4L60E Reliability stock vs. modified??

MartyMcFLy said:

I've heard mixed reviews about the 4L60E and that it isn't the most reliable. How would it do with a few engine modifications such as a cold air intake with a catback exhaust and/or cams? Would the extra HP/TQ affect its longevity or would it even hold up?

I know the Denali has a slightly more robust tranny able to handle 380 ft./lbs.

Would the tranny be questionable pushing past stock numbers?

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Tonyrodz said:

Bought my Hoe used in 2012. I didn't get any service records with it, but it was owned by a real estate company, so it needed to be maintained. Ran great, and only issue before my mods were the knock sensors. Bought it with 212,000 and I THINK the trans was done. Once I started doing mods--swapped the 4.8 to a 6.0 with cam, headers, tune, 3000 stall convertor, etc, etc, it all finally caught up to the stock trans. So depending on your trans--mileage, maintenance etc, and depending on your mods, you take a chance of blowing your trans. So, beef it up and you'll get some longevity out of it--depending how you drive and how radical your mods are.

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08HoeCD said:

A CAI and catback exhaust won't affect anything than the sounds your vehicle makes and the size of your bank account. You might gain 2hp at most. A cam might reap a little more power, but not nearly enough to affect the longevity of your trans.

A custom tune is what most find to be the best bang for the buck in terms of power gains before you start spending $$$$ on a blower, etc. Still, a tune won't hurt your trans.

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MartyMcFLy said:

What did you end up doing for the trans?

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Tonyrodz said:

Bought my Hoe used in 2012. I didn't get any service records with it, but it was owned by a real estate company, so it needed to be maintained. Ran great, and only issue before my mods were the knock sensors. Bought it with 212,000 and I THINK the trans was done. Once I started doing mods--swapped the 4.8 to a 6.0 with cam, headers, tune, 3000 stall convertor, etc, etc, it all finally caught up to the stock trans. So depending on your trans--mileage, maintenance etc, and depending on your mods, you take a chance of blowing your trans. So, beef it up and you'll get some longevity out of it--depending how you drive and how radical your mods are.

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Tonyrodz said:

It's an 03. Back in 2012, with 212,000 we paid $5500. It was in excellent shape. All told we put in maybe $10,000 or so. That wasn't planned, just happened. I'd never spend that much intentionally. Check out my build thread for everything that I've done. View attachment 212293

EDIT: If you're on a cell, just turn it sideways. You'll see the link to my build thread.

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