Reman 4L80E
02-18-2015, 12:01 AM
#3
You have asked a valid question and I'm going to try to give an answer without writing a novel.
There are multiple different methods to upgrade to a 4L80E. Lots of guys have been successful with the wrecking yard transmission with HD2 kit route. It's obviously a potentially viable approach. The 4L80E is is a rugged design that is over-engineered for the most part. The VB kit bumps up the line pressure, opens up the feed holes, and helps the somewhat weak direct apply area of the stock unit. The limiting factor becomes hard parts and what the condition of the transmission was when received from the wrecking yard. IF you get an excellent condition used unit, this method will get you a decent lifespan, on the cheap, and be fairly reliable to 700-750 HP (typical input shaft failure point).
However there is a decent amount of risk in the used unit. If you disassemble it and check it out, you can mitigate some of that risk, assuming you can identify deficiencies.
I personally would be afraid of a trans failure causing damage to an expensive torque converter, or a big tow bill, unplanned failure and headaches.
I've also seen the condition of the average 4L80E core over the years. 5 years ago, we were able to rebuild almost every core we got in, and many had almost new looking clutches. Now it's about 2 out of 3, and very few would be suitable for installation as they are.
The other options are:
Local rebuilder, re-manufactured unit, performance builder, specialized performance builder.
There are varying levels of builders in each but this is how I categorize them. Obviously a local builder may be talented, or he could be a crack head.
The guys advertising a $600 rebuild on Craigslist are not "rebuilding" a transmission. It costs $600 in soft parts at wholesale pricing to properly build a STOCK 4L80E, not to mention worn hard parts which most will have.
A reputable local builder who is talented can probably build you a very nice 4L80E but many are not comfortable with or familiar with performance modifications or applications.
Some may be willing to do the mods but not warranty the trans for performance use, and will not be able to answer your questions about retrofitting it into a non stock application.
A remanufactured unit is similar to the local builder approach. Many come with a decent warranty. If you tear into them or go to the facility and see how they are built. They are doing nothing more than a good rebuilder, they have just standardized the process into more of an assembly line. Sometimes they have cost cutting in mind and they test solenoids instead of replacing them. They are usually a decent deal for an OEM application. They are popular with general repair shops because they allow for a quick turnaround on a job. No shop wants a vehicle clogging up their lift.
Performance builders,
Again there are varying degrees. This can be the guy who does it for spare cash on the side and deals mainly in the performance side or it can be a well known shop that does excellent quality work. Usually these are a good choice. They have a known successful recipe if it's a transmission they build often. They typically use parts from other sources and they just build the transmission, they don't get into the engineering, R&D, manufacturing, etc.
The last type is the specialized shop. This is the technical expert for your particular transmission. Probably only a handful of these shops for a given unit, or even one.
They design and manufacture specialized parts, build the transmissions, and usually sell the parts to other shops/builders. They build more of the particular transmission than anybody in the industry so by shear numbers they are going to have more knowledge than most of the other choices.
There are multiple different methods to upgrade to a 4L80E. Lots of guys have been successful with the wrecking yard transmission with HD2 kit route. It's obviously a potentially viable approach. The 4L80E is is a rugged design that is over-engineered for the most part. The VB kit bumps up the line pressure, opens up the feed holes, and helps the somewhat weak direct apply area of the stock unit. The limiting factor becomes hard parts and what the condition of the transmission was when received from the wrecking yard. IF you get an excellent condition used unit, this method will get you a decent lifespan, on the cheap, and be fairly reliable to 700-750 HP (typical input shaft failure point).
However there is a decent amount of risk in the used unit. If you disassemble it and check it out, you can mitigate some of that risk, assuming you can identify deficiencies.
I personally would be afraid of a trans failure causing damage to an expensive torque converter, or a big tow bill, unplanned failure and headaches.
I've also seen the condition of the average 4L80E core over the years. 5 years ago, we were able to rebuild almost every core we got in, and many had almost new looking clutches. Now it's about 2 out of 3, and very few would be suitable for installation as they are.
The other options are:
Local rebuilder, re-manufactured unit, performance builder, specialized performance builder.
There are varying levels of builders in each but this is how I categorize them. Obviously a local builder may be talented, or he could be a crack head.
The guys advertising a $600 rebuild on Craigslist are not "rebuilding" a transmission. It costs $600 in soft parts at wholesale pricing to properly build a STOCK 4L80E, not to mention worn hard parts which most will have.
A reputable local builder who is talented can probably build you a very nice 4L80E but many are not comfortable with or familiar with performance modifications or applications.
Some may be willing to do the mods but not warranty the trans for performance use, and will not be able to answer your questions about retrofitting it into a non stock application.
A remanufactured unit is similar to the local builder approach. Many come with a decent warranty. If you tear into them or go to the facility and see how they are built. They are doing nothing more than a good rebuilder, they have just standardized the process into more of an assembly line. Sometimes they have cost cutting in mind and they test solenoids instead of replacing them. They are usually a decent deal for an OEM application. They are popular with general repair shops because they allow for a quick turnaround on a job. No shop wants a vehicle clogging up their lift.
Performance builders,
Again there are varying degrees. This can be the guy who does it for spare cash on the side and deals mainly in the performance side or it can be a well known shop that does excellent quality work. Usually these are a good choice. They have a known successful recipe if it's a transmission they build often. They typically use parts from other sources and they just build the transmission, they don't get into the engineering, R&D, manufacturing, etc.
The last type is the specialized shop. This is the technical expert for your particular transmission. Probably only a handful of these shops for a given unit, or even one.
They design and manufacture specialized parts, build the transmissions, and usually sell the parts to other shops/builders. They build more of the particular transmission than anybody in the industry so by shear numbers they are going to have more knowledge than most of the other choices.
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