My new motor setup os being pretty hard on my tranny and its starting to slip on the 1-2 shoft as well as the 2-3 shift. I really want to do a M6 conversion, but I know I'm going to run into alot of things that will seem to nickle and dime the conversion to death. Then on the other hand I could get mine rebuilt by someone for $1500-$2000 plus the converter which would be another $750-$1000. Now I was talking to a firend of mine last night and hes really trying to talk me out of the M6 telling me it won't last long behind my motor and I should just go with a th350. I really like the idea of the th350 but the loss of overdrive would kinda suck, but my buddy with a 95, 396, th350, 3600 Vig, 12 bolt w/3.73 is getting around 13-16 and thats not just babying it. Right now with my tranny acting up and a small exhaust leak on the collector I'm only getting 14-18 depending on how hard I drive it. Now I don't have any interstate driving or take the car on alot of long trips so mabye a th350 would be a decent choice. The guy thats trying to talk me into the A3 is going to get his new one from a place in Texas (I don't remember the name of the company) and he said that his reverse valve body built th3350, 3500 Vig, and a brake is only costing him $1380 shipped to his door with no core charge. All he did was call them up, tell them about his car, and 3 weeks later the trans is suppost to be delivered to his door. Now that sounds like one of the too good to be true deals, but my buddy knows his stuff and he told me to just wait and see how his tranny works out.

So do you think it would be stupid to go from a A4 to an A3, or an A4 to M6? I'm eventually going to be getting either a 12 bolt or 9" and if I go with the A3 I'll throw some 3.42s in it, but I'll wait and see how I like it with the 3.73s I have now.

I know it pretty much sounds like I'm going with the A3, but what will have to be done to the car to make everything work right? Like the speedo, and what will have to be done to the computer since it won't be telling the trans to shift anymore?

Sorry for the long post, but any help or experience, good or bad, please let me know. I'm trying to baby the tranny until winter and then do whatever I decide and have it ready in the spring.

 

Send your trans to Frank at CPT, you wont regret it.

 

Remember, you'll need a $200 4L60E to TH350 swap kit that needs to be installed when the transmission is built. You have to replace the ouput shaft with a Fitz-All shaft and kit that allows you to use your stock speedo, and tail housing (to bolt your TA to).
Remember, a 4L60E car will 60 ft. better than a Th350 car, too...because it has a superior 3.08 first gear ratio.

Frank
CPT

 

I have a trunnel mounted TA and from some research I can use the front abs sensor to run the speedo, and since I no longer have abs I'll probably do that. So all I would have to worry about would be the shifter and the tranny crossmember, but those are simple things to take care of.

I would just rebuilt the A4, but I just hate the way these trannys shift. I like feeling like I'm in control of the car, but with the A4 I don't get that at all. Just leaving an intersection at normal throttle I'm in 3rd by the time I get to the other side, it shifts at ~1500-2000 rpms. If I did a TH350 I would do a full manual valve body, but I'm still undecided.

But keep the opinions coming, I want to hear from some guys that have went from A4 to A3.

Oh and BTW I usually only drive the car about 15 miles to work (on nice days) and its highways, not interstate so the speeds are around 60 mph. And I'm turning ~2500 rpms at 60 mph with the A4 and if I went with the A3 I'd be at ~3000 rpms and I don't need to do 150+ mph and I can always change the rear gears to suit my needs.

 

IMO, it sounds like you should just get your 4L60E rebuilt with a PROPER rebuild. Don't waste energy/money putting something else in that's just going to be a compromise. From what I hear, the 4L60E's are running several hundred HP, and deep into the 10's. Even if you switched to the "tougher" T56, you would still have to upgrade it to take severe abuse. And a TH350? Really, what for? . You lose OD and that nice 1st gear hole-shot!

 

redo your 60-e...ive done many many 7.0 passes and a few 6.7 passes@107 on his tranny and thats only on my first stage...ive daily driven his tranny for about 12k miles...for the price and how its holding up its well worth it...

 

Talk to Frank at CPT, he knows his stuff and is VERY reasonable on pricing. Once i get some cash going, i will be having him build my 4l60E

 

Use a 4l60e from a reputable rebuilder with a good warranty. The 350 is no stronger in my opinion the t56 or t5 is good but without torque multiplication you will be slower. the only real stronger options you can figure is the 400 or the 4l80e But with one option you lose overdrive which means your car becomes a drag only car not practical to drive or the 4l80e and then your talking big bucks 3000 plus typically close to 5000 installed and working