My 4L60e to 4L80e Swap Journal:

[randeez]

Did you get the one you posted above?
First make sure the trans has the bosses threaded for it.
They're probably m6x1.0 all they have to hold is the bracket 15mm-20mm in length should be plenty.

 

[srs5150]

I did get the one above.

M6x1.0 just falls in
M7x1.0 seems to fit but bottoms out after 2 turns
M8x1.25 seems to fit but botoms out after 2 turns
No SAE came close.

Tried every singe one of these with no luck.

 

[Rocket Man]

I did get the one above.

M6x1.0 just falls in
M7x1.0 seems to fit but bottoms out after 2 turns
M8x1.25 seems to fit but botoms out after 2 turns
No SAE came close.

Tried every singe one of these with no luck.

View attachment 236884

Tap it yourself. Then you’ll know what it is. Make it the next size up in metric or try a M8 tap. If it doesn’t work you can drill it bigger and go with the next size up but only drill to the bottom of the original hole, be careful to not drill through duh.

 

[wjburken]

I did get the one above.

M6x1.0 just falls in
M7x1.0 seems to fit but bottoms out after 2 turns
M8x1.25 seems to fit but botoms out after 2 turns
No SAE came close.

Tried every singe one of these with no luck.

View attachment 236884

There are fine thread and coarse thread metric. In metric the second number is the distance between threads, not the number of threads per inch like SAE.

M7x1.0 and M7x0.75
M8x1.25, M8x1.0 & M8x0.75

My guess would be, based on what you are describing, is you need an M8x1.0 bolt.
If it was an M7 hole you would not likely even get 2 turns out of an M8 bolt.

 

[srs5150]

So I took my skirt off, quit cryin' and ran a M8x1.25 tap into the holes and got the M8x1.25 bolts to work. The rest of the day went amazingly well:


Bracket:


Trans oil lines


Starter:



Front Drive Shaft / Headers / Bell Housing Bottom Cover:



Rear Driveshaft:




I think I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Still gotta run the speed sensor up to the ECM and wire it in and do a segment swap from a 4L80e vehicle but I'm encouraged by today. Gotta go to the in-laws for the weekend so it won't be very productive car wise, but I hope to make more progress next week. Thank you to those who chimed in and offered a helping hand.

More to come......

 

[srs5150]

Well, .... I had everything on and filled it with ATF. Instead of turning the key and celebrating a running truck, I was greeted with this:





Should I drain it, take the pan off, replace the gasket and reassemble, or is there an easier fix?

 

[ivin74]

Try tighten up the bolts but i would drain an replace the gasket.

 

[Rocket Man]

Well, .... I had everything on and filled it with ATF. Instead of turning the key and celebrating a running truck, I was greeted with this:

View attachment 237204

View attachment 237205

Should I drain it, take the pan off, replace the gasket and reassemble, or is there an easier fix?

I’ve had a leak both times I replaced my trans, and both times I torqued the pan bolts to spec and it resolved the issue. Then after a couple hundred miles, I checked torque again. Make sure to torque them to spec, don’t overtighten them or you’ll bend the pan flange. If that doesn’t fix it, then you know what you have to do.

 

[89Suburban]

Great work here man.

 

[srs5150]

I tried torquing to spec. Still leaked.
Tried loosening them some, still leaked.
Tried torquing to speck, still leaked.
Tightened a little more, still leaked.

Then I called the company that I bought the 4L80e from - without hesitation, they are sending me another pan and gasket no questions asked. On hold for a few more days.

I was SO close to turning the key today, I could taste it. Oh well, what's a few more days. I keep reminding myself that I have a beater to drive while the truck is down, so I shouldn't try to hurry it.

 

[Rocket Man]

I tried torquing to spec. Still leaked.
Tried loosening them some, still leaked.
Tried torquing to speck, still leaked.
Tightened a little more, still leaked.

Then I called the company that I bought the 4L80e from - without hesitation, they are sending me another pan and gasket no questions asked. On hold for a few more days.

I was SO close to turning the key today, I could taste it. Oh well, what's a few more days. I keep reminding myself that I have a beater to drive while the truck is down, so I shouldn't try to hurry it.

Awesome customer service. Patience isn’t my virtue either.

 

[clandr1]

Any updates? Great thread!

 

[srs5150]

It's IN. IT RUNS!!!!!!!

HP Tuners makes the segment swap super easy!

I performed the "shift learn" process recommended by the company that sold it to me up on the lift. (No leaks). Then I took it out for a rather gentle test drive. I had a couple of drops of trans fluid that are falling towards the back of the truck (further back than the transfer case) and I'm thinking I may have gotten over zealous with ATF and it's coming out the vent tube. I'm not sure. It shifts nice, and as of right now, I am cautiously optimistic.

I really appreciate you guys jumping in and providing direction. This is a great forum.



This pic was taken prior to putting the O2 sensors back in.

 

[Rocket Man]

Hell yeah! Congratulations!

 

[BRAAP]

Thank you for documenting and sharing. What’s your take on the change in gearing, do you much notice the taller 1st and shorter 4th?
I’m planning to upgrade trans in my DD 01 1500 4x4 burb soon, (tow heavy loads on occasion, mild off-road exploring, lots of daily driving 25k-35k miles a year), my only hesitation to 4l80E vs a built 60E is the gearing, an obstacle that may only be in my head, 80E with its taller 1st gear and shorter 4th. With larger tires for mild offroading and towing off the line think the deeper 1st when in 2/4hi and with all the hwy miles prefer the low rpm Hwy speeds for comfort sake, or am I over thinking it?

 

[clandr1]

Congrats!

 

[srs5150]

Thank you for documenting and sharing. What’s your take on the change in gearing, do you much notice the taller 1st and shorter 4th?

Sorry for the delay in my response, I've been out of town a lot lately and have not touched the truck in a week. The answer is - I'm not sure yet. I think I have a vacuum or exhaust leak because the truck is running lean. I hope to have a chance to hunt down the leaks today and actually get to drive the truck again. I will post when I know more......

 

[srs5150]

Thank you for documenting and sharing. What’s your take on the change in gearing, do you much notice the taller 1st and shorter 4th?
?

Yes. Definitely noticeable. Mostly first gear. It should definitely not be a deal breaker if you are planning a swap. The peace of mind alone makes me still very glad I did the swap. It's not a big enough deal to make me want to change my rear gear or get one of those stand alone trans modules. I don't know enough about HP Tuners to mess with the shift points or pressures, but I intend on having a pro look at it at some point.

 

[randeez]

Going from a 4l60 to a 4l80 isnt a huge difference 3.06 to 2.48 iirc.

From the 6l80 to 4l80 is where the drop is huge (4.02). The 6l80 gearing is nice but requires a lot more to swap it into a 4l60 equipped truck

 

[ivin74]

Yes. Definitely noticeable. Mostly first gear. It should definitely not be a deal breaker if you are planning a swap. The peace of mind alone makes me still very glad I did the swap. It's not a big enough deal to make me want to change my rear gear or get one of those stand alone trans modules. I don't know enough about HP Tuners to mess with the shift points or pressures, but I intend on having a pro look at it at some point.

What was the total cost for the swap? if you don't mind me asking.