Anyone here using a 4L80 trans with their boosted cars? I've heard that people generally don't have much luck with 700R4's and 4L60's. I've seen some people go to TH400's, but I really hate to give up an overdrive.

 

This was dicussed once before on The Advance board.

4L80 Thread

Hope that helps,
If you find any new info, please post it...I am also interested cuz I may need a stronger tranny too...once my blower goes on there.

 

I'm running a built 4L80E behind my TT SBC 427. My car was originally eguipped with a 700r4 and I didn't have to make nay mods to the car to get it to fit except move the rear crossmember mount back a couple of inches and shorten the driveshaft.. Although not necessary, I just fabbed a new crossmember out of chromoly and had a new driveshaft made, but you can modify your existing stuff to save money.


The cost and the requirement to run an aftermarket tranmsission controller like the FAST/TCI TCU I use turns alot of people off due to it's $750 cost on top of the tranny, but Transgo now offers a full manual valvebody kit for less than $200 which allevites the need to use any kind of electronic tranny controller. Also, if you don't have an electronic speedo, several companies like Bowtie Overdrives offers a custom tail housing for a mechanical speedo drive for around $150.

In stock form these tranny's are fully capable of handling 600-800hp with the addition of a $90 HD-2 Transgo kit. With some additional work 1200+hp is no problem.

 

SWEET!!! Fully manual 4L80...a Lenco without a clutch pedal! Sweet, this will be my next swap...if i ever get the car running...

 

OHHHHHHHH I am soooo getting that 4L80 manual valve body

Monty, Ive been looking through your site with awe for weeks, and I am just stunned! GREAT JOB! I love how you kept the outside stock...should fool those imports How is the TCI controller working? Sure looks like you can control anything and everything from that. Hope it works, I may do that if I get the cash for it.

Hunter

 

Thanks. I really like the FAST/TCI tranny controller. Like the FAST SEFI does with the engine, it gives you complete control over the transmission - WOT shifting, part throttle shifting, line pressure, shift points by rpm and/or road speed, convertor lockup and modulation, manual "paddle shifting", etc.

It gives you complete control over all of the transmission parameters, basically like driving a clutchless manual tranmission liek Racr4jc said. I posted some screen shots of the T-COM menu screen and you can see how easy it is to program and control. The "stock" program included will fit about 90% of applications, with just a few easy setup parameters related to your specific application like tire diameter, gear ratio, # of cylinders, etc.

 

No offense, because I am probably going to buy a 4L80E core and build it up for a 1/2004 into my car, but has anyone put say 30-40 passes on a 4L80E at the track on a full slick? Monty has your car even been on a slick or is it more a street car?

Looks like I would have to buy a controller for the trans though I don't see why it could not just be set up with an automatic valve body...

John
98 formula
YS Trim 346ci build up in progress

 

well, i know that John Meany's vette had a 4l80E in it. Obviously i dont know him personally and dont know what kinda luck he's had with it.

Maybe you can call up Troy at his shop who helped build the car and he could give you that answer

 

What's the name of the shop?

I thought Geoff Skorupa from PTC here in Elk Grove Village did the trans setup in Meany's vette. Geoff's own ride, that rebodied 90(?) used to have a 4L80E in it but I have not been by Geoff's shop in a few years.

**EDIT**

I called Geoff and yes he did make the adaptor plate to make the 4L80E work in a C4. His C4 had this trans for a while and went low 10's at 138mph and he drove the car on a few long trips. He was thinking that Meany is running a Carl Rosller trans.

geoff@performancetechcenter.com

 

Geoff Skorupa built Meany's adapter but the 4L80E was built by Stoney Automotive Engineering (SAE) a Detroit shop operated by a former Hydramatic engineer. I had Don Stanley at TSI in Addison, IL build mine and he consulted with that shop to help figure out the "in's and out's" of what it take to make the tranny live behind a 1200+hp daily driver. It's a stout tranny in stock form, but there are several areas of improvement that need to be made to help it live behind that much power. I promised Don I wouldn't publish all the details, but they made a couple of significant modifications to the lubrication system, as well as replaced all the plastic shims with torrington bearings and steel thrust washers, added additional hi-energy clutches and kolene steels, kevlar bands, straight cut planetary gears, etc.

Transgo offers a full manual valvebody kit for around $200 that doe not require a computer.

 

Interesting info, Geoff's conversions were done almost ten years ago so I am glad to hear there have been improvements made.

 

Monty, from lookin at your site, and looking at TCI's site, the 4L80 with the electronic controller is gonna be my best bet I think.

Do you shift it manually or do you just leave it in Drive and go. It would seem since you can tell it to do almost anything but make coffee for you, leaving it in Drive would be as good, or better than shifting manually.
Also can you change parameters on the fly? What about having a 'street' setting and then a 'race' setting, which hardens shifts and raises shift points?

I am really liking this idea of having my laptop on my passanger seat, allowing me to controll my EFI, tranny, and having my boost controller's right on the dash......

Hunter

 

thats a hell of a idea!

 

Generally you can just leave it in D and go, allowing the tranny to operate normally, based upon the parameters you set for it in the controller. I have screen shots of most of the TCom screens on my site , http://www.montygwilliams.com/controller.html which show all the tuning parameters. With the addition of a Transgo reprogramming kit, or similar kit from another manufacturer, you can also have full manual control of up and downshifts if you prefer, Transgo calls this "Gear Command". Even with this installed, you can still simply put it in D and drive normally.

As with the FAST SEFI, you can make online changes to the TCOM via a laptop and immediately save them to the ECM. The FAST/TCI TCU comes with a toggle switch for selecting between "normal" and "performance." Toggling the switch to "performance", raises the line pressure, shift firmness, shifts points etc to a predetermined point.

 

Thanks Monty, I apperciate the explanation. This is looking like a great idea for my car as well, so as soon as I finish fabbing a new exhuast system, I will start lookin for a tranny.

Thanks

Hunter