M4 454 + ?

[1998_K1500_Sub]

I'm planning on putting a rebuilt mark 4 454 big block on my 96 c1500, should I keep the old 4l60e

What’s that truck weigh?

What tires and rear gear do you plan to use?

Do you plan to retain a lockup torque converter?

Do you ever plan to tow?

Do you plan to retain the existing ECU or do something different?

 

[NickTransmissions]

I'm planning on putting a rebuilt mark 4 454 big block on my 96 c1500, should I keep the old 4l60e, or should I put something else in it, I'm looking to have around 500hp+, I'm looking to make it for the drag strip/Street cruiser

Grab a 97+ 4L80E, install a Sonnax Zip/Sure Cure kit into it...Drill the feed orifices in the spacer plate per your converter stall speed, rear gearing, vehicle weight, application/intended usage pattern and you'll be good...No on 4L60Es as they don't like a lot of torque without a major investment in upgraded hard parts which would be more money for less of a transmission overall than a healthy 4L80E 'as-is' apart from my suggested upgrades that will cost like $100 or less.

 

[skylark]

you need to swap to a 4l80e or 4l85e th400/3l80 if you do not need/want overdrive or go manual with a nv4500 sm465 if you can find one sm420 for doing truck things there are other manuals out there that are more fun oriented but but I do not know what they are

T56 is a nice shifting double overdrive 6 speed manual that would be a lot of fun.

 

[NickTransmissions]

T56 is a nice shifting double overdrive 6 speed manual that would be a lot of fun.

Yep, it's tallest gear is .5 to 1, which allows me to cruise in my Trans Am at nearly 90 miles per hour at just under 2000 RPMs...It can handle 500hp if driven conservatively but that power level is at the upper limit before upgraded gears, shafts and other parts have to be installed. I have a couple of those units, going to be rebuilding one of them in the fall so when the TA's engine rebuild is done, it can go back in w/it...

The OP will need the LT1/LT4 version of the T56 for his big block...

 

[Road Trip]

simple answer to why you like the 4l80e in you truck so much is a 4l80e and 4l85e is more or less a th400/3l80 with overdrive

Exactly. Articles like THIS claim up to a 75% parts interchangeability, so it still gives the feel of being a brick house of
an automatic. Think of all the real-world lessons learned on the old Turbo 400 over it's manufacturing run, which is
brought over to the 4L80-E. If anything, the 4L80-E is supposedly even better than the Turbo 400 it replaced.

****

And thinking back to my misspent youth, the Turbo 400 was the only automatic transmission that shrugged off
all of our wild-eyed shenanigans like they didn't even happen. All the others? They faded/folded in short order.
It earned a deep, long-lasting respect from yours truly.

And anyone reading this who was somehow involved in the Turbo 400 / 4L80-E program, from design, prototyping,
testing, QA, through volume manufacturing of the countless individual precision bits, I tip my hat to you. The epitomy
of what's possible when the right people are given a tough, complex goal and then turned loose to make it happen.

The essence of American Excellence.

 

[99xcss4]

one thing I do not get though is the 700r4/4l60/4l60e/4l70e was based of the th350 some thing went wrong for them to be as bad as they are because the th350 was a pretty good transmission imho not as beafy as a th400 but still pretty good and then you had the th375 and th475 variants that were also great I will even say that power glides are pretty good as well but they are only 2 speed

 

[skylark]

Yep, it's tallest gear is .5 to 1, which allows me to cruise in my Trans Am at nearly 90 miles per hour at just under 2000 RPMs...It can handle 500hp if driven conservatively but that power level is at the upper limit before upgraded gears, shafts and other parts have to be installed. I have a couple of those units, going to be rebuilding one of them in the fall so when the TA's engine rebuild is done, it can go back in w/it...

The OP will need the LT1/LT4 version of the T56 for his big block...

We have the Magnum F in my wife's GTO and it is sweet! If I remember correctly it is a .63 6th instead of the .5 but it is rated 700hp/700tq.

 

[someotherguy]

I want a T-56 swap for my NV4500...

Richard

 

[skylark]

I want a T-56 swap for my NV4500...

Richard

That would be awesome in your big booty sport truck!

 

[someotherguy]

That would be awesome in your big booty sport truck!

Too bad I already spent the big money rebuilding the NV4500. Anybody wanna buy a nice super low mile rebuilt 2WD early style NV4500?

Richard