can i put a 4l80e in my Z?

[azkkn]

i have a 1994 Z-28, and i am looking at getting the tranny rebuilt this winter, and having it beefed up. would i be better off with a 4L80E? will it fit?

[Injuneer]

You can put a 4L80E in a 4th Gen, but it takes a bit of work. You can go to the "Advanced Tech" board at CamaroZ28.com, and do a "search"..... we have an extensive thread there documenting the exact steps, with pictures, that one member used.

What kind of power are you planning on? There are some shops that are doing decent work with the 4L60E, and there are 4L65E upgrade parts available right from GM. The 4L80E is a "truck" tranny.... and it is HEAVY.

[fastTa]

Unless you plan on making at least 800 lb/ft of torque, the 4L80/E would be be way overkill. It is extremely heavy and takes a considerable amount more HP to turn.

The bell housing does share the same bell housing bolt pattern but that is about it as far as bolt-in compatibility. The thread that Fred recommended is a good one.

There are quite a few shops that can build a 4L60E to stand behind 700-800 HP-lb/ft very easily. Combination Motorsports had a 4L60E in a 1000 HP Impala that weighed 4,500 lbs with no problems.

[AmericanZ28]

What are the main parts that are swapped out on the 4L60E's? How much power can a stock 4L60E handle? Im trying to gather a list of parts for a Fall engine rebuild. My goal is 450 HP N/A, and I dont think the 4L60E will hack it

[fastTa]

What are the main parts that are swapped out on the 4L60E's? How much power can a stock 4L60E handle? Im trying to gather a list of parts for a Fall engine rebuild. My goal is 450 HP N/A, and I dont think the 4L60E will hack it

A stock 4L60E will start to at about 400 HP, in rare cases they will handle more.

Some of the parts that are upgraded on a 4L60E are:
13 vane pump, kevlar band, heavy duty 29 element sprag, heavy duty servo and overdrive servo, blue plate clutches (don't use the red altos), hardened input drum, hardened input shaft, heavy duty hardened sun gear shell assembly, 5 pinion heavy duty input carrier (planetary), 5 pinion heavy duty reaction rear carrier, .500" boost valve, heavy duty 1-2 accumulator spring, heavy duty 3-4 clutch Spring Kit, modified valve body, and heavy duty servo check valve. There is alot more but those are the basics to building a super strong 4L60E.

The only draw back to going with a 5 pinion planetary is they sometimes cause an overheating problem in the tranny. This is because they slighty restrict the flow of tranny fluid from the pump. This can be alleviated by modifying the front planetary however.

[AmericanZ28]

Ok, the tranny will definetly have to go then. I think what I will do is just run it till it goes bad, and then have it replaced by the dealer (under waranty). This way, I can have a good remanufactured tranny that I can sell to help pay for the new one. Now, can the above parts that you mentioned be purchased as a kit to rebuild the 4L60E?