does anyone know if the transgo shift kit for the 4l80e is the same for the newer 4l85e? i am thinking of buying one from tbyrne motorsports. thanks
Alex
Alex
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Shift Kit
- Thread starter 02_2500avalanche
- Start date
Alex, you want the 98364 or 98365 - check with Tom via phone or Email - this is the performance version, and yes it will work with the 4L85E, I have one installed.02_2500avalanche said:
Jack
thanks for your help. on toms website all he has listed for a part number is 4l80e, i am aussuming that it is the performance version.
Alex
Alex
Alex, best bet is email him or call and ask for him - since he doesn't list a Transgo part # I make no guaranties. 
It is very important to get the right one for performance!
It is very important to get the right one for performance!
i emailed tom and he said transgo does not make one for the 4l85e. now i am confused because i thought you have a transgo shift kit in your avy 
some one help please 
Alex
some one help please Alex
M
mike56BA
GUEST
The 4l80e kit should work. The only difference between the the 4l80e and the 4l85e is it's increased torque capacity. The output and reaction carriers (planetaries) were changed from 4 pinion gears to 5, also the overdrive planet and drum were changed. Hydraulics and electrics are the same.
thanks mike 
Thanks Mike, please feel free to write an article on the transmission questions to help everyone out - even the pros are confused about the 4L85Emike56BA said:
M
mike56BA
GUEST
I'll work on writing up something on the strengths and weak points of the 4l60e/4l65e and 4l80e/85e and the problems I've seen with theese units over the years. I'll have time next week to work on it.
Mike, outstanding, there have been lots of questions and concerns - your input will be invaluable.mike56BA said:
Chief, this belongs in the Magazine!!!
I for one am very concerned about my transmission and differential, i have seen too many laying on the track not to worry.
hey grandolphxx, did u install the gear command option when you had your shift kit installed?
Alex
Alex
I have the version that still preserves the automatic operation - would only go to manual if I had a console Hurst shifter installed.02_2500avalanche said:
Mine will stay in any gear that I choose to redline - is that what you are referring to - overrides the factory upshift logic.
I
irish
GUEST
anybody ever heard of the ShiftPlus? the fellow at autozone claims it will deliver the same (?) results as the transgo, and - it's all of $40.
i
i
I think that you will find that all this does is controll the line pressure similar to the HPP3 and the Superchip - The transgo rebuilds and reprograms the transmission in a way that will let it handle more abuse, faster shifts, less heat.irish said:
the equivalent from B&M would be the Shift Improver Kits not the ShiftPlus.
I
irish
GUEST
How about the warranty question? I'm told the ShiftPlus has a switch which may be turned "on" or "off" so the dealer - supposedly - cannot see the device or the mods.
i
i
Irish, a couple of things to think about:
1. The service guys will find the mod, they know about those things.
2. This is a ricer version of the real thing.
3. If your worried about warranty issues, why do it at all?
oops, that was three, not a couple
Sorry if this sounds flip, I am overly sensitive to the "warranty" thing - long days.
1. The service guys will find the mod, they know about those things.
2. This is a ricer version of the real thing.
3. If your worried about warranty issues, why do it at all?
oops, that was three, not a couple
Sorry if this sounds flip, I am overly sensitive to the "warranty" thing - long days.
M
mike56BA
GUEST
After several months of thinking of installing a shift kit, I decided to do it today. I was going to wait until the warranty ran out, but why wait. If it breaks under warranty am I going to have somebody else build my tranny when this is what I do for a living? NOT! I'm going to build it the way I want it done.
I went with the Transgo reprogramming kit 4L60E-HD2 kit. Works very nice! not to harsh, perfect for a daily driver. I wouldn't mind if it was a bit more firmer, I stayed on the mild side when drilling the seperator plate. I think some adjustment with a computer reprogrammer would probably make it perfect to my liking. I did try it with the tow/haul switch on and it did get real firm.
A couple of things on the installation, for those wanting to do their own fluid and filter change, I don't recommend doing it yourself, take it to a shop and have them do it. Getting the pan out was not fun, took me 20-25 min to drop. Problem being the shifter bracket has to be removed which is bolted to the case with 2 torx bolts which are difficult to get at and break free and also I had to unbolt the mount and jack up the back of the transfer case to get the pan to clear the exhaust. I don't think an aftermarket deep Aluminum pan is going to fit to well at least on the 4l60e because of the exhaust pipe. You would probably have to drop the y-pipe to get it in and everytime you wanted to do a service.
Another thing I noticed was the factory 2-4 band adjustment was WAY loose. I set them up for 1/16 to 1/8" pin travel, but this thing had like 1/4 to 3/8"! I'm not suprised that some people have a complait of a 1-2 shudder. For the past month there has been construction on my way to and from work and I have to drive at 10 -15 mph and have noticed a 1-2 shudder with mine at light throttle and slow speeds. I can see why now.
Overall it took me about two hours to install. This is something I would not recommend for the do it yourselfer.
I went with the Transgo reprogramming kit 4L60E-HD2 kit. Works very nice!
not to harsh, perfect for a daily driver. I wouldn't mind if it was a bit more firmer, I stayed on the mild side when drilling the seperator plate. I think some adjustment with a computer reprogrammer would probably make it perfect to my liking. I did try it with the tow/haul switch on and it did get real firm.A couple of things on the installation, for those wanting to do their own fluid and filter change, I don't recommend doing it yourself, take it to a shop and have them do it. Getting the pan out was not fun, took me 20-25 min to drop. Problem being the shifter bracket has to be removed which is bolted to the case with 2 torx bolts which are difficult to get at and break free and also I had to unbolt the mount and jack up the back of the transfer case to get the pan to clear the exhaust. I don't think an aftermarket deep Aluminum pan is going to fit to well at least on the 4l60e because of the exhaust pipe. You would probably have to drop the y-pipe to get it in and everytime you wanted to do a service.
Another thing I noticed was the factory 2-4 band adjustment was WAY loose. I set them up for 1/16 to 1/8" pin travel, but this thing had like 1/4 to 3/8"! I'm not suprised that some people have a complait of a 1-2 shudder. For the past month there has been construction on my way to and from work and I have to drive at 10 -15 mph and have noticed a 1-2 shudder with mine at light throttle and slow speeds. I can see why now.
Overall it took me about two hours to install. This is something I would not recommend for the do it yourselfer.
Mike, how much do you think it would cost if I had wanted a shop to install my shift kit? I already have the super chip micro tuner, do you think these two would work well together? I am looking to completely get rid of torque managment. Its pretty sad that this 8.1 has a hard time doing a break stand.
Alex
Alex
M
mike56BA
GUEST
Alex, I'm guessing $100-$150 looking at 2-3 hours labor. I can't see a reason why they wouldn't work together. You might have to readjust or back off the shift firmness on the tuner. I would like to try one someday just to get the shift points a bit higher. The shift kit isn't going to have any effect on torque managment, that's all in the engine programming.
marc_w
Full Member
I'm thinking of going with the Trans-Go kit here...
Mike, It sounds like the settings you used had the tranny behaving rather mellow around town... but you said it firmed up when you used the tow-haul mode.
What setup or install 'version' did you go with?
Do you think the tow-haul mode was near a point of dimishing returns, or could you still have gone a little stronger with the setup?
Adjusting the bands, is that something and intermediate wrencher can tackle?
Every time I put my foot into the truck, I wince thinking about how loose the tranny is setup.
I'd like to get nice firm around the town shifts, but still be able to use tow-haul effectively when needed. I don't want to go the programmer route.
I've sucessfully installed a similar B&M kit in a TH350... I used a street/strip setting, and the thing chirped the tires under full throttle, with 2.78 gears. Not too shabby. I'm not looking to chirp anything here, but similar shifts are fine with me.
Any input, other T-Go/B&M owners?
Thanks,
-marc
Mike, It sounds like the settings you used had the tranny behaving rather mellow around town... but you said it firmed up when you used the tow-haul mode.
What setup or install 'version' did you go with?
Do you think the tow-haul mode was near a point of dimishing returns, or could you still have gone a little stronger with the setup?
Adjusting the bands, is that something and intermediate wrencher can tackle?
Every time I put my foot into the truck, I wince thinking about how loose the tranny is setup.
I'd like to get nice firm around the town shifts, but still be able to use tow-haul effectively when needed. I don't want to go the programmer route.
I've sucessfully installed a similar B&M kit in a TH350... I used a street/strip setting, and the thing chirped the tires under full throttle, with 2.78 gears. Not too shabby. I'm not looking to chirp anything here, but similar shifts are fine with me.
Any input, other T-Go/B&M owners?
Thanks,
-marc
M
mike56BA
GUEST
After having the kit installed for 6 months now, I have mixed feelings about it. The shifts aren't consistent enough for my liking. Sometimes the shifts are nice and sometimes they seem a little long. It may be the torque manangment and shift adaptability that I'm feeling. The 1-2 shift under real light throttle, say in heavy stop and go driving is to firm for me, but yet if you accelerate with just a bit more throttle it's smooth. That's not really the way I want it to work.
I want smooth shifts at light throttle for around town and nice firm shifts when it is needed most, under heavy acelleration. So I am probably be going to be doing some tweaking soon to get it the way I want it.
I Haven't driven much with the tow/haul on, It shifts a bit to late for my taste, but yes it is firmer with the Shift Kit. I don't know if I would go much firmer if I were driving in tow/ haul mode a lot.
I'm using the Transgo 4l60E-HD2 Reprogramming Kit. There are two different versions, the do it yourself kit which you can buy from the speed shops and the professional kit which is sold to rebuilders through transmission parts suppliers. Same kit just packaged different and I'm sure the directions are written different. These kits are the high performance kits. There is another kit labled as 4L60E SK (shift kit) that is only sold to the rebuilders which is intended
to be installed at the time of rebuild and corrects the common complaits and improve shifts. One thing that has me perplexed is that transgo has revised the SK kit at least 8 times since it first came out. I've got a set of instructions from the first version and just did one a couple of weeks ago with their latest vesion and the the directions are very different.
Yet the HD-2 kit has only been revised like once, so I don't really know how well it is calibrated for the advances made in the electronic programming used today.
So here I am installing the HD-2 kit according to the directions and two months later here is a set of instructions saying not to do some of the things I just did. For example, one of the steps has you install some very heavy springs in the foward accumulator to
improve the fwd engagment for less delay. Now they no longer recommend that because it can break the plastic accumulator piston that is now used. That's one thing I have to go back in and change on mine. Another thing is the 1-2 accumulator setup, I've seen them change the way you set these up with different springs and shims and installing the piston upside down, etc., at least 4 times now ,and have no clue which way is the best way now.
When I installed mine I kept it on the lower of the settings, the other was recommened for race or vehicles with a high stall converter, Although they give you a choice of four settings on the 1-2 accumulator setup. One of the reasons I kept it on the conservative side was that I did not want to increase the driveline clunk during shifts.
Adjusting the band on this is not normally something you do on these, so there is no simple adjustment to make, but part of the shift kit has you remove the 2-4 servo ( the round cover on the right side) and modify it and they give you a couple of shims to tighten it up.
I'm personally not a big fan of B&M kits. It seems that the sole purpose of those kits is hard shifts. Where as Transgo puts a lot of R&D into their kits and also corrects
some of the common complaits that each type of transmmision has.
So at this point I am either going to try and tweak the kit I have now or pull it out and go a different route like try installing a corvette 2-4 servo, which will firm up the 1-2 and 2-3 just a bit along with more clamping force. I would like to try a reprogrammer at somepoint.
I want smooth shifts at light throttle for around town and nice firm shifts when it is needed most, under heavy acelleration. So I am probably be going to be doing some tweaking soon to get it the way I want it.
I Haven't driven much with the tow/haul on, It shifts a bit to late for my taste, but yes it is firmer with the Shift Kit. I don't know if I would go much firmer if I were driving in tow/ haul mode a lot.
I'm using the Transgo 4l60E-HD2 Reprogramming Kit. There are two different versions, the do it yourself kit which you can buy from the speed shops and the professional kit which is sold to rebuilders through transmission parts suppliers. Same kit just packaged different and I'm sure the directions are written different. These kits are the high performance kits. There is another kit labled as 4L60E SK (shift kit) that is only sold to the rebuilders which is intended
to be installed at the time of rebuild and corrects the common complaits and improve shifts. One thing that has me perplexed is that transgo has revised the SK kit at least 8 times since it first came out. I've got a set of instructions from the first version and just did one a couple of weeks ago with their latest vesion and the the directions are very different.
Yet the HD-2 kit has only been revised like once, so I don't really know how well it is calibrated for the advances made in the electronic programming used today.
So here I am installing the HD-2 kit according to the directions and two months later here is a set of instructions saying not to do some of the things I just did. For example, one of the steps has you install some very heavy springs in the foward accumulator to
improve the fwd engagment for less delay. Now they no longer recommend that because it can break the plastic accumulator piston that is now used. That's one thing I have to go back in and change on mine. Another thing is the 1-2 accumulator setup, I've seen them change the way you set these up with different springs and shims and installing the piston upside down, etc., at least 4 times now ,and have no clue which way is the best way now.
When I installed mine I kept it on the lower of the settings, the other was recommened for race or vehicles with a high stall converter, Although they give you a choice of four settings on the 1-2 accumulator setup. One of the reasons I kept it on the conservative side was that I did not want to increase the driveline clunk during shifts.
Adjusting the band on this is not normally something you do on these, so there is no simple adjustment to make, but part of the shift kit has you remove the 2-4 servo ( the round cover on the right side) and modify it and they give you a couple of shims to tighten it up.
I'm personally not a big fan of B&M kits. It seems that the sole purpose of those kits is hard shifts. Where as Transgo puts a lot of R&D into their kits and also corrects
some of the common complaits that each type of transmmision has.
So at this point I am either going to try and tweak the kit I have now or pull it out and go a different route like try installing a corvette 2-4 servo, which will firm up the 1-2 and 2-3 just a bit along with more clamping force. I would like to try a reprogrammer at somepoint.
1
11H
GUEST
Hey Mike!
I have the same deal you are experiencing on the 1-2 shift at light and lighter throttle... Seems when trans is cold, it is consistent, but when it's warm, it's all over the place on firmness vs. throttle position...
I recently tried the diablo... My advice is, if you want it for improving and tweaking the tranny, don't bother... Knowing how meticulate you are on these things, you'll be grossly dissapointed... I think Hypertech has it down to almost perfect on the shifting at part throttle and has it licked for the wot shifting... I would say though, that I have selected the shift firmness in the Hypertech, and it seems it acts somewhat like your kit has ... I was thinking that the adaptive shift logic may be playing some tag with the hypertech once in a while, as I notice inconsistencies sometimes at light throttle when warm... But the HYpertech so far has made the tranny feel 80-85% of the way I wish it to be... And I am not a fan of part throttle shifts snapping my neck ... I strive for the quick shift then a little firmness, but not too much ... The oem overlap makes me cringe... With oem exhaust I didn't notice it as much, but now that the Magnaflow is on, it is horrible in stock trim ...
11H
I have the same deal you are experiencing on the 1-2 shift at light and lighter throttle... Seems when trans is cold, it is consistent, but when it's warm, it's all over the place on firmness vs. throttle position...
I recently tried the diablo... My advice is, if you want it for improving and tweaking the tranny, don't bother... Knowing how meticulate you are on these things, you'll be grossly dissapointed... I think Hypertech has it down to almost perfect on the shifting at part throttle and has it licked for the wot shifting... I would say though, that I have selected the shift firmness in the Hypertech, and it seems it acts somewhat like your kit has ... I was thinking that the adaptive shift logic may be playing some tag with the hypertech once in a while, as I notice inconsistencies sometimes at light throttle when warm... But the HYpertech so far has made the tranny feel 80-85% of the way I wish it to be... And I am not a fan of part throttle shifts snapping my neck ... I strive for the quick shift then a little firmness, but not too much ... The oem overlap makes me cringe... With oem exhaust I didn't notice it as much, but now that the Magnaflow is on, it is horrible in stock trim ...
11H
wombat
Full Member
OK. I've been reading this thread, and the Tranny Servos? thread and am now contemplating the tranny for the next mod.
I would like to firm up the shifting so I'm thinking about the TransGo shift kit and also maybe a Corvette servo.
My concern is, at the KDS Performance website listed by marc_w in the Tranny Servos thread, under their description of the TransGo shift kit is this quote: "1998 and newer vehicles require computer strategy change before installation - earlier years will work just fine."
Is this something I need to be concerned about? It appears that several people have already installed the TransGo kits in their Avs and I've not seen anything along these lines mentioned other than the dreaded torque management beast.
Also, would replacing the servos at the same time as the TransGo kit be excessive or would it be worthwhile? I'm not concerned about smooth shifting, but at the same time I don't particularly want to jerk my head off...
I would like to firm up the shifting so I'm thinking about the TransGo shift kit and also maybe a Corvette servo.
My concern is, at the KDS Performance website listed by marc_w in the Tranny Servos thread, under their description of the TransGo shift kit is this quote: "1998 and newer vehicles require computer strategy change before installation - earlier years will work just fine."
Is this something I need to be concerned about? It appears that several people have already installed the TransGo kits in their Avs and I've not seen anything along these lines mentioned other than the dreaded torque management beast.
Also, would replacing the servos at the same time as the TransGo kit be excessive or would it be worthwhile? I'm not concerned about smooth shifting, but at the same time I don't particularly want to jerk my head off...
wombat
Full Member
Following up to my previous questions (there's just too much information out there on the web)...
How well will the Diablo Predator play with the TransGo shift kit? I've been contemplating one of them too for some time now.
How well will the Diablo Predator play with the TransGo shift kit? I've been contemplating one of them too for some time now.