Boosted_Ecotec

I have been searching for a couple of days and it would seem there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding this swap (not from this forum but all over the net). Could somebody please clarify for me?

The sun shell broke in one of my work trucks so I have been using it with no reverse, 2nd or 4th. I have always wanted to try rebuilding so I acquired a good unit for cheap from a 99 Chevy van with a 5.7 and low miles. The idea is to make this unit work temporarily while I learn to disassemble/reassemble the original unit. I actually did R&R for AAmco and a couple of other shops back in the 90's and have taken some units apart (never put them back together though).

I google my thoughts and learn that any 97+ 4l60e will work fine, so I go and buy this unit for cheap. I google some more and others are saying that the bell housing is different, the splines are different, and the torque converter is different.

So I guess my question is. I have this unit from the 99. I have the unit in my 01 5.3 truck that will be pulled. What else do I need to make this work? Spacer? If the splines are different, then use the converter from the 99 and simply drill out the holes on the flex plate? As long as I have everything ahead of time, I can do the R&R on a Sunday which would mean no down time for this truck and no $$ loss for me.

Thanks!

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

BH is the same AFAIK.

Splines are the same (30) but that doesn't matter if you use the 5.7 converter w the 5.7 transmission.

Converter is different, but AFAIK only difference is clutch material. Externally the same.

AFAIK no drilling on the flex plate is required.

Boosted_Ecotec

http://transmissiongarage.com/About/4l60-e_tech.php
'The bellhousing changed with the new 5.3 engine (as you can see from the pictures below). The top pic is the old style bell housing that mates to the old style 5.7 engine. The bottom picture goes to the newer 5.3 engine. The differences are which holes the bellhouse uses to bolt the transmission to the block. The newer 5.3 bellhousing is also deeper and takes the b-85 converter rather than the b -29 torque converter.'

This among other things leaves me to question.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

If you use whichever converter with the transmission it goes with, should bolt to either engine.

A BH bolt here or there won't matter.

Don't take my word for it though; you have both, set them side by side and compare.

Boosted_Ecotec

I also found this...

'your 1998 trans.. did it come off a 5.7 liter engine?

If so, it will not directly bolt to the LS series engine. Different converter design, input shaft, stator splines locations, bell housing is deeper'.

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/98-4...rk-233496.html

This is why I came here to ask. This forum has been around for ages and the people that know, really do.

I appreciate you trying to help.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

The 4L80-E was always set up for early SBC/BBC. Never for LS engine depth.

A spacer, or a longer crank was used so it would bolt up to the LS engines.

This would allow your SBC trans. / converter to bolt up to your 5.3. The spacer & bolts are available for $ 50 I believe from GM. Or some new LS flexplates include the spacer.

Yes, the cast-in bellhousing will be missing a hole up top; this isn't a big deal with 5 left.

All this said, make sure you have some leeway in the slip-yoke, since the total trans. length may differ.

Boosted_Ecotec

Interesting. What about using the bell housing from the original transmission?

cosmick

BTDT, used the 4L60E from a '97 2WD C2500 van, used the torque converter from a '99 4x4 S-Blazer L35 because it's the highest stall salvage yard converter that'll work, ordered a new '00 LQ4 flexplate from www.rockauto.com, it came with the 0.400"-thick aluminum spacer and the longer bolts. Matched my converter perfectly, too, but I seem to recall having to elongate the 3 bolt holes for the converter, not difficult using a 3/8" oval carbide burr I'd been using for porting heads. All bolted together to an '01 4.8 using the 4.8 starter.
If I do it again, I'm going to try the dished LM7 flexplate with the Hughes spacer bushing. But I'll probably use the TCI flexplate with a 4L80E if I go auto again, my current 4.8 build is a manual trans.

Boosted_Ecotec

Rock Auto is great. I get 90% of my parts through them. That 6.0 flex plate with spacer is only $50. I may just do that and call it a day. I had planned to do the rear main on the motor anyway since she's about to turn 270k. Gotta love these motors. She feels stronger today than when she came off the lot.

Since the bell housings are interchangeable, would there be any advantage to using the original from the 2001? If deeper means longer, would that create too much space for the torque converter? I was thinking of the slip yoke as jmd mentioned.

Sorry if I'm over thinking. I tend to do that with projects but as it pertains to this one, I'd like to be completely informed as I teach my son how to turn wrenches.

cosmick

The 4L60E I used was the last of the integral bellhousings, but since it was a PWM version my tuning guy had no problem.
You need the tailhousing from a '98-'02 F-car, for the torque arm mount. Putting the Energy Suspension mount and torque arm bushings on there, then mounting it like a 700R-4, will let you use the 700R-4 shifter linkage. No need to change driveshafts or anything.
Using the later 4L60Es with removable bellhousings may affect where the back of the engine block sits longitudinally, if GM messed with the depth of the bellhousing. IDK, I didn't have to look into that.
I've heard the later the better for 4L60Es, but the TH400 / 4L80E is still the strongest automatic transmission ever bolted to a Chevrolet V8, and it always came with an integral bellhousing, so why play around with removable when it's unnecessary?
Anyway, keeping the 4L60E located where the 700R-4 belonged is correct whichever way you have to go with mounting the engine to accommodate that. I even managed to fit a truck intake under my IROC-Z hood. I used a new pair of Trans-Dapt mounts, 4536s, IIRC

Boosted_Ecotec

It's good info cosmic, thanks. This one's actually going back up in the work truck. The idea is to have everything ahead of time so that I can swap transmissions on a Sunday and not have to miss any work. I got the flex plate and spacer, rear main, and pump seal all for under $70 from Rock.

Now I'll have an extra 4l60e for when I begin the restore on my 83 TA.

Boosted_Ecotec

EDIT: Never mind. I figured out which ARP Pro Series to go with.

TC Harper

So i have a 2001 Yukon xl 5.3 4wd , bad trans. I have a 99 4l60e 4wd trans. Are there any adaptations that need to be done to make this work? Thanks in advance guys!