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Information Provided by .... Wayne Beaman (11/9/05) Sent:
Monday, October 31, 2005 9:23 PM This information is provided for the
non-transmission mechanic to help them identify the problem, know how much the
job should cost and how to have the problem corrected. This information could
save you hundreds even a thousand dollars or more. This transmission has been in use since 1993
and is a fully electronic unit, but it shares many of the internal parts
with the earlier non-electronic 700R4 / 4L60 version, witch’s been in use
since 1982. This means most of the internal parts can be bought at a reasonable
price. The cost of a rebuilt 4L60E transmission and torque converter installed
in a car or two-wheel drive truck at our shop is $1230.00 as of March 2005. Add
$100.00 for a 4WD. This comes with a 6 month or 6,000 mile warranty. A 12 month
or 12,000 mile warranty is available, at an extra cost of $150.00. The cost may
be higher in your area. Never allow a repair shop to give you a price
on this transmission that isn’t a guaranteed price. This means don’t get
a price plus hard parts. They know about what the parts will cost. The only
part that should be extra is the transmission case, if it’s bad. GET THE
PRICE BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION IS REMOVED FROM THE CAR OR TRUCK! If they
can’t give you a price up front, you’re at the wrong shop. When you have a problem with your
transmission always check the fluid level and condition first. The fluid should
be red, not dark brown or black. Smell the fluid to see if it smells like
oil or has a burnt smell. If the fluid looks and smells good then the electronic
parts should be diagnosed with an electronic scanner to see if any trouble
codes are present. Sometimes the problem can be corrected by changing a
sensor or solenoid without removing the transmission from the car. Look in the transmission oil pan for debris
(trash) from a clutch or metal part failure. If the fluid is black, smells burnt
or has a large amount of debris in the pan, you’ve got a problem. The
transmission will have to be removed and rebuilt. Always install a new torque
converter when the transmission is rebuilt. Never try to save money by reusing a
torque converter that is full of debris from a failed transmission. The 4L60E
converter also has a clutch in it that could be bad. When you have your 4L60E transmission rebuilt
it’s always better to get your original transmission back. Because the 4L60E
comes in everything from the S-10 pickup to the much larger Suburban. If you get
the wrong 4L60E in your car or truck, the transmission won’t work correctly or
last vary long. The calibrations are different for each type car or truck. Place the transmission in drive position,
when towing a trailer, not overdrive position. This transmission will
only tow a light trailer and last. The 4L60E didn’t come in a one ton truck,
because it isn’t strong enough for a one ton truck. If you need a one ton get
one. Don’t tow a trailer that is too heavy for your car or truck. There is no need for a shift kit in this
transmission, because you can get better results by installing a larger servo
or even a high performance servo. You can also install extra 3-4 clutches
and other upgrades for an extra charge when it is rebuilt. We charge $95.00
parts & labor for this H. P. servo. The servo can be added at anytime
without removing the transmission. If you have a problem with the front seal,
installing a new seal is a waste of time and money, it will only leak or blow
off again. You must install a new seal, torque converter and rebuild the pump
all at the same time to correct this front seal leak. This should cost about
$335.00 plus tax. The 4L60E transmission will not last in a
4-wheel drive truck that has oversize tires, unless both rear end ratios are
changed to allow for the larger tire size.
Change your fluid and filter about every 20,000 miles. This is a
preventive measure, not a fix for a problem. As a general rule the better the warranty the
higher the price. Most shops have a local warranty, meaning they do their
own warranty work. A nation wide warranty will cost you a lot more.
Don’t get a national warranty unless you’ll be out of town most of the time.
An electronic 4L60E transmission must have clean
battery cables to work correctly, because this could cause low battery
voltage. If your transmission goes into limp mode it will only have 2nd&3rd
gear. If this happens for a reason other than a transmission problem, disconnect
the battery to take it out of limp mode. Never use a transmission additive that says
it will stop leaks, because it will turn your seals to mush over time. If your
4L60E transmission has high mileage, don’t try to do a patch job, if you
develop a problem have it rebuilt. Over 100,000 miles is high mileage. If you don’t have a lot of experience
installing transmissions, don’t buy the rebuilt transmission and install it
yourself. If a shop rebuilds & installs your transmission, they will
only charge you for one installation fee, regardless of how many times
they have to take it back out. If you do the job, it’s your problem if
the transmission is defective. Some problems that can be mistaken as a
transmission problem are motor mounts, fuel filter, spark plug wires,
catalytic converter, fan clutch, U-joints and others. Never rebuild
your transmission without an expert diagnosis first. When it’s done, you may
still have the same problem. We can build you a high performance 4L60E
with all the updates. It comes with two high performance servos, extra 3-4
clutches, oversize band, large feed holes in the separator plate and a 1800,
2000, 2300, 2600 or 2800 R.P.M. stall converter. It also comes with dipstick
& tube. This transmission can be shipped to you anywhere for the sum
of $1660.00 plus freight for a 1993 to 1995. Update your classic car / truck to
an OVERDRIVE !!! There is an after market computer available for this purpose. www.transmissioncenter.net
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