Upgrade the 4L60E or replace?

[CoryM]

Hey guys,
I don't play with autos but a friend has a 00 camaro with a 4L60E.
Getting the normal 1870 code (TCC slipping) now that we have added heads and cam. 411rwhp and 410ft/lbs. Only mods are a 3500rpm TC and a cooler. He keeps talking about a blower and the 650bhp range, which is viable so we need an OD tranny to handle that. Anyone run a Raptor 4l60e?
I know some dragracers who run kits from http://www.ckperformance.com/ with some success.
Anyhow, when trying to build a weak tranny sometimes its better to just upgrade to a stronger design. What are the other options?
Thanks guys.

[malibu9in]

goto ls1tech.com i bet youll have a butt load of info there! hth

[CoryM]

Ya, he is on there but I want different POVs.
Thanks.

[gen3bu]

trans go makes a junior shift kit for @ $60 that has a replacementtcc valve with great install instructions. i would recomend the trans-go full kit for @ $120 from summitt (it also has this valve) shortly before i left the dealer we were starting to install these on every car with that trans/code combo. if he is honestly planning 650 rwhp it can be upgraded to handlle it. just remember you gotta pay to play, and hp ain't cheap.
i ran the transgo kit in my sbc s-10 for a 100,000 before it started slipping again. i used the tci kit for the rebuild.
kevin

[Steve Chryssos]

650 rear wheel? I say it makes more sense to start with a 4L80E.

[CoryM]

650 rear wheel? I say it makes more sense to start with a 4L80E.

Thats what I was saying. But after looking around there are a couple kits that claim to handle 650+hp so I think thats what he is going for.
http://www.ckperformance.com/
www.4l60-e.com (raptor trans)

Thanks guys.

[camarocal]

The 4L60E is a very tough tranny. With a few mods it can devinately withstand 650 horses. I am currently putting one together for my 68 Camaro with a 476 big block. I have seen some of the local guys run them and use the lockup in 2 and 3rd gear under acceleration. I have seen the transgo shift kit in e-bay for the 4L60 for around $80.00.

[Steve Chryssos]

My TCI 4L60E is lasting just fine. But then again, I only have 500HP and very short sidewall 285/35 Nitto NT555's. So it's not like they hook up very well--which limits shock to the drivetrain. So the intended usage should be factored in. I wonder how an upgraded 80 compares to a built '60-price wise.

[RPM Dragracing]

Be careful of some of the claims that many manufacturers make in thier advertising for internal components. 5 pinion planetary upgrades are always a great start but you wont know weather you have the American made parts or the Chinease made Play-Dough pieces that explode like grenedes. The next problem is the in-put shaft drum combo. There are many who claim to use billet and hardened but are simply nothing more than surface treated, you can literally scratch away this so called treatment down to the raw metal with a believe it or not "a paper clip".
The issue of specialty friction materials is next, drag cars are usually pretty cool before a pass, so KEVLAR bands are a total No-No in dragracing, KEVLAR needs heat to be fully effective and you'll be slipping 2nd and 4th down the line as the shifts progress. This will shorten the life or the trans in a big way.

Lastly you'll need to consider where you'll be making power and how hard it comes on. We have customers that are putting 950 lbs of T/Q to the rear wheels, but those are in Twin Turbo cars that really dont hit all that hard off the line. The supercharged and N2O cars are the ones who really suffer the greatest damage to thier drivelines B/C they are comming out all at once.

The 4L80E is a great trans but you'll have many considerations to make before hand, first being the expense of the unit. This includes the money for a core to be built or sent back to the manufacturer, the PCM, the buildup, the conversion parts and lastly the torque converter wich is much more expensive than a 4L60E by any quality converter manufacturer.

Your last option is the venerable 2004R, for a conversion or any non electronic application it cant be beat. This unit can be built to withstand very high HP levels and we have one in a "so rated" 1100 HP T-Type. The units greatest assets are that it will bolt in place of a TH400 to start but it's also a close ration unit that will keep your cars shift points within a single powerband. The 700/4l60 cars have some serious consistancy issues because of that wide 1st to 2nd spead in ratio therefore take some serious time to dial in let alone dial in consistantly.

My last 2 cents for the day, read and read a lot, weigh the options and make your decision by taking the entire powertrain and what you want the final output to be into total consideration.

Good Luck ..........

www.rpmdragracing.com

[CoryM]

Thanks guys, been a busy week (totalled my truck ) so I havent had any time to poke around more.
I think its definitely going to stay a 4L60E for now.
Basically it appears to be down to 2 kits:
http://www.700r4l60e.com/store/custo...&cat=22&page=1
Thats from a guy who is a regular on another forum and is generally respected (second hand info)
and the stage 2 kit from
http://www.ckperformance.com/stg_gm_...M4L60E_STAGE_2

Either way it will be locally installed. The TC is a 3500rpm and hits pretty soft. Its actually a very nice TC for street/strip use IMO.
The car is 90% street use but does play at the track occasionally so I would have to look into what clutch materials suit it. Good point to bring up though. As I said before, give me a manual tranny and I know what I am doing but autos really are not my thing.
Thanks for the input.
CoryM

[ty1295]

Being in the GMC Syclone Typhoon world we probably abuse the stock 700 more than any other production car has.

Being AWD we get traction, where a 900hp corvette, camaro can't lay it down.

HP is worthless, the torque is what the tranny doesn't like.

A 700 living all depends on how you drive, put the power to ground etc.

In the syty world I have found the 700 to be hard to keep toghether when you start drag racing adn putting down some #'s. Recently I have adapted the 80e to work with the AWD system.

The 80e is a VERY nice trans, a little heavy, and expensive, BUT it will hold up to abuse.

http://www.northeastsyty.com/videos/...wd_burnout.wmv

That truck went through 3 700's in a couple months, now it runs an 80e as seen in the video. So far holding up like a champ.

syty.huryde.com has some good build info on the 700 tailored toward our trucks but could be of use in other cars also.

You will find most tranny guys like to not give out their secrets or lack of. Many also have big claims, but fail to deliver when someone actually does put the power to it. Seen it a ton of times in the syty world.