My 4L60e to 4L80e Swap Journal:

[srs5150]

Because all applications are a bit different, I thought I would share my progress in an effort to … 1. Make sure I’m on the right track, and 2. To try to help other’s wishing to do the same with similar applications.

I have been consolidating all the info I obtained from dozens of different Internet sources to save time when I actually get busy with the swap. It’s my hope that perhaps (even with my limited expertise) sharing here will shorten the research needed by people who come after me. I’ve never done this before so this is not intended as a how to.

First the basics. My truck is a 2002 Tahoe 4x4 with a completely rebuilt 5.3 making in the Mid 300s right now. I will be putting a turbo on after the transmission with a goal of around mid 500s and keeping it a street-able daily driver. For other noobs like me, my truck falls in the category of NBS (New Body Style) and GMT800. So here’s a short list of stuff I know has to happen to do this swap:

• Get a 4L80e
• 4L80e Torque Converter
• Flexplate and adapter
• New Crossmember or Modification of Existing
• Swap Transfer case input shaft to a 32 spline or get a TCase from an 80e in a junk yard
• Longer front drive shaft
• Shorter rear driveshaft
• Dipstick tube
• Rewire or Buy Wiring harness adapter
• PCM reprogram
• Trans cooler lines need to be lengthened
• Shorter Transfer case Adapter and seal
• Knowledge that 80e has a taller first gear, and the rest of the gears are closer ratio
• Use NSS from existing 4L60e and wire harness

Here’s where I am in the purchasing process (Using the list from above, I will elaborate on each):

· 4L80e – Got a reman. Got it from Transmission Depot in Hudson, FL (they were amazing in helping me and answering all my dumb questions along the way)

· 4L80e Torque converter – I Got a GM 278mm with a 3000 stall with billet front end from Circle-D (Another awesome vendor. Never lost patience with me with my limited knowledge of this whole process). Circle D can make a special front end with the same 3 bolt pattern as a 4L60e so you don’t need to buy the 6 bolt flexplate and spacer. If you just get a 4L80e Torque Converter with the 6 bolt, remember that you will need the 6 bolt flexplate

· New Flexplate – As just mentioned, the Circle D Torque converter I bought uses a Dished style LS flexplate from a 4L60. My stock one was in rough shape so I sprang for a Hughes (4004x)

· Crossmember – I plan on welding on steel angle iron to extend it the 2.5 inches it needs to use the existing crossmember

· Transfer Case – For my build, I don’t need to do anything. Trans Depot built my 4L80e with a HD hardened 27 spline shaft

· Longer Drive Shaft – Picked up a 15182094 on eBay

· Shorter Rear Driveshaft - Had my stock one shortened by Universal Driveshaft Service in Charlotte, NC

· Dipstick tube – Bought a Lokar XTD-3518FM on Amazon

· Wiring Harness Adapter – 4L60e to 4L80e Transmission Plug and Play Adapter Harness LS Swap on Amazon

· PCM Reprogram – Will use HP Tuners and do a 80e segment swap from a Chevy Express 4.8/4L80e (info from Sloppy)

· Transcooler lines – Thinking about replacing them with -6an Steel Braided Lines

· Using my NSS from my 4L60. Took a heat gun to the connections to melt the glue and they came right apart.

· Transfer Case Adapter - The 4L60e one will NOT work. I got an AC Delco 15724745 off Amazon. I also got the AC Delco 8681168 Seal (have not test fitted it yet, I will update when I do)

Other random stuff I bought:

· GM 15765623 COVER,TRANS CONV

· ACDelco 24245110 GM Original Equipment Transfer Case Adapter Gasket

· Spectre Performance 4696 Flexplate Bolt

· ARP 2307304 Torque Converter Bolt Kit for GM

· Lubegard 19025 Kooler Kleen Transmission Cooler Flush High Pressure Formula, 18 oz.

As of now, all the old parts are out and my 4L80e has arrived. The first thing I intend to do is Flush out the lines thoroughly. My 4l60e blew up and no telling what kind of crap might be in the lines.

I plan to update this thread as I make progress, I know I’ll have dumb questions along the way, but if they’re dumb for me, then hopefully getting answers will help others as well. Please feel free to comment on anything. My goal in posting this is to learn.

 

[Rocket Man]

Subbed

 

[Erickk120]

It's definitely more painful in a 4wd model, cant wait to see the progress, that is exactly what am hoping to do when my 4l60e dies, and bullet proof for a future 6.0 with mods later on. I'm currently gathering parts to swap my auto tcase to a manual 241c, I know that when I get an 80e I will need to go from 27 to 32 splines for the input shaft on the tcase.

It would be awesome if you can keep track of all the spending, and to come with a total so that we could all get an idea of what it would cost to do that swap.

 

[ivin74]

Following

 

[cam3439]

Following as well.

 

[stevedonato]

Because all applications are a bit different, I thought I would share my progress in an effort to … 1. Make sure I’m on the right track, and 2. To try to help other’s wishing to do the same with similar applications.

I have been consolidating all the info I obtained from dozens of different Internet sources to save time when I actually get busy with the swap. It’s my hope that perhaps (even with my limited expertise) sharing here will shorten the research needed by people who come after me. I’ve never done this before so this is not intended as a how to.

First the basics. My truck is a 2002 Tahoe 4x4 with a completely rebuilt 5.3 making in the Mid 300s right now. I will be putting a turbo on after the transmission with a goal of around mid 500s and keeping it a street-able daily driver. For other noobs like me, my truck falls in the category of NBS (New Body Style) and GMT800. So here’s a short list of stuff I know has to happen to do this swap:

• Get a 4L80e
• 4L80e Torque Converter
• Flexplate and adapter
• New Crossmember or Modification of Existing
• Swap Transfer case input shaft to a 32 spline or get a TCase from an 80e in a junk yard
• Longer front drive shaft
• Shorter rear driveshaft
• Dipstick tube
• Rewire or Buy Wiring harness adapter
• PCM reprogram
• Trans cooler lines need to be lengthened
• Shorter Transfer case Adapter and seal
• Knowledge that 80e has a taller first gear, and the rest of the gears are closer ratio
• Use NSS from existing 4L60e and wire harness

Here’s where I am in the purchasing process (Using the list from above, I will elaborate on each):

· 4L80e – Got a reman. Got it from Transmission Depot in Hudson, FL (they were amazing in helping me and answering all my dumb questions along the way)

· 4L80e Torque converter – I Got a GM 278mm with a 3000 stall with billet front end from Circle-D (Another awesome vendor. Never lost patience with me with my limited knowledge of this whole process). Circle D can make a special front end with the same 3 bolt pattern as a 4L60e so you don’t need to buy the 6 bolt flexplate and spacer. If you just get a 4L80e Torque Converter with the 6 bolt, remember that you will need the 6 bolt flexplate

· New Flexplate – As just mentioned, the Circle D Torque converter I bought uses a Dished style LS flexplate from a 4L60. My stock one was in rough shape so I sprang for a Hughes (4004x)

· Crossmember – I plan on welding on steel angle iron to extend it the 2.5 inches it needs to use the existing crossmember

· Transfer Case – For my build, I don’t need to do anything. Trans Depot built my 4L80e with a HD hardened 27 spline shaft

· Longer Drive Shaft – Picked up a 15182094 on eBay

· Shorter Rear Driveshaft - Had my stock one shortened by Universal Driveshaft Service in Charlotte, NC

· Dipstick tube – Bought a Lokar XTD-3518FM on Amazon

· Wiring Harness Adapter – 4L60e to 4L80e Transmission Plug and Play Adapter Harness LS Swap on Amazon

· PCM Reprogram – Will use HP Tuners and do a 80e segment swap from a Chevy Express 4.8/4L80e (info from Sloppy)

· Transcooler lines – Thinking about replacing them with -6an Steel Braided Lines

· Using my NSS from my 4L60. Took a heat gun to the connections to melt the glue and they came right apart.

· Transfer Case Adapter - The 4L60e one will NOT work. I got an AC Delco 15724745 off Amazon. I also got the AC Delco 8681168 Seal (have not test fitted it yet, I will update when I do)

Other random stuff I bought:

· GM 15765623 COVER,TRANS CONV

· ACDelco 24245110 GM Original Equipment Transfer Case Adapter Gasket

· Spectre Performance 4696 Flexplate Bolt

· ARP 2307304 Torque Converter Bolt Kit for GM

· Lubegard 19025 Kooler Kleen Transmission Cooler Flush High Pressure Formula, 18 oz.

As of now, all the old parts are out and my 4L80e has arrived. The first thing I intend to do is Flush out the lines thoroughly. My 4l60e blew up and no telling what kind of crap might be in the lines.

I plan to update this thread as I make progress, I know I’ll have dumb questions along the way, but if they’re dumb for me, then hopefully getting answers will help others as well. Please feel free to comment on anything. My goal in posting this is to learn.

Enjoy this great project while you are still young. In my day our so called big projects were installing GMC or Judson Superchargers and converting our column mounted stick shift to Foor shift. Enjoy ;-)

 

[blackjack]

Following this..basically doing a build around 600hp in my 2008 PPV already comp cam...all of ya know it. Transmission when we juice or turbo needed..

 

[srs5150]

Progress Update:

Pictured below is the following:

1. Crossmember ready for measuring and final holes



2. Flexplate is in



3. Torque Converter is in




4. 4L80e Transfer Case Adapter is different from the 4L60e and needs different bolts and different seal

 

[srs5150]

12/5/2019 UPDATE:

Tranny is mated with the engine:



Lessons learned during this step:

1. If you take the front wheels and the plastic guard off, you get easy access to the bell housing bolts on the sides and top (I had already taken my headers off).
2. If you buy a 4L80e, It will not come with a VSS, you need to get one. You will also need to get the bolt that holds the bracket for the VSS
3. If you're swapping your neutral safety switch from a 4L60e, the bolts will not work on the 4L80e - you need to find new ones

These might seem like little details, but if you have to stop and run to the store every step, it gets very annoying. I ended up getting this

:

 

[srs5150]

I hit a bit of a wall.

I can't get the transfer case to mate with the output shaft on the 4L80e. Even took the transfer case adapter off and the transfer case cant go further back because it hits the tortion bar (see photo) and I can't seem make it go up any. Exhausted from wrestling with it.





In the picture below, if I tilt the transfer case down, it overlaps with the output shaft by an inch. I'm probably doing something stupid, but if anyone has a solution please let me know.

 

[Erickk120]

Is it dimensional impossible for it to fit, or is the problem just getting over the torsion member to make it fit? If it just wont fit, maybe some cutting will be needed, which should be fine as long as you weld some sort of re enforcing.

 

[srs5150]

It's in.

I'm not saying this is how it should be done, but this is what finally worked for me. I took the transfer case adapter off so I could get the transfer case studs up and far back enough to put the transfer case adapter back on. It wasn't easy, but with a lot of back and forth and back and forth and some wiggling, the transmission output shaft and transfer case input finally lined up.

One thing that saved my arms - I cut a 2x4 the length of the distance from my floor to the bottom of the transfer case (the trans jack was too much in the way). When my arms got too tired of wiggling, I set the 2x4 in place and took a break. Then went back to it. Last night I just man handled it to complete exhaustion (and frustration).

I really hope this helps someone someday.

 

[randeez]

tranfercase is awkward as hell, as it sits clocked uneven so putting a jack or something under it doesnt work. i dont know if the awd is any lighter, prob ~60lbs or so, but the only thing that works for me is just to get it under there and throw it on my chest and manhandle it into place. on the gmt900, the tail needs to go over the crossmember first then lift the front up to the transmission adapter. but there is plenty of room to do it with no torsion bars

 

[Rocket Man]

tranfercase is awkward as hell, as it sits clocked uneven so putting a jack or something under it doesnt work. i dont know if the awd is any lighter, prob ~60lbs or so, but the only thing that works for me is just to get it under there and throw it on my chest and manhandle it into place. on the gmt900, the tail needs to go over the crossmember first then lift the front up to the transmission adapter. but there is plenty of room to do it with no torsion bars

Yessir, that’s how I did mine in my 02 Denali. 60 lbs doesn’t sound like much but in an awkward position like that, it’s a *****. There’s no way to use a trans jack.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Yessir, that’s how I did mine in my 02 Denali. 60 lbs doesn’t sound like much but in an awkward position like that, it’s a *****. There’s no way to use a trans jack.

Bench it, buddy!

 

[Erickk120]

Glad you made it work, without having to hack anything. Following this as well!

 

[Rocket Man]

Bench it, buddy!

Yessir I did, and my arms still hurt.

 

[srs5150]

.... It's the DETAILS that slow you down!


I was able to get the NSS on easily (which I promptly removed because I needed access to the oil port and front speed sensor).




After removing it, I put on the front speed sensor (from the kit I bought) and my trans oil temp sensor.




And then I hit a hiccup with the bracket that holds the shift control cable when I tried to transfer my 4L60e one to the 4L80e. It's a NO GO. See last picture. I'm holding it below its mounting point for reference, but you get the idea on how much longer it is.




So, I ordered part number 15013290 and will wait 4 days for it to arrive:




All the transfer case connections are made and I'll be going after the trans cooler lines next.........

 

[randeez]

Will the gear selector lever work where it is?
On mine it's right on top of the front driveshaft. I had to take two of them and offset it closer to the pan to make it work. My cable rides along the pan rail to change gears...at the moment it will only go into P R N D and 3 is iffy

 

[srs5150]

The bracket that holds the shift control cable came. Now I realize I don't have the right fasteners for it. Anyone have a clue what to use?