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The clutches are stacked in this order- finger clutch, inside clutch, finger clutch, etc. The 3-4 gear clutches reside in the drum, this is where the Z-pack comes in. Our ’96 Impala will be running right at or just over 500, so only the rear 5-pinion was upgraded. Upgrading to the 5-pinion front carrier is advisable in towing applications and where horsepower numbers are above 500. The 4L60E also uses a 4-pinion front planetary carrier, which is more expensive than the rear unit. Upgrading to the 5-pinion unit offers the ability to hold much higher torque values. In high-performance applications, the rear planetary carrier carries all the stress. Here is the meat of the conversion, the 5-pinion rear planetary. This unit is made of overall thicker material and includes a new thrust washer. The aftermarket responded with the “Beast” sun shell. The stock parts have a tendency to sheer off the gear at the neck in high-performance applications. It is integral in 2 nd and reverse application. The Red-Oxide clutches have better hold for 1-2.Īnother piece that is a must in any high-performance transmission, is a beefy sun shell gear. These are specifically designed to not bow and have superior holding power. We cherry picked the clutch kit, using the Z-pack for the 3-4 gear clutches. A Trans-Go reprogramming kit, a Sonnax Billet 4 th-gear “Super Hold” Servo, a Raybestos Z-pack clutch kit, and Red Eagle Red-Oxide clutches. Even a few miles down the road can cause a failure, because the converter can’t release its pressure, eventually leading to overheating.įor this rebuild, we used several kits. It is very easy to forget this little ball and spring, but it tends to get gummy and starts sticking. The Pump Pressure Relief is the #1 cause of failure after overhaul. There are a few areas that require special attention and are commonly overlooked.
4l60e shift kit labor time upgrade#
Since the upgrade requires a complete teardown, a full rebuild, with a few extra performance pieces, is a good idea. The important thing to remember here is that the tranny type, PWM or non-PWM, must match the computer in the car, otherwise it will not function properly. A PWM-type tranny will be marked with “PWM” on the front of the pump. This type of lockup circuit offers a smoother transition as it pulses the signal instead of all at once. In 1995, GM converted the 4L60E converter lockup circuit to a Pulse Width Modulated circuit. This is important as while they share some parts, they are different transmissions. In 1993, when the 4L60E was introduced, the 700R4 was renamed 4L60. The 4L60E transmission is an electronically controlled unit, notated as such by the “E” after the name. A Rear Clutch Spring Compressor, Universal Pump Remover, Front Pump Alignment Band, Turbine Shaft Installer, and a Teflon Stator Shaft Installer, are all needed to properly disassemble and reassemble the 4L60E transmission. And there are a few specialized tools needed to correctly complete the job. This is not the most difficult tranny to build but it is certainly not the easiest. If you have never done this before, this may not be the time to start. Replacing the planetary carriers requires a full teardown. The nice thing about all of this is that the 5-lug parts are easily swapped into the 4L60E, leaving you with the ability to upgrade your existing tranny without having to buy a new unit. The 4L65E utilizes 5-pinion planetaries, along with a hardened input shaft, that boosted torque capacity to 380 ft.lbs.
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The 4L60E uses 4-pinion planetary carriers, these carriers are rated to 360 ft. The 4L65E was built on the same platform as the 60, but with a few differences. In 1994, GM started using the 4L60E in all rear-wheel drive cars, until 2001 when performance demands had increased beyond its current capacity, and it was replaced with the 4L65E. The descendent of the 700R4, the 4L60E trans has a long history of backing up some fairly potent motors. The 4L60E transmission has long been a mainstay in the General’s arsenal of transmissions.
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