is my solenoid going bad or my tranny is getting ready to blow up??
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,450
From: LA, So Cal
is my solenoid going bad or my tranny is getting ready to blow up??
hi guys, i think my tranny isnt shifting when it should be shifting...i push my car to WOT at 55 MPH while my tranny is in the OD, it shifted to 3rd for about 2 seconds, then it shifted to 2nd(i didn't step on my gas pedal quickly), then it stayed in 2nd until 5500-5700 rpm then it stayed there for another 2 seconds before it shifted to 3rd.....is this normal for 4L60E to be acting like this?? or is there something wrong with my tranny?? solenoid maybe?? or my tranny is ready to blow up again?? i need to know what's wrong before i go to my tranny shop and make complains...thanks for reading, and please give me your suggestions...... 
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 180
From: California
Adjust your shift kit that you have... it is what is cuaing this, easily adjustable though.... whats weird is that with a shift kit you should be manually shifting gears yourself, and not let the car do it. Also, While you are at it get a torque convertor (over 3000 stall)
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 2,413
From: Marlton NJ
Originally posted by thelategreatz28
Adjust your shift kit that you have... it is what is cuaing this, easily adjustable though.... whats weird is that with a shift kit you should be manually shifting gears yourself, and not let the car do it. Also, While you are at it get a torque convertor (over 3000 stall)
Adjust your shift kit that you have... it is what is cuaing this, easily adjustable though.... whats weird is that with a shift kit you should be manually shifting gears yourself, and not let the car do it. Also, While you are at it get a torque convertor (over 3000 stall)
The only reason he should be shifting his 4l60e himself and not letting the car do it, would be if he got a full manual valve body. Shift kits also aren't really adjustable.... you can use different springs or remove certain check valves when its installed if you know what you're doing, but not something that can just "be adjusted" like your timing or something.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,450
From: LA, So Cal
Originally posted by Blue89Bird
What are you talking about? Why are you giving advise if you don't have a clue?
The only reason he should be shifting his 4l60e himself and not letting the car do it, would be if he got a full manual valve body. Shift kits also aren't really adjustable.... you can use different springs or remove certain check valves when its installed if you know what you're doing, but not something that can just "be adjusted" like your timing or something.
What are you talking about? Why are you giving advise if you don't have a clue?
The only reason he should be shifting his 4l60e himself and not letting the car do it, would be if he got a full manual valve body. Shift kits also aren't really adjustable.... you can use different springs or remove certain check valves when its installed if you know what you're doing, but not something that can just "be adjusted" like your timing or something.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,634
From: Newark, Delaware
First things first...I partially agree with BLUE 89 BIRD. You just don't adjust your shift kit. the "check valves" you refer to are actually "check *****". There's only really 1 you should leave out of a 4L60E, and that's the 2Nd gear ball.
The shop I work at offers free diagnostic scanning. With the aid of a scanner, and a data stream, you can see what the computer is commanding the solenoids to do. Be aware, though...Just because the computer is commanding a solenoid to switch, doesn't mean the solenoid itself isn't bad. It just means the computer is operating correctly.
Unfortunately, I think your transmission suffers from a common problem with the 4L60E. it sounds like your 3-4 clutches are smoked. What does the fluid look/smell like? If it's black, or smells burnt, it would further reinforce this theory. The factory design of the 4L60E employs "load release" springs in the 3-4 clutch pack. These springs were added to force the top and bottom pressure plates in the pack apart when the clutch pack ISN' T applied. Hydramatic didn't want the clutches to drag from centrifical force. Unfortunately what this did was reduce the clamping power of the clutch pack when the clutches are supposed to be ON. I NEVER reuse these springs when I do a 700/4L60E rebuild. Most "stock" rebuild won't last in a racing enviroment. 700/4L60E's have many pressure issues, clearances, and "holding power" issues that need to be addressed.
Anyway, sorry to give you a long answer, but it sounds like it's an internal problem.
The shop I work at offers free diagnostic scanning. With the aid of a scanner, and a data stream, you can see what the computer is commanding the solenoids to do. Be aware, though...Just because the computer is commanding a solenoid to switch, doesn't mean the solenoid itself isn't bad. It just means the computer is operating correctly.
Unfortunately, I think your transmission suffers from a common problem with the 4L60E. it sounds like your 3-4 clutches are smoked. What does the fluid look/smell like? If it's black, or smells burnt, it would further reinforce this theory. The factory design of the 4L60E employs "load release" springs in the 3-4 clutch pack. These springs were added to force the top and bottom pressure plates in the pack apart when the clutch pack ISN' T applied. Hydramatic didn't want the clutches to drag from centrifical force. Unfortunately what this did was reduce the clamping power of the clutch pack when the clutches are supposed to be ON. I NEVER reuse these springs when I do a 700/4L60E rebuild. Most "stock" rebuild won't last in a racing enviroment. 700/4L60E's have many pressure issues, clearances, and "holding power" issues that need to be addressed.
Anyway, sorry to give you a long answer, but it sounds like it's an internal problem.
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 163
From: Georgia, CSRA
Sounds like you know the 4L60E pretty well. I just had mine go out and the 3-4 clutch pack was to blame, only had 1st and 2nd. To make matters worse, I had just finished a H/C swap and it went out after one full throttle blast and about 25 miles.
Dean
Dean
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,450
From: LA, So Cal
first time it got rebuild, i push it to the WOT, and there was no third or forth.....then i brought it back to the shop, he rebuild it over again and it was working good. now, the problems is not really noticeable, because it only happen sometimes, sometimes it shifted on the right RPM.....hmmm, what seems to be the problem guys??
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Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,152
From: Woodstown, NJ
Originally posted by 12SCNDZ
Um...RamAir95TA... I can fix that for you. Do you know where Newark, De. is?
Um...RamAir95TA... I can fix that for you. Do you know where Newark, De. is?
My AIM screen-name is twocents29
joespena@fbodythunder.com
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 3,634
From: Newark, Delaware
The problem probably revolves around the "Trans-Go" shift kit. Unfortunately, Trans-Go has became a "buzz word' on this message board. What most people don't realize is trans-Go kits actually cause the transmission to burn up prematurely. They accelerate the destruction of both the 2-4 band, and the 3-4 clutches.
I've been building automatics for over 14 years. I'd never even think about using a TG kit in any of my performance rebuilds. The reason some shops use TG kits is simply because the technicians don't really understand how the transmission works. I also use to teach transmission building classes. I can assure you that I've taught people to build transmissions that had no mechanical knowledge whatsoever. Yes, they could put the parts back together in order, or take a shift kit out of a box, but they had no idea why or how any of it worked.
My thoughts on the TG kits aren't an opinion thing. The fact is I've never taken a trans. apart with one in it that the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches weren't burnt! Yes, they may make the shifts firmer, but they reduce the longevity of the unit. If you truly understand how a transmission works, you can modify it to shift better and last longer without using a shift kit. I use parts from Sonnax, and Superior/Fairbanks. If you want to know if my modifications work, ask Dirk (RACINLT1). He's had one of my 4L60E's in his 11.2 second Firebird for over 2 years now. No, it doesn't have a TG kit, and yes the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches are still alive and well.
I've been building automatics for over 14 years. I'd never even think about using a TG kit in any of my performance rebuilds. The reason some shops use TG kits is simply because the technicians don't really understand how the transmission works. I also use to teach transmission building classes. I can assure you that I've taught people to build transmissions that had no mechanical knowledge whatsoever. Yes, they could put the parts back together in order, or take a shift kit out of a box, but they had no idea why or how any of it worked.
My thoughts on the TG kits aren't an opinion thing. The fact is I've never taken a trans. apart with one in it that the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches weren't burnt! Yes, they may make the shifts firmer, but they reduce the longevity of the unit. If you truly understand how a transmission works, you can modify it to shift better and last longer without using a shift kit. I use parts from Sonnax, and Superior/Fairbanks. If you want to know if my modifications work, ask Dirk (RACINLT1). He's had one of my 4L60E's in his 11.2 second Firebird for over 2 years now. No, it doesn't have a TG kit, and yes the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches are still alive and well.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,152
From: Woodstown, NJ
Originally posted by 12SCNDZ
The problem probably revolves around the "Trans-Go" shift kit. Unfortunately, Trans-Go has became a "buzz word' on this message board. What most people don't realize is trans-Go kits actually cause the transmission to burn up prematurely. They accelerate the destruction of both the 2-4 band, and the 3-4 clutches.
I've been building automatics for over 14 years. I'd never even think about using a TG kit in any of my performance rebuilds. The reason some shops use TG kits is simply because the technicians don't really understand how the transmission works. I also use to teach transmission building classes. I can assure you that I've taught people to build transmissions that had no mechanical knowledge whatsoever. Yes, they could put the parts back together in order, or take a shift kit out of a box, but they had no idea why or how any of it worked.
My thoughts on the TG kits aren't an opinion thing. The fact is I've never taken a trans. apart with one in it that the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches weren't burnt! Yes, they may make the shifts firmer, but they reduce the longevity of the unit. If you truly understand how a transmission works, you can modify it to shift better and last longer without using a shift kit. I use parts from Sonnax, and Superior/Fairbanks. If you want to know if my modifications work, ask Dirk (RACINLT1). He's had one of my 4L60E's in his 11.2 second Firebird for over 2 years now. No, it doesn't have a TG kit, and yes the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches are still alive and well.
The problem probably revolves around the "Trans-Go" shift kit. Unfortunately, Trans-Go has became a "buzz word' on this message board. What most people don't realize is trans-Go kits actually cause the transmission to burn up prematurely. They accelerate the destruction of both the 2-4 band, and the 3-4 clutches.
I've been building automatics for over 14 years. I'd never even think about using a TG kit in any of my performance rebuilds. The reason some shops use TG kits is simply because the technicians don't really understand how the transmission works. I also use to teach transmission building classes. I can assure you that I've taught people to build transmissions that had no mechanical knowledge whatsoever. Yes, they could put the parts back together in order, or take a shift kit out of a box, but they had no idea why or how any of it worked.
My thoughts on the TG kits aren't an opinion thing. The fact is I've never taken a trans. apart with one in it that the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches weren't burnt! Yes, they may make the shifts firmer, but they reduce the longevity of the unit. If you truly understand how a transmission works, you can modify it to shift better and last longer without using a shift kit. I use parts from Sonnax, and Superior/Fairbanks. If you want to know if my modifications work, ask Dirk (RACINLT1). He's had one of my 4L60E's in his 11.2 second Firebird for over 2 years now. No, it doesn't have a TG kit, and yes the 2-4 band and the 3-4 clutches are still alive and well.
You said you could help me?