Running A CVC BU60FHD Converter with Zeroed-Out Clutch Slip Target -- Any Advice/Experience?

[Scrappycrow]

Y'all,

I will be doing a number of reliability changes/upgrades soon, including disabling AFM and prophylactically replacing the torque converter & installing a Sonnax Zip Kit.

I'm leaning towards a CVC BU60FHD converter, as recommended by many here. For those who are running this converter, have you zeroed-out the clutch slip target with tuning? If so, what are the results? Do you know if CVC has anything to say on the matter (i.e. they don't recommend, their clutches can handle it, etc.)?

Thanks in advance,
Scrappy
2013 Tahoe LTZ 2WD

 

[Foggy]

If you are going to use HPTuners, then you can get rid of TC lockup in
gears 1-3 (some people do 4th too/ I don't).
Zero out the slip in 5th & 6th gears.
Bring the upshift (shift scheduling) tables up quite a bit so you're
not hunting gears so much. Adjust the TCC lockup on the same curve.
Otherwise the rest can stay with stock settings.
I love my 6L80e since I have made my adjustment

 

[Foggy]

Just to add, the converter slip is there mostly to do with the DOD/AFM
so make sure you turn that crap off FIRST before you do any trans tuning

 

[Marky Dissod]

If you are going to use HPTuners ... get rid of TCC lockup in gears 1-3 (some people do 4th too / I don't).
Zero out the slip in 5th & 6th gears.
Bring the upshift (shift scheduling) tables up quite a bit, so you're not hunting gears as much.
Adjust the TCC lockup on the same curve.
Otherwise the rest can stay with stock settings.
I love my 6L80E since I have made my adjustment.
... TCC clutch slip is there mostly to do with Engine Half @$$,
so make sure you turn that crap off FIRST before you do any trans tuning.

If you keep TCC LockUp in 4th, might wanna zero out the slip there as well.
The faster the vehicle is going before the TCC locks (or unlocks), regardless of gear, the less you'll notice it.

 

[Marky Dissod]

If you want to give your engine & transmission a wee lil extra protection against overheating,
1) Leave the 'DOD Enable' selector Enabled (yes, I know what I said, please read on)
2) RAISE the 'DOD Enable Engine Coolant Temp' (Min Engine Coolant Temp before V4 mode can enable)
to 230F / 110C.

See what I'm getting at?

 

[Scrappycrow]

Thanks for the input, Y'all! I'd already read both of your commentaries on the subject in other threads, but appreciate Y'all repeating it here. Now I just need folks' experiences with the converter in question.

See what I'm getting at?

Yep, cooling by cutting off half of the surface area relative to the power being made, while keeping the same amount of coolant flow.

 

[Foggy]

I think GEOTRASH has that converter

 

[Joseph Garcia]

@NickTransmissions is our local transmission expert, and her will have some perspectives on the torque converters that he recommends/uses, when he upgrades transmissions.

To help us out, specifically what do you plan to do with the truck after the upgrade? Track? Street 'competition'?

 

[Scrappycrow]

To help us out, specifically what do you plan to do with the truck after the upgrade? Track? Street 'competition'?

I intend to only be doing reliability, longevity, and driveability upgrades. It's a daily driver that I will use for regularly pulling a small utility trailer (that I used to pull with my 4-cylinder/auto '94 Camry without issue) and infrequently pulling a moderately-sized travel trailer no heavier than ~4K lbs. No HP modifications, no heavy-ass wheels/tires, definitely not any sort of motorsports or hot-rodding (I have my '57 Chevy, '79 AMC Spirit, and '88 BMW 535i for those).

 

[Marky Dissod]

I intend to only be doing reliability, longevity, and drivability upgrades.

3.42 will make life easier on the engine and transmission, better city MpG too.
Disabling Engine Half @$$ is not as good as deleting it, but every lil bit helps.
A well-rewritten shift schedule (post #3 by Foggy) sacrifices 1 or 2 PEAK MpG,
but the 6L80E will last even longer.

Vast majority of the rest is using AC Delco (or better) replacement parts.

 

[MWD_CTSV]

I have the CVC BU60FHD converter, with only 5/6 TCC lockup and zero-slip. And it works quite well. It is the best value that I know for a stock upgrade.

General wisdom for 6L80 converter clutches is that the GM woven carbon clutches are the best for TCC slip, and I think that Sonnax is the only one with a comparable woven carbon material. Most other clutches do not tolerate slip as well (CVC included), which is why @NickTransmissions recommends a thicker clutch for a longer life. It does seem prudent to target zero slip with aftermarket clutches.

My own personal experience was that the CVC performed well with slip at first, but I only had TCC in 5/6. However after a 400 mile tow trip, I began to get a shudder at low rpm & high load, which I think was probably some type of burnishing of the clutches. The end result was that I switched to zero slip to resolve it. I didn't shoot for zero slip at first, because I had only chose to rebuild the trans as a preventative measure. I wasn't trying to change everything at once except that it seemed very clear that TCC lockup in 2nd and 3rd would increase the wear on the TCC, so 5/6 only TCC lockup was my starting poing.

 

[Scrappycrow]

3.42 will make life easier on the engine and transmission, better city MpG too.

That'd be nice, but won't be happening unless I run across a good one in a yard.

I have the CVC BU60FHD converter, with only 5/6 TCC lockup and zero-slip. And it works quite well. It is the best value that I know for a stock upgrade.

General wisdom for 6L80 converter clutches is that the GM woven carbon clutches are the best for TCC slip, and I think that Sonnax is the only one with a comparable woven carbon material. Most other clutches do not tolerate slip as well (CVC included), which is why @NickTransmissions recommends a thicker clutch for a longer life. It does seem prudent to target zero slip with aftermarket clutches.

My own personal experience was that the CVC performed well with slip at first, but I only had TCC in 5/6. However after a 400 mile tow trip, I began to get a shudder at low rpm & high load, which I think was probably some type of burnishing of the clutches. The end result was that I switched to zero slip to resolve it. I didn't shoot for zero slip at first, because I had only chose to rebuild the trans as a preventative measure. I wasn't trying to change everything at once except that it seemed very clear that TCC lockup in 2nd and 3rd would increase the wear on the TCC, so 5/6 only TCC lockup was my starting poing.

Thank you for relating your personal experience. It looks that no lockup in 1-2-3 and lockup in 5-6 are the way to go, with lockup in 4 to be determined.

 

[Marky Dissod]

That'd be nice, but won't be happening unless I run across a good one in a yard.

Shouldn't be too hard, very common gear for GMT800 & GMT400.

... looks that no lockup in 1-2-3, & lockup in 5-6 are the way to go,
with lockup in 4th to be determined.

Think
'Less and/or Later TCC LockUp in 4th than GM OE' ...