Well the tranny's out again -

[misterp]

thats what im speakign of"the beast shell"

but looking for info on it , is the piece that you found your hairline crack in ?

link to pics

 

here is a good site for 4l60 parts and info

 

http://www.4l60-e.com/

No man, the low/reverse input drum shattered; the huge 10-inch tall aluminum can that the main input shaft slines into. The beast shell looked perfect.

 

FYI I have since discovered there is hope for the little 4L60 after all, there are several companies offering resleeved input drums (Rossler, Coan, TCI do this) and there's even a titanium one coming to market if not already here (PATC). In all fairness to the original builder the input drum used may have been the best he knew to be available on the market at the time the tranny was built; I had no idea these other input drum designs were out there until this morning.

 

Mr. P.

[SSThunder]

Also, my tranny temps have crept up about 15-20 degrees over the first 12-months, still they've been in the 150-170 range and that's not boiling by any means but I wrote it off as the in-line thermostat doing it's job to regulate the ATF at 170-ish degrees.

 

Sorry to hear your luck MrP. I've got the same trans cooler as you and I'm seeing temps around 130-150 with the bypass on it. I'm tempted to remove it because I don't like seeing temps like this high but I also got a radix pushing mine. Hate to hear this happen to you. Has anyone had luck with FLT? I thought of using them when the trans goes out on me. I think a guy down the road from me used them and his LQ4 with radix/90mm TB seems to hold up well to the power. I think he runs a low 12.5 in the Qtr in a 2003 EC Silverado 4X4. Hope you get your trans problems worked out MrP

[misterp]

I have a question, not really pertaining to the tranny, but why didn't you use the local guy in the first place P?

I hadn't known/met him yet; we have become very good acquaintainces over the months enough so that I kinda hesitated to drag him into my tranny problem; I (we) thought we were going to replace a front pump, not blow his entire Sunday "working" for free.

 

Sucks that happened especially considering that you didn't get the parts you asked and paid for. I guess some people just don't give a s*ht and want to take advantage of other people.

 

[i have struck my original comment here, as I have changed my opinion on the matter]

 

Mr. P.

Edited February 21, 2007 by misterp (see edit history)

[misterp]

Sorry to hear your luck MrP. I've got the same trans cooler as you and I'm seeing temps around 130-150 with the bypass on it. I'm tempted to remove it because I don't like seeing temps like this high but I also got a radix pushing mine. Hate to hear this happen to you. Has anyone had luck with FLT? I thought of using them when the trans goes out on me. I think a guy down the road from me used them and his LQ4 with radix/90mm TB seems to hold up well to the power. I think he runs a low 12.5 in the Qtr in a 2003 EC Silverado 4X4. Hope you get your trans problems worked out MrP

 

My tranny always grabbed & held best at 150-degrees.

 

FLT's reputation, well it was made with a LONG string of broken parts I assure you. Many early FLT customers (back when the tranny business was spun off FLP) were breaking their Level 4/5 trannies, lots of failures (Berserker must have gone through at least 4 of them in a row???) but I am encouraged to see that in this last year they've appeared to achieved real success in their high performance products, it looks like they've stuck to the problem and overcome it; I hear a lot of folks are very happy with their FLT trannies.

 

Mr. P.

Edited February 19, 2007 by misterp (see edit history)

[Black2003SS]

I'm 97% set on using Rossler in Akron, OH. They are right down the road (45minutes) and priced reasonable and seem to have an outstanding reputation.

 

On a side note Mr P. Cant the input drum (maybe the shaft?) get damaged if the TQ converter is not seated properly when installed. When the trans is tightened down to the block? Something to consider on how things might have happened if I recall correctly.

[misterp]

I'm 97% set on using Rossler in Akron, OH. They are right down the road (45minutes) and priced reasonable and seem to have an outstanding reputation.

 

On a side note Mr P. Cant the input drum (maybe the shaft?) get damaged if the TQ converter is not seated properly when installed. When the trans is tightened down to the block? Something to consider on how things might have happened if I recall correctly.

I would not think it likely in that way, but I could definitely see this happening if one were to remove all the bellhousing bolts while leaving the torque converter attached to the flexplate and letting the entire weight of the tranny be supported by the input shaft.

 

Rossler is one of the best if not THE best; I know they make input drums that are modified with stainless steel spline inserts, as you are AWD like me I would scrimp/save and have one installed, again that's my opinion.

 

Mr. P.

Edited February 19, 2007 by misterp (see edit history)

[gixxerrider]

Wow this is a long post. Sorry to here about your Tranny MrP. Is it time for a 4L80?

[misterp]

Wow this is a long post. Sorry to here about your Tranny MrP. Is it time for a 4L80?

I've already decided if this 4L60 breaks again I'm going to a 6-speed. Sad thing is that when this caper is all done with I'll have spent almost 5-grand and I could have installed a T56 for that.

 

Mr. P.

[sprayed99]

...i do know i do have the hardened input drum ...

I looked into this for a moment, I cannot find such an item. What I have found at PATC is a hardened shaft & a stock input drum that is heated then xrayed and flux tested (?) for flaws, i.e. a 'perfect' input drum.

 

I have another question - is the Beast shell heat treated?

 

I can get most of the parts cheap for you.

[sprayed99]

I'm 97% set on using Rossler in Akron, OH. They are right down the road (45minutes) and priced reasonable and seem to have an outstanding reputation.

 

On a side note Mr P. Cant the input drum (maybe the shaft?) get damaged if the TQ converter is not seated properly when installed. When the trans is tightened down to the block? Something to consider on how things might have happened if I recall correctly.

I would not think it likely in that way, but I could definitely see this happening if one were to remove all the bellhousing bolts while leaving the torque converter attached to the flexplate and letting the entire weight of the tranny be supported by the input shaft.

 

Rossler is one of the best if not THE best; I know they make input drums that are modified with stainless steel spline inserts, as you are AWD like me I would scrimp/save and have one installed, again that's my opinion.

 

Mr. P.

 

You would actually seise the pump rotor and explode the pump if you had cocked the convertor. I would also not go back with the z-pak we have seen some nasty things happen to them. we use the alto redlined clutches. The real test for the trans we built for mine will be wednesday night....After I install the radix and new tune.

[SS_bnoon_SS]

Wow this is a long post. Sorry to here about your Tranny MrP. Is it time for a 4L80?

I've already decided if this 4L60 breaks again I'm going to a 6-speed. Sad thing is that when this caper is all done with I'll have spent almost 5-grand and I could have installed a T56 for that.

 

Mr. P.

 

Hum... interesting. Got any leads to the parts needed for a T56 installation? I would assumer a shorter tailshaft would have to be custom made...

[drako]

please do tell....this would be amazing if possible.

[misterp]

UPDATE - I've confirmed that I got f'd in the drive-thru, on my invoice it says that I paid the last tranny builder for a Torque Drive Unit (that's a brand of hi-strength input drum) and that is certainly *not* what we pulled out of the tranny case, this person just re-installed the stock one and it's only rated by GM at 380 lb-ft - frankly I'm surprised it held on for 18-mos. The same mistake will not be made again, I'm personally ordering and making sure it gets put into the case this time. Not only was I cheated out of a $300 part, but the failure cost hundreds more in other internal damage. So this person is now included with my ex-wife and all the others that have left me to pay for their mistakes. I'm so tired of being a f'n meal ticket.

 

You would actually seise the pump rotor and explode the pump if you had cocked the convertor. I would also not go back with the z-pak we have seen some nasty things happen to them. we use the alto redlined clutches. The real test for the trans we built for mine will be wednesday night....After I install the radix and new tune.

Didn't think about that (on the input pump); and I hear you on the Z-Pack, I remembered what you told me several months ago and sure enough those bitches were toast. If things go according to plan I might be in Wylie Wednesday, if so I'll just have to drop by and see whazzup

 

Hum... interesting. Got any leads to the parts needed for a T56 installation? I would assumer a shorter tailshaft would have to be custom made...

Well, I think of it like this - by the time this incident is said and done I will have 5-grand into this tranny; if I had known this 18-months ago I would have swapped to a T56 then, because I love rowing my own. To do it you need to swap some pieces off a donor truck (pedals, column, center console tray, clutch master cyl), locate/cut a hole in the floor (except I would probably patch-in a floor section from another standard-equipped truck), get a built T56 from Kiesler and a good clutch/flywheel, fab a rear tranny mount, have a custom adapter made to mate the T56 output shaft to the NVG149, and have the driveshaft lengths changed, change PCM tune. The only custom piece that would have to be machined would be the transfer case adapter and a competent machinist can do that; the rest of the project is just junkyard swaps & a trip to the driveline man. Later recommended upgrade would be a stronger rear differential. It sounds like a lot but I'm telling you 5-grand will go a LONG way to achieving all that, the actual estimate I would probably put more at $6400-7000; I'm not trying to be cavalier with money here but man I've almost got that now in my 4L60E now, especially if I include all the R&R labor I've done on my own. And the cost gap can be closed a bit by reselling my existing converter & trans.

 

Another thought, a guy could probably swap to a 6-speed auto for cheaper than a T56, although the electronics would have to be sorted out and I've got no idea what that would involve.

 

Ah well. So we'll do the 4L60E one last time, give it a fair fighting chance before jumping in another direction.

 

Mr. P.

Edited February 20, 2007 by misterp (see edit history)

[SSThunder]

UPDATE - I've confirmed that I got f'd in the drive-thru, on my invoice it says that I paid the last tranny builder for a Torque Drive Unit (that's a brand of hi-strength input drum) and that is certainly *not* what we pulled out of the tranny case, this person just re-installed the stock one and it's only rated by GM at 380 lb-ft - frankly I'm surprised it held on for 18-mos. The same mistake will not be made again, I'm personally ordering and making sure it gets put into the case this time. Not only was I cheated out of a $300 part, but the failure cost hundreds more in other internal damage. So this person is now included with my ex-wife and all the others that have left me to pay for their mistakes. I'm so tired of being a f'n meal ticket.

 

Damn P that sucks. I can't stand people like that. My motto these days is "I'm the only one I can trust." Hope it works out for you.

[Bowtie70SS]

I was considering the Z-pak in my trans build up but when my buddy called Trans-star they said that they(raybestos) had stopped shipping them. This was due to lots of problems with the facing coming off of the clutches and also they warped really bad from what I was told.

 

I had a similar experience with my engine build, and I swore off of ever letting anyone else build me an engine. Also on the 6-speed swap it has been done with the AWD T-case with a custom adapter and I can't remember if I saw it on here or on PT.net. Good luck!!

 

 

Dave