4l60e transplants?

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MoparPowa

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I may be looking to put a 4l60e in my 66 dart. Anyone done a transplant with this trans? How much tunnel surgery am I really looking at? I really wanted to be able to use a stock floor console, does it sound possible?

Thanks,
Ryan
 
Check with Quicktime for a bellhousing,adapter and other parts......pic'd below.

Keisler uses one on their conversion packages. 4l60's can be built to handle a serious amount of power. I bet a little massaging near the tailshaft and the trans mount would all that would be needed.

No idea on the console

5-27-09 updates 053.JPG
 
I was aware of the bellhousing from quicktime. I actually wanted to run the Keisler kit but they don't have a perfect fit kit for the early a bodies, only the later a's. That means I would have to manufacture the actual transmission crossmember as well as modify the tunnel.. how extensively is what would determine whether or not I go that route, because I will be using a 1966 barracuda dash and the dash matches the console top plate perfectly with the argent silver, black stripe and the chrome outerlay. The tunnel's in these early a's are so small, I'm amazed anything fits.

Thanks,
Ryan
 
Hey man, maybe I can help... i used to work at a late model performance shop that delt mostly with 4l60E rebuilds. Here is your first problem, a 4L60E is an electronic trans that is controlled by an ecm. This ecm trans accompanies a fuel injected sb chevy either being vortec/lt1/ls1. Depending on the year determines which computer is needed. The line pressure and shift points go directly off of tps and speed sensor. So right away if you have a 4L60E your going to run into a problem if your not using a ecm.

Now however there are now kits that replace the electronic modulator to a vacuum modulator. This kit will take the computer out of the shifting (which IMO is the better anyway) I wish i knew the company that made it, but im sure you can find it online.

Now if you have access to a 4L60 (no "E") which is essentially an 700R4 just a newer model. Line pressure is then controlled by a detent cable much like a 727 or 904.

It will be far from a bolt in application, of course you know you need a bellhousing adapter and you will have to have the old bellhousing cut off in order to place the adapter on. You will have to make a custom crossmember as well as a custom driveshaft.

These trans built to the gills will only support about 475-500 hp. We usually got about 10-15 10 or 9 second passes out of our stage 3 4L60E's before a rebuild was required (motors over 500 Hp)

IMO, i would head more towards a 91-92-93 truck 4 speed trans if your looking to have that 4th gear for highway crusin. Much stronger, bolts up directly and can be built to handle much more power.

Without seeing the trans in place im not sure on your tunnel. The 4L60E may be shorter yet wider than a 727, im gonna guess it won't fit in the tunnel without some work, but im thinking it will take some modification
 
I'm going to use an aftermarket controller, so I want to retain electronics. It'll be behind a 5.7 hemi with efi, so the new technology is sort of a theme ;) I have no issues with running a 4l80e, they are unbelievably stout, but from what I understand they are bigger than the 60's and tunnel modification is already going to be a chore. Keisler rates their modified 60e at 650 ft.lbs, which is just about what I want to run. It'll be a street car as well, no drag racing, just tight turning. With their trans I can paddle shift and have engine braking as well, all the while being able to turn it all off and let it shift itself when I'm just cruising. It's exactly what I want!! EXCEPT I want to use that floor console. Can anyone inform me of just what the floor console material actually is? My car was a 3 speed auto column shift, so I will have to find a console to put in it anyways, but if the material is just like a plastic I could probably just cut it to fit around the new tunnel. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ryan

P.s. I'll post up some pics of the car in the members restoration thread fairly soon once I get my suspension from bill and get it installed so the car is on the ground.
 
MoparPowa said:
I'm going to use an aftermarket controller, so I want to retain electronics. It'll be behind a 5.7 hemi with efi, so the new technology is sort of a theme ;) I have no issues with running a 4l80e, they are unbelievably stout, but from what I understand they are bigger than the 60's and tunnel modification is already going to be a chore. Keisler rates their modified 60e at 650 ft.lbs, which is just about what I want to run. It'll be a street car as well, no drag racing, just tight turning. With their trans I can paddle shift and have engine braking as well, all the while being able to turn it all off and let it shift itself when I'm just cruising. It's exactly what I want!! EXCEPT I want to use that floor console. Can anyone inform me of just what the floor console material actually is? My car was a 3 speed auto column shift, so I will have to find a console to put in it anyways, but if the material is just like a plastic I could probably just cut it to fit around the new tunnel. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ryan

P.s. I'll post up some pics of the car in the members restoration thread fairly soon once I get my suspension from bill and get it installed so the car is on the ground.
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I've done a couple of the Keisler trannys in B-bodies. I can't tell you what it would take to put one in an early A. They both replaced 904s behind some thumping small blocks and were more than up to the task. Shafi Keislers 3rd gen hemi powered Cuda runs this trans and he beats the dickens out of it. I've put 4l60E's behind some really happy LS motors and they haven't let me down yet, so I don't think you will have a reliability problem. If you're not pushing really big horsepower (800?) and doing 9 second passes every weekend, I wouldn't consider the 4l80 and option for the amount of surgery required to the trans tunnel. I hope this helps, it's just what I've learned so far....
 
can't help you with any pictures of a 4l60 into an early a body, but i am putting a 4l80 into a 69 Dart, took a bit of cutting.....

11.jpg
 
streetdak said:
So right away if you have a 4L60E your going to run into a problem if your not using a ecm.
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might want to google transgo 4l60e-3.....a full manual kit for the 4l60e. there is also 1 available for the 4l80e......od/lockup are controlled by toggle switches.....you can use either the 60 or 80 without a computer...
 
I won't be running any 9 second passes lol, this is a street car. Going to have a 2009 5.7 hemi with a kenne bell supercharger on it hopefully. Looking for 500/500 at the wheels or more, but not over 600. 600 whp would be more than enough for a sub 3500lb car. It's got sticky street tires(315/35/R17's), but no drag radials or slicks. I'm not worried about the durability of the trans whatsoever, I'm worried about sizing and being able to keep the console. Does anyone think I could just cut the plastic of the actual console to follow the contour of the new floor and still be able to fit the stock(or another shifter that can fit through the console top plate's hole)? Is the tunnel having to be raised or just widened? If just widened it shouldn't be too much of an issue. The 4l60e is by far the best option for an electronically controlled trans with an overdrive, I just need to find a way to make it fit!

Thanks,
Ryan
 
MoparPowa said:
I may be looking to put a 4l60e in my 66 dart. Anyone done a transplant with this trans? How much tunnel surgery am I really looking at? I really wanted to be able to use a stock floor console, does it sound possible?

Thanks,
Ryan
Click to expand...


wouldnt it be easier to use a late 700r4? (4L60) basically the same thing with-out the electronics the 4L60E uses? I would love to have an OD in my mopar with out all $$$ or cutting up my floor board..
 
MoparPowa said:
I may be looking to put a 4l60e in my 66 dart. Anyone done a transplant with this trans? How much tunnel surgery am I really looking at? I really wanted to be able to use a stock floor console, does it sound possible?

Thanks,
Ryan
Click to expand...


oh another route is find a 200r trans.. its smaller and i think it can be built to handle the HP you want. and it doesnt have the ratio jump from 1st to 2nd like the 4L60s and 700rs

the 200s were behind the grand nationals as well
 
I'm wanting to retain the electronics, I will be using the A41 conversion kit from keisler hopefully, but tunnel surgery is required for the early a's, although they do have a perfect fit kit for later a's.. how much bigger is the tunnel for 67 up cars? Is that good news for me? maybe just a tad bit of massaging? I won't be using torsion bars so the x-member can be cut out/modified.. but do you think that will weaken the unibody alot? I will be putting in frame connectors and torque boxes as well. I'm really just trying to figure out how much surgery this is going to require. :sign7: Does anyone think transplanting a 67 up tunnel into my car is possible? :sign7: Could use a later console then without modifications possibly? Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Ryan
 
Dakota_Don said:
oh another route is find a 200r trans.. its smaller and i think it can be built to handle the HP you want. and it doesnt have the ratio jump from 1st to 2nd like the 4L60s and 700rs

the 200s were behind the grand nationals as well
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This is what I was wondering about, the at R-200. Smaller, no cutting of the hump. I've been told that the A-518 does requires considerable amount if cutting and even thoughid like All Mopar, that little R-200 has quite a goo reputation. In modified form, and is much less expensive than a built A-518.

So, has anyone done this......behind a 3rd Generation Hemi in an A-body?
 
If you want another option, check out SMR transmissions, google for their website. They offer a shorty overdrive bolt on unit for the 727 & 904. Speak with Pat Storey, he's knowledgable and a good guy.

On the TH2004R, there's a thread on this site with the transmission going into a 68 cuda. Lots of real good information and photos. The TH2004R does have a decent reputation, but to keep it together, $$ has to be spent. GM never used the transmission behind anything that had much in the line of torque or HP.
 
PoisonDart74 said:
42-6rh.
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they have the disadvantage of barely fitting in our cars. not to mention the debated strength of the slightly better fitting 42rh and the limited availability of stall converters.

The 4l60e can have a fairly large stall and retain the lock-up for drivability.
 
transman said:
If you want another option, check out SMR transmissions, google for their website. They offer a shorty overdrive bolt on unit for the 727 & 904. Speak with Pat Storey, he's knowledgable and a good guy.

On the TH2004R, there's a thread on this site with the transmission going into a 68 cuda. Lots of real good information and photos. The TH2004R does have a decent reputation, but to keep it together, $$ has to be spent. GM never used the transmission behind anything that had much in the line of torque or HP.
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It was the OEM transmission in the turbocharged Buick Grand Narionals and GNX's... not exactly weak-kneed performers... and, they can handle lots of power, when properly modified. Lota of Buicks run in the tens with them...

Just sayin'... :coffee2:
 
magnumdust said:
they have the disadvantage of barely fitting in our cars. not to mention the debated strength of the slightly better fitting 42rh and the limited availability of stall converters.

The 4l60e can have a fairly large stall and retain the lock-up for drivability.
Click to expand...

And the 4l60e fits even better? Right-o cheer-o chap. I've got your debated stregnth right here! :bootysha:


In all seriousness, if your really itching to blow a bunchy of money in conversion crap, and your scared of the chop saw, just do the 200R-4 and call it a day dude.
 
The 2004r is a good option for guys who want an overdrive without much surgery. Even though one can be built to easily handle that kind of power, the big problem is how to handle the transmission TV cable. I ran into this problem when researching a 6.1 hemi transplant in my car and it was one of the major reasons I scrapped that idea.

Even with tunnel surgury, imo the 4l60e is a better choice but it will have to be built pretty well to reliably handle that kid of torque. Also, I'm not sure of the cost on the bellhousing, but another option is a Wilcap adapter plate. They're who I used when I mated a 2004r behind my 360 and I was very pleased with the quality of the product.
 
PoisonDart74 said:
And the 4l60e fits even better? Right-o cheer-o chap. I've got your debated stregnth right here! :bootysha:


In all seriousness, if your really itching to blow a bunchy of money in conversion crap, and your scared of the chop saw, just do the 200R-4 and call it a day dude.
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really? Can the purists be adults for once?

Yes the 4l60e fits better. The 4l60e needs to have the T-bar member notched a boxed vs. cutting out the entire center section and remaking it.

Your infantile opinion does not change the fact that the strength of a 42rh is a debatable subject. They have a bad rep. in the dodge truck world and no one is really racing one in a car.

Oh and that "conversion crap" is what keeps these cars out of the junkyards.
 
magnumdust said:
really? Can the purists be adults for once?

Yes the 4l60e fits better. The 4l60e needs to have the T-bar member notched a boxed vs. cutting out the entire center section and remaking it.

Your infantile opinion does not change the fact that the strength of a 42rh is a debatable subject. They have a bad rep. in the dodge truck world and no one is really racing one in a car.

Oh and that "conversion crap" is what keeps these cars out of the junkyards.
Click to expand...

The 42rh can be made to handle the horsepower, it's like the 904, just add all the real good internal stuff thats now available. TH2004R'S and the TH700R4 need better quality internals than GM ever gave them if you're stuffing them behind big horsepower. Just add $$$. Normal street use fine as is with a quality rebuild.
 
I'm starting to think that a 904, modified, with a Gear Venders shorty behind it is the way to go. But any thoughts are gladly accepted. I k is that this thread is over two years old, but I'm finally getting back to this project.
 
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