Talk me out of it, please
- Thread starter Cubey
- Start date
XOLATEM
Full Access Member
Been gone awhile, sorry guys...( I have good excuses...)
On the GM transmission thing...you all are talking about the wrong one...
If that van is a one-ton then the automatic unit is going to be a 4L80E...which is an overdrive version of the old, tried-and-true GM THM 400.
The setup is like a Turbo 400 with an OVD added to the front. Much like the GM 2004R....which was like a Turbo 200 with an added OVD.
Anyway...
The 4L80E surfaced around 1993, I believe and a few updates were implemented as things progressed but I would not have a problem pulling a load with it...as long as I had rebuilt, updated, installed, and generally fondled and blessed it.
Early problems were unintended hydraulic pressure overload which would blow out a portion of the case and a wiring harness re-configuration.
It would be good to add a trans fluid temp guage and drive so that you keep the fluid temps lower than 200*F.
I attended a Trans Seminar back in the 90's once and Steve Younger (look him up) was the Tech advisor. On the subject of customer advice to keep the transmissions from grenading (all transmissions while towing) he said...."Slow down, don't use overdrive, drive at night...".(desert driving)
A lot of units will (or, used to) torch the geartrain from lack of sufficient lubrication under a high load, low RPM condition. The lube circuits in the units would accidentally cut off greartrain lube flow at that time. Towing in OVD at low speed will do just that. Keep the R's up and you are better off in the long run.
Just tryin' ta help,
X
On the GM transmission thing...you all are talking about the wrong one...
If that van is a one-ton then the automatic unit is going to be a 4L80E...which is an overdrive version of the old, tried-and-true GM THM 400.
The setup is like a Turbo 400 with an OVD added to the front. Much like the GM 2004R....which was like a Turbo 200 with an added OVD.
Anyway...
The 4L80E surfaced around 1993, I believe and a few updates were implemented as things progressed but I would not have a problem pulling a load with it...as long as I had rebuilt, updated, installed, and generally fondled and blessed it.
Early problems were unintended hydraulic pressure overload which would blow out a portion of the case and a wiring harness re-configuration.
It would be good to add a trans fluid temp guage and drive so that you keep the fluid temps lower than 200*F.
I attended a Trans Seminar back in the 90's once and Steve Younger (look him up) was the Tech advisor. On the subject of customer advice to keep the transmissions from grenading (all transmissions while towing) he said...."Slow down, don't use overdrive, drive at night...".(desert driving)
A lot of units will (or, used to) torch the geartrain from lack of sufficient lubrication under a high load, low RPM condition. The lube circuits in the units would accidentally cut off greartrain lube flow at that time. Towing in OVD at low speed will do just that. Keep the R's up and you are better off in the long run.
Just tryin' ta help,
X
According to wikipedia, GMC Vandura got 4L60 from 93-96:
GM 4L60-E transmission - Wikipedia
but 80 says 91-09 for Chevy vans (doesn't mention GMC) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_4L80-E_transmission
May depend on the engine in front of it, and if it's 1/2, 3/4 or 1 ton
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XOLATEM
Full Access Member
Whatever unit you have, no matter. The same advice applies with either as far a towing...you are better off having more RPM so the trans pump is spinning faster, more fluid in and out of the cooler, and more lube oil to the geartrain.
I'd be willing to bet you though, that you have the unit I mentioned...
Let's say...uh...(thinking about what to bet so that if I am wrong...I don't lose my shirt...) Crud...drawing a blank, here....help me out...well, tell me...what are you willing to lose if you are wrong..?
What cha got..?
I know...I got a frying pan I will send you if you feel like whacking your nephew with it...
How about that ?
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Whatever unit you have, no matter. The same advice applies with either as far a towing...you are better off having more RPM so the trans pump is spinning faster, more fluid in and out of the cooler, and more lube oil to the geartrain.
I'd be willing to bet you though, that you have the unit I mentioned...
Let's say...uh...(thinking about what to bet so that if I am wrong...I don't lose my shirt...) Crud...drawing a blank, here....help me out...well, tell me...what are you willing to lose if you are wrong..?
What cha got..?
I have towed in OD with Smurf, but I have carefully. Any sort of grade, OD gets turned off. I have a mess of gauges to watch (did in the RV after the C6 rebuild) so I'm pretty familiar with downshifting and such. Smurf has water, trans (in the e4od test port), EGT. That's what I have to worry about mainly.
I will be putting as many gauges I can on the GMC too. Some from Smurf will be moved like Trans, water.
I have that deep e4od aluminum pan i got for a good deal last fall that I should be able to resell with little to no loss, so that'll help pay for it too. It was meant for Smurf but I had to get going last fall so it got put on a shelf for later. And some other 3rd gen Econoline parts from a junkyard, like the front amber turn signal lenses/housings you cannot buy new at all now.
It's pretty much a done deal for the GMC.
I went and talked to my nephew about arranging the payment. He will take a personal check because yeah getting that much cash is hard when you don't have a branch nearby, only ATMs. He has dealt with that when he lived in another apart of the state a while back. I came back here and e-signed the loan doc, just waiting for the actual deposit. I told him he can wait a few days+ for the check to clear if he's worried about it, before I pick up the van, and show him on my phone that it has cleared my account, when it has. But I will get full coverage insurance on it, in my name, before the check leaves my hands... just in case something happens to it, while it's still sitting at their house.
You have to get insurance and have paper proof in hand when you want to register it anyway. He is waiting on the title in the mail, because he just recently registered it, ahead of time so he could sell it. So that may take a few more weeks before he can sign it over anyway. If it was some random seller, I wouldn't trust that story, but he's trustworthy family. He openly showed me the new plate without being asked (not on the van yet, since it's not being driven) so yeah. I just confirmed that he did in fact register it... meaning a new title application was done at the same time, meaning a new title will be coming soon. I can have my mom receive my title after I leave (same address) since I don't need that with me anyway.
And that's fine actually, I wasn't gonna be leaving here until mid/late May anyway. Hopefully I can get the A/C on the van working, if it's not currently. I'll check and see if it has any pressure in the system or not, with a gauge set. If not, I'll look into fixing it myself.
I can return a couple things I got for Smurf recently, like an oil filter and a new bottle of diesel fuel additive.... so I can recover about $35 from that. That'll pay for a small rockauto order that I am already compiling for a few things that are dirt cheap on there vs retail, even with the shipping.
I have a new 2 gallon jug of 15w40 diesel oil I can't return (it's been too long) but folks say online it's a good oil for the zinc to run in a 350 (because flat tappets). I have run it in my oil burning 64 VW for the zinc content also. It cost me nothing anyway, with the tractor supply rewards. So I just need an oil filter... one thing I'll order 2 of from rockauto for the cheapness of the Wix one. Basically I won't change the oil on Smurf because it's not THAT old or THAT high miles, so it's good enough to be sold as it is... the buyer can change the oil.
I went and talked to my nephew about arranging the payment. He will take a personal check because yeah getting that much cash is hard when you don't have a branch nearby, only ATMs. He has dealt with that when he lived in another apart of the state a while back. I came back here and e-signed the loan doc, just waiting for the actual deposit. I told him he can wait a few days+ for the check to clear if he's worried about it, before I pick up the van, and show him on my phone that it has cleared my account, when it has. But I will get full coverage insurance on it, in my name, before the check leaves my hands... just in case something happens to it, while it's still sitting at their house.
You have to get insurance and have paper proof in hand when you want to register it anyway. He is waiting on the title in the mail, because he just recently registered it, ahead of time so he could sell it. So that may take a few more weeks before he can sign it over anyway. If it was some random seller, I wouldn't trust that story, but he's trustworthy family. He openly showed me the new plate without being asked (not on the van yet, since it's not being driven) so yeah. I just confirmed that he did in fact register it... meaning a new title application was done at the same time, meaning a new title will be coming soon. I can have my mom receive my title after I leave (same address) since I don't need that with me anyway.
And that's fine actually, I wasn't gonna be leaving here until mid/late May anyway. Hopefully I can get the A/C on the van working, if it's not currently. I'll check and see if it has any pressure in the system or not, with a gauge set. If not, I'll look into fixing it myself.
I can return a couple things I got for Smurf recently, like an oil filter and a new bottle of diesel fuel additive.... so I can recover about $35 from that. That'll pay for a small rockauto order that I am already compiling for a few things that are dirt cheap on there vs retail, even with the shipping.
I have a new 2 gallon jug of 15w40 diesel oil I can't return (it's been too long) but folks say online it's a good oil for the zinc to run in a 350 (because flat tappets). I have run it in my oil burning 64 VW for the zinc content also. It cost me nothing anyway, with the tractor supply rewards. So I just need an oil filter... one thing I'll order 2 of from rockauto for the cheapness of the Wix one. Basically I won't change the oil on Smurf because it's not THAT old or THAT high miles, so it's good enough to be sold as it is... the buyer can change the oil.
Here's an example of the same exact model. The outside decorative trim designs are a different, but overall it's basically exactly the same, including interior colors.
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