a o-ring in there. I Finally get to the wiring and the used harness is trashed OK let me call TCI and order a new one not that I thought that they would help becouse when I called them on the yolk issue they told me that they do not rebuilt transmission like the one I was describing. After looking into it the guy on the phone says yes we do rebuilt some like that. Cool were do I get the yolk? He said "I DON'T KNOW" junk yard. Nice

Bought a new drive shaft and had the yolk machined.

Ok back on the phone with TCI need a 4l80e harness for you controller please. They said sorry they do not make it any more we have a new controller and we do not make a harness for the one you have. Well at least they knew this time that they could not help. How about a wiring diagram? I will make a new harness my self. Well look at your disk, I did and its a floppie drive don't have one of those any more, well the guy a TCI set me a zip drive that I got to look throught it to hopefully find what I need.

If anybody has a wiring diagram or a harness for this controller that they want to sell please call e-mail me I'm need it badly.Its a 377001
[email protected]

I called Twist Machine and they confirmed that the harnesses are not available they were more help full I asked if there was a new style harness that I can buy and adapt to my pluggs on the controller and am supposed to call them tomorrow to see if that is possible.

Man all I want is an Overdrive not an ulcer. Just writing this is making me dizzy. HaHHAHAHA Some day paddle shifter and overdrive.

Hope the controller works. Man now I will not sleep tonight. HAHAHAH

Will let you know how all this turns out. Overdrive or me in hospital.

[Steve Chryssos]

Hi,
That must be a really old unit if it came with a floppy disk. Go the the url below and download the link to the left. It's the one under the picture of the silver case with the yellow sticker.

http://www.tciauto.com/Products/Elec..._VS_377500.asp

[MarkB]

I hate to see that you had such a problem finding a yoke. Many people do, however we keep the machined slip yokes ready to ship at all times. All of our 4L80-E packages come with one, to save everyone the headache. The problem is most 4L80-E transmissions had a bolt on style yoke and the o-ring was there to help seal fluid from leaking around the bolt, the slip yoke style did not have an o-ring on the shaft. I checked our old stock and we do not have any of the old style harnesses laying around sorry. Keep us in mind if you run across any other issues or problems, even if it isn't our transmission we will help ensure you get up and running. It will be worth the battle once you get to drive your car with the 4L80-E.

Thanks,
Mark
Bowler Performance Transmissions
www.bowlertransmissions.com

[MarkB]

Just a note for caution! Anyone installing a 1996 and newer 4L80-E Transmission with the rear cooler line fitting. Do not replace this fitting with a standard fitting. You will notice a small tube going into the case, this is a lube tube. Without it you will have no lube and burn up the planets. We have seen this many times here recently. Just want to save someone the headache and expense. If you need a standard 5/16 inverted flare fitting for that location in place of the push in style line just let us know. We have them available.

Mark
Bowler Performance Transmissions
www.bowlertransmissions.com

[tellyv]

how much do these paddle shifters cost and what will they work with?

[Fesler built]

This is what we are using, I do not have to have a shifter in the car at all, the paddle will do all the shifting up and down no shift lever needed. Makes a very cool look and everyone ask how I shift the Blazer

[540' chevelle]

Well after all the problems finding the old style harness I tried to order a new controller and harness. guess what TCI does not have a new style harness either so my parts guy at Murray's said hey let order a FAST controller and after looking at their web site it talked about the controler and how easy is the new harness and he tried to ask the tech help if that part number came with the harness they of courses did not know, the order line people did not know either so in need to get my car out of the trans shop we ordered it for Saturday delivery guess what NO HARNESS man what is wrong with this industry? Do they not know that with no harness you can't install this controller. Now Monday again we are on the phone trying to find this stupid harness for this new controller.
No harness for the old and no harness for the new.
Sound like they are not selling to many of these controllers. What a joke. Should of maybe went with a gear venders and my t400.

[Steve Chryssos]

First:
For anyone looking in on this thread--now or in the future--let me make it clear that 540 bought a USED controller along with a butchered harness. Also he did not buy it from Twist, Bowler, Fesler, or anyone else checking in on this thread. These circumstances are not normal. We wouldn't want everyone to get scared away from the many benefits of adapting modern electronic transmissions. Folks might find this thread in six months by way of a search, so it should be clear that your problems started with a used purchase from someone other than a qualified source.
Back to the situation at hand:
540,
We spoke on the phone last week. I was more than willing to help then and I still am willing to help. The old style (discontinued) TCI controller part number 377000 included a GM harness. The new style controller 377500 does not include a harness. The harness is listed separately under part number 377502. I know that both part numbers exist because I have one of each item in stock.

Combined, the price of these two items are close or equal to the cost of a Compushift unit which includes a harness available from Twist or Bowler. We also pre-calibrate the unit very close to your specific application in an effort to make the installation and setup as painless as possible. Given your challenges, a Compushift controller best matches your needs.

The best way to end the misery is by ordering the right controller from a technically qualified source. That expertise will prove invaluable during both the purchase phase as well as the installation/setup phase.

[Steve Chryssos]

This is what we are using, I do not have to have a shifter in the car at all, the paddle will do all the shifting up and down no shift lever needed. Makes a very cool look and everyone ask how I shift the Blazer

That is a Mastershift setup. By far, the best of the mechatronic solutions. The design has OE grade safety measures built in. And it can be used to run H-pattern manual transmissions. It's the only mechatronic solution that I recommend.

[540' chevelle]

MarkB thanks for you offer. Steve my parts guy at Murrays got back to me right after we spoke telling that he finally got some one at FAST and they gave him a pat number different than the one you gave me and he order it for tomorrow. I call FAST tech and they confirmed the number he gave me as a harness that would interact with my XFI. I asked them if it would hook up to my trans and the guy said yes.

Will let you know tomorrow when we receive it is it works out.

[Steve Chryssos]

Cool! Next hurdle. Pay particular attention to the TPS wiring and calibration. Your new TCU uses TPS angle to determine engine load so that it can supply appropriate line pressure. If the TPS calibration is wrong, so is the line pressure. If the TPS signal is nonexistent, then the trans thinks that the car is sitting at idle and provides minimum pressure. I know that you have a shop doing the work. Do not drive the car until you have personally confirmed that the TCU is reading TPS properly. TPS signal readout is present on the laptop display screen called "dashboard".

[540' chevelle]

Finally received the harness from FAST and it looks good no instructions
in the box or warnings like what Steve said above.
Does this new controller come with any calibrations I wonder or do you have to calibrate everything from scratch.
This is supposed to work with the FAST XFI. I picked up the harness late yesterday so I have not looked at it very well hopefully you do not need to tie into the FAST harness for the TPS.
WE will see what the trany guys say. I might just have to tow the car back home and do this myself, I just do not have the time right now
but if they fell they can do it will see.
Hopefully Paddle shifters soon.

[ty1295]

If you bought the new TCI controller, it is made my PCS www.transmissioncontroller.com

You will notice the TCI brand is red, PCS is blue. Same case/plug. PCS wiring schematic is on their site. http://www.powertraincontrolsolution...20and%20up.pdf From the best i can tell the TCI is just painted red, the software is made a bit simplier and some of the extra input/outputs on the PCS were removed. I suspect they are still in the computer though.

I have the PCS, installed 2 so far. I can honestly say the one in my truck has worked flawless so far.

The older TCI's I have seen go bad more than once though.

Bowler and Twist Machine are both great people to get service and parts from as they know what is going on with these and are not doing the research with you but already have done that.

Speaking of which I need to stop by and have Lunch with Mark again and bring my toy by.

[hotrdblder]

540, yes you will need to tie into the fast xfi tps sensor or add another tps sensor to get throttle angle.
way cleaner to tie into the tps sensor you already have then add another one, which is what carb'd guys have to do, it really shoul dbe easy its only 4 wires.

[Steve Chryssos]

Finally received the harness from FAST and it looks good no instructions
in the box or warnings like what Steve said above.
Does this new controller come with any calibrations I wonder or do you have to calibrate everything from scratch.
This is supposed to work with the FAST XFI. I picked up the harness late yesterday so I have not looked at it very well hopefully you do not need to tie into the FAST harness for the TPS.
WE will see what the trany guys say. I might just have to tow the car back home and do this myself, I just do not have the time right now
but if they fell they can do it will see.
Hopefully Paddle shifters soon.

Lemme know how you make out.