4L60E tranny's

[withac]

I just picked up a 2000 Tahoe 5.3 with 89K miles on it. I understand from another forum that these trannys are prone to wear. They talked about shift kits and servo's. At 89K miles would it be like closing the barn door after the horse got out? Would there be any merit to a shift kit and or servo at this point? I'm not looking to make it a race truck, I just want to save the tranny if it needs saving. I might pull a 23' RV trailer with it this summer maybe a half dozen times, other than that it's just the family DD. If it's recommended that I do something would the servo be enough or would you guys recommend a shift kit?

[casey23]

Yes... Get a Trans go Shift kit installed ... Make sure it has a PWM converter update.. Service,fluid,filter and Gasket at the same time.. and Check the Prindle Switch on the side of the trans.. Make sure it will Plug and Unplug.. alot of times they get so Hot they melt inside and impossible to get apart.. Then its a for sure they should be replaced.. Shift kit is 350.00 and switch is around 50...

[Grey Silver]

I just picked up a 2000 Tahoe 5.3 with 89K miles on it. I understand from another forum that these trannys are prone to wear. They talked about shift kits and servo's. At 89K miles would it be like closing the barn door after the horse got out? Would there be any merit to a shift kit and or servo at this point? I'm not looking to make it a race truck, I just want to save the tranny if it needs saving. I might pull a 23' RV trailer with it this summer maybe a half dozen times, other than that it's just the family DD. If it's recommended that I do something would the servo be enough or would you guys recommend a shift kit?

If it ain't broke don't fix it. performance parts won't cure a worn out transmission. With normal driving and regular service it might go another 89k.

[withac]

Yes... Get a Trans go Shift kit installed ... Make sure it has a PWM converter update.. Service,fluid,filter and Gasket at the same time.. and Check the Prindle Switch on the side of the trans.. Make sure it will Plug and Unplug.. alot of times they get so Hot they melt inside and impossible to get apart.. Then its a for sure they should be replaced.. Shift kit is 350.00 and switch is around 50...

That sounds like overkill for what I’m looking at. I just want to extend the life of my tranny, IF it needs extending, not make it high performance. I’ve been told these particular tranny’s are prone to early (100K miles) failure. Plus, I don’t plan on spending that kind of coin. As Grey Silver points out, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” so I’m still wondering if I need to do this or not. I’m trying to determine the benefits as well as any potential problems of either a shift kit and/or servo. OPT has a Transgo SK 4L60E shift kit for the 1992-2004 4L60E for 40 bucks. Obviously not as high performance as others but I wonder if it would provide any benefit. OPT also has a Transgo Corvette Servo for the 700R4 (4L60), 4L60E for 12 bucks. I’ve been told these tranny’s are built for smooth shifts but this slower/smoother shift actually put excess wear on things. If a servo firms up the shifts a little I wonder if it would be a good investment. I mean I can see the merit of “If it ain’t broke…” and while it’s not acting up I’m trying to determine if there is anything I can do to keep it from getting to that point.

Thanks guys for the feedback.

[Tootall]

I just picked up a 2000 Tahoe 5.3 with 89K miles on it. I understand from another forum that these trannys are prone to wear.

Wear- Heat is the biggest killer. Get a tranny cooler if it doesn't already have one . . . at least a 24K

They talked about shift kits and servo's. At 89K miles would it be like closing the barn door after the horse got out? Would there be any merit to a shift kit and or servo at this point? I'm not looking to make it a race truck, I just want to save the tranny if it needs saving.

Yes and no. There are some plastic parts that break under load or just over time. The 1-2 accumulator piston is plastic, and that kills the 1-2 shift or 2nd gear all together. If I'm towing or if you just want to help the life, I would replace that. They have taller/solid aluminum replacement that's easy to swap out. The Vette servo would be great to get also. It's for your 1-2 shift, meaning less slipping between shifts.

I might pull a 23' RV trailer with it this summer maybe a half dozen times, other than that it's just the family DD.

again get a tranny cooler, and one that's larger than the stocker.

If it's recommended that I do something would the servo be enough or would you guys recommend a shift kit?

at least a vette servo, they're $12 bucks online.

. .. . Shift kit is 350.00 and switch is around 50...

that's a little on the high side . . . a full TransGo HD2 is around 120+ shipping

[withac]

If I don't want to "hold 1st, 2nd, & 3rd to any RPM. You will also be able to downshift at any RPM. " do I need the spendier shift kit, what do the cheaper ones (40 bucks) do? If I'm looking for less expensive things to help it looks like I ought to replace the accumulator piston, servo, and throw on a cooler before worrying about a shift kit. Waddya all think?

[Tootall]

If I don't want to "hold 1st, 2nd, & 3rd to any RPM. You will also be able to downshift at any RPM. " do I need the spendier shift kit, what do the cheaper ones (40 bucks) do? If I'm looking for less expensive things to help it looks like I ought to replace the accumulator piston, servo, and throw on a cooler before worrying about a shift kit. Waddya all think?

then do a little searching. . .

[DamnYankee]

Welcome to the site, glad you made it over.

To be honest it's a crap shoot. All of the things listed will help a transmission. Some of the help with performance, but at the same time help with longevity.

All of the above advice is accurate. A cooler would be one of my first additions since heat is one of the biggest killers. A shift kit would help, the servos help, etc. Then again, you might go another 75k with nothing wrong. At the very least I would do a cooler. Maybe accompany that with a deeper pan that will hold more fluid, while the pan is off, might as well replace the filter and do the shift kit, new fluid, etc., and the servo since it's cheap and you're under there.

And that's kind of how it works - one thing leads to another....just depends on your budget, how much you beat on it, etc.

[DamnYankee]

P.S. I asked withac to check us out from another truck forum, so please make him feel welcome guys.

Withac, post up in the new members section and tell us about yourself...and welcome to the site.

[gr8apmech]

DY hit the nail on the head...

cooler, trans-go kit, servo if ya like a firmer 2-3 shift. If you pull anything at all, you MUST get a cooler...stock ones are decent but not great. Welcome aboard...I build trannys at home (sick hobby) and have great luck with a Cooler and Amsoil Fluids. The shift kit will in fact help your tranny wear longer...GM programs them to a generic feel but the guys at Trans-go have found out how to make improvements to the GM calibrations. Dana at 700R4 & 4L60E Automatic transmissions specialists - ProBuilt customizes these kits for your personal driving style...if you don't race it, he leaves out all the confusing stuff and clearly describes what to do. I'm sure one of our sponsors at Finish Line Transmissions | Performance Transmissions | Torque Converters | Transmission Parts | Transmission Service could do the same for you too...

Good Luck!