A liitle different...

[Guest]

Ok, I have this flair for oddball combinations, and I think this is one of the oddest I have thought of so far....

I am wondering if I were to use say a '98 3100 PCM to run my next engine, could I use a 4L60E or 4L80E and have the PCM run those one of those trannies?

Also if I could be directed to some info on what exactly the PCM needs to 'see' and what it controls in the trannies, that could also help me determine if it would work, or what would be need to make it work.

TIA
Chris

[sharkey]

first off, id stick with the 4l60e for your combo. the 4l80e is a great tranny, but its used mainly in 1 ton and 3/4 ton heavy duty trucks that weight 5000+ lbs. it is also huge, heavy, and would be hard to fit in your jimmy. as you probobly already know, the 4l60e is pretty much the same as a 700-r4 that comes stock in your jimmy, except for the fact that its electronic. the external dimentions are the same, and would bolt right in.

i have no clue what would be involved in making the 4t60e programing work for the 4l60e. the pcm controlls everything in these trannies. they control the shift timing, kick down, basicly all the functions. instead of being controlled by valves in the valve body, they have a bunch of solenoids and the computer actuates them.

if i get some time at work, ill do some digging through the books to figuere out if its possible. you never know, it could be as simple as wiring the 4l60e harness into the 3100 harness, or it could be as hard as having to completly retune the ecm. now your could always go with the gm stand along tranny controller for the 4l60e, but that would defete the 3100 pcm idea.

[Guest]

first off, id stick with the 4l60e for your combo. the 4l80e is a great tranny, but its used mainly in 1 ton and 3/4 ton heavy duty trucks that weight 5000+ lbs. it is also huge, heavy, and would be hard to fit in your jimmy. as you probobly already know, the 4l60e is pretty much the same as a 700-r4 that comes stock in your jimmy, except for the fact that its electronic. the external dimentions are the same, and would bolt right in.

i have no clue what would be involved in making the 4t60e programing work for the 4l60e. the pcm controlls everything in these trannies. they control the shift timing, kick down, basicly all the functions. instead of being controlled by valves in the valve body, they have a bunch of solenoids and the computer actuates them.

if i get some time at work, ill do some digging through the books to figuere out if its possible. you never know, it could be as simple as wiring the 4l60e harness into the 3100 harness, or it could be as hard as having to completly retune the ecm. now your could always go with the gm stand along tranny controller for the 4l60e, but that would defete the 3100 pcm idea.

I've seen those, but at $2500 (or so) USD, I think I could make a 3100 (or 3400) PCM work.

Yeah, I'm leaning towards the 4L60E, due to fitment reasons. Actually I stated with the idea of a 700R4, but later had wanted to run the SFI PCM, so teh idea of using the 4L60E came from that idea, I dunno, I might just run a 3.4 PCM (From an F-body) with a 700R4, and use a manual valve body, hmm, the possibilities.

I'm still very interested in this idea, as I'm sure it can be done (somehow) and tune through the PCM for shift points, etc. Let me know what you find.

[bszopi]

TCI sells an aftermarket controller for the 4L60E for around $600 (IIRC). I've often considered trying to see if the aftermarket controller would work on the 4T60E, since the trannies are basically the same.

[sharkey]

um, all thts the same between the 4l60e and 4t60e is that the names are simular. nothing in the tranny is the same.

[brian89gp]

I believe the controls are roughly the same though the shift pattern may be different.

At the bare minumum: 2 shift solonoids, on/off TCC switch, and VSS
depending on ECM model year: TCC PWM switch, various pressure and temp switches.

[sharkey]

also they have another speed sensor, i believe its an input speed sensor.

i just had a thought here. the 4t60e still uses a vacume modulator to control line pressure, were the 4l60e is done electronicly. you may need to find a harness and pcm from a vehicle that has a 4t65e (they are all electronic) to make this work.

[Guest]

also they have another speed sensor, i believe its an input speed sensor.

I thought that was 2000+ only.

i just had a thought here. the 4t60e still uses a vacume modulator to control line pressure, were the 4l60e is done electronicly. you may need to find a harness and pcm from a vehicle that has a 4t65e (they are all electronic) to make this work.

Hmm, I'll have to look into that some more.

[sharkey]

i think in 97 they went to the new style case (with the bellhousing that can be unbolted, its also a full bellhousing) they put the input speed sensor in. i couldnt tell you for sure, but i swear the older 4l60e had it as well.

[Quinky]

A 4t60e is a fwd tansmission with 2 shift soliniods, lock up soliniod and a vacume mod for line pressure..

A 4L60e is a rwd transmission with 2 shift soliniods, lock up soliniod, epc, force motor (for line pressure, aftermarket can be adjusted)

the 4L60e has only an out put speed sensor on it.. Where as a 4L80E has an inpute and out pute speed sensor.. Some newier 4L60e's are split bell housing, mainly in astro vans.. All though you'll want to go with an older style case..

you might run into a problem getting the 4L60e or even a 700R4 to clear the transmission tunnel.. earlier jimmies with 2.8L v6's used a 700R4 that had an odd shapped bell housing and smaller torque converter...

My suggestion would be to find a 2.8L 700R4 and mate that to your motor.. the swap will go easier and there is still a lot of aftermarket for the transmission to beef it up.. If you dig deep enough there are ways you can mate TH350 gears to a 700R4 to get better gear ratio's.. if you were to go with a 4L60e you wouldn't be able to change gear ratio's depending on the computer control system you use..

[sharkey]

i know im realy dragging this up from the dead, but something just dawned on me.

use a 3.4l camaro pcm. the 3.4l camaro is sfi, uses coil pack ignition, and the 3.4l was mated to a 4l60e. this would pretty well be throw it in and it will work. just have to find a 4l60e with small chevy bolt pattern, wich would basicly be a 3.4l camaro

[geoffinbc]

Yea, or S-truck. Chris, why the 3100 PCM when a 3.4L (from a Camaro) ECM will works just the same? You confuse me with your franken60

Or are you looking for OBDII?

[sharkey]

i dont think the 3.4l camaro ecm dawned on us till now. its one of the few vehicles that used a 60 degree with a 4l60e trans. i cant recal an s truck having a 60 degree v6 passed 92, and 93 was the first year for the 4l60e.

[geoffinbc]

The Camaro is OBDI a 1998 3X00 is OBD II

I am thinking ti has something to do with the OBD system maybe.

[Guest]

I don't remember exactly why I wanted to use the FWD PCM, probably something to do with the single O2 sensor. I was looking at using the 3.4 SFI PCM a while ago, but the dual O2 sensor (one for each bank) doesn't agree with my plans. If there is a way to eliminate one O2 sensor, that would make this idea work a lot easier.

Just FYI, my FWD SFI PCM auto tranny control idea was replaced with a 1998 Malibu. I remember this idea being more for the winter (remote start ).

I'm also wanting to use a distributer in my Franken62 build, which I know the 3100 PCM wouldn't support directly, but.....