Why Does The 4l60e Have Such A Bad Reputation?

You apt had 1 of 2 reactions erstwhile you publication "4L60E." It was either a flimsy motion arsenic you vaguely remembered that you had a 4L60E successful your reliable, daily-driven V6 Firebird pinch 150,000 miles, aliases it was seething GM-aimed anger arsenic you had flashbacks to your '96 Impala SS's 4L60E pinch an inability to displacement to third. The net is filled pinch forums, threads, and videos complaining that nan 4L60E is simply a weak, problematic, ray protector of nan burlier 4L80E, aliases is simply a perfectly fine, serviceable transmission that only experiences problems erstwhile group hide to alteration their transmission fluid aliases put excessively overmuch powerfulness done it. 

There are areas wherever nan detractors and nan supporters person to begrudgingly shingle hands and mutter, "Good point," though. 4L60E haters will note that nan transmission has immoderate communal issues, and they tin beryllium crippling. 3-4 clutch packs tin pain retired prematurely, nan thrust ammunition tin break, and solenoid issues tin impact shifting. 4L60E apologists will retort that astir 4L60E issues tin beryllium solved by due attraction and ne'er towing successful overdrive. 

Now, 1 awesome rumor pinch nan 4L60E's estimation could beryllium its 360 lb-ft torque rating. That's not truthful overmuch of a problem successful and of itself, but this transmission is successful plentifulness of GM products pinch LT1 and LS1 V8s, which tin make around 330 lb-ft of torque and 350 lb-ft of torque, respectively. So, putting a transmission pinch a torque capacity astatine aliases hardly supra nan engine's highest torque successful a capacity conveyance whitethorn beryllium asking for trouble. It's true, the champion Corvette is simply a inexpensive Corvette, but a Corvette that only shifts to first cogwheel because of a faulty 4L60E will get much inexpensive successful a hurry.

The 4L60E is simply a nonstop descendant of nan 700R4 and portion of nan Turbo-Hydromatic branch, which is based connected a 1920s creation that fundamentally kicked disconnected nan automatic-transmission revolution. Well, nan 4L60E fundamentally is simply a 700R4, conscionable pinch physics controls alternatively of mechanical controls for changing gears. Yes, there's a 4L60 without nan E, and it is simply a 700R4 that went to nan courthouse and filled retired a Petition for Name Change. 

The 4L60E first appeared successful trucks, SUVs, and vans successful 1993 and successful rider cars successful 1994. The 700R4/4L60/4L60E was nan last goodnight buss to nan long-serving TH350 (1969-1984), which went to a farm, wherever it will beryllium very happy. As awesome arsenic nan TH350 was, it didn't person a fuel-efficiency boosting overdrive aliases a heat-reducing lock-up torque converter. Here's nan rub. As acold arsenic we tin tell, GM ne'er put nan TH350 down large blocks aliases high-powered mini blocks that stretched its torque limit of 350 lb-ft. If you wanted, say, a 1971 Camaro pinch an LT-1 aliases 402 (the existent displacement of nan "396" successful nan '70s) and an automatic, you had to cheque RPO M40 for nan TH400, which could return up to 450 lb-ft. 

If you ordered an L48 350, past you could get nan M38 (TH350). That '71 L48 had a gross torque standing of 360 lb-ft, but by 1972, GM reported nan SAE nett figure, which was a much realistic 300 lb-ft, good wrong nan capacity of nan TH350. Basically, nan TH350 mostly didn't person to withstand nan reward of timespace folding, torque-laden V8s. But nan 4L60E endured nan trauma of V8s that pushed it to nan brink of its capacity. Can you blasted nan transmission for that?

Okay, capable devil's advocator for nan 4L60E. Transmission Bench has a awesome YouTube video that discusses nan transmission's astir communal issues and their symptoms. Can't displacement to 3rd gear? It's apt nan 3-4 clutch battalion is burned up because nan piston's rubber seals person gone bad. Is first cogwheel nan only 1 that engages? You astir apt person a surgery thrust shell. Does it displacement harshly from first to 2nd gear? The TCC regulator valve is apt worn out. Another predominant rumor pinch 4L60Es is that their solenoids spell bad. When this happens, shifts tin go harsh aliases erratic.

As for different members of nan four-speed car family, there's nan 4L65E, which is what nan 4L60E shape-shifted into successful 2001. GM upgraded nan four-pinion bearer to a five-pinion version, improving nan torque capacity. In trucks, nan standing was 380 lb-ft, and successful cars specified arsenic nan 2005 Corvette, nan torque standing was 400 lb-ft. The 4L70E is mostly a 4L65E pinch a pump-mounted velocity sensor and an upgraded torque capacity of 430 lb-ft, arsenic per a 2005 New Product Announcement from GM. That transmission was put into vehicles specified arsenic the Chevy Trailblazer SS (400 lb-ft of torque) and Saab 9-7X Aero (a Trailblazer SS pinch integrative room and 395 lb-ft of torque).

The 4L80E is nan brawny large related that tin grip 440 lb-ft of torque and gives wedgies to nan 4L60E. Unfortunately for torquey capacity car fanatics, GM only put nan 4L80E successful vans, trucks, and nan Hummer H1. So if you want to drop $12,500 connected a 1996 Chevy Impala SS and upgrade it to a 383 for illustration Callaway did successful nan '90s, ripping retired nan 4L60E and swapping successful a 4L80E is reliable but doable.