GM 4L80-E Transmission Swap Tips and Tricks

GM 4L80-E transmission swap tips are needful for anyone looking to revamp the performance of their transmission. The same goes if your ride is used for off-road and racing applications. These tips are from car enthusiasts and lovers of vehicles that can handle the high load that will be thrown at it.

Therefore, you’ll be relying on the most important tips and tricks out there, instead of trying just about anything on your transmission. In the end, the level of performance you’ll get will be more than impressive. With that in mind, here are some of our tried-and-true tips and tricks for swapping GM 4L80-E transmissions that you can try today.
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GM 4L80-E Transmission Fluid Levels

If you’ve dedicated the time, money, and energy to your GM 4L80-E transmission swap, it is useful to ensure you have enough oil in it. How can you do that? It’s by using the correct dipstick measurement given that some of these units may not measure the right oil level.

Accordingly, if the measurement reads ‘full’, the dipstick has to be level with the pan rail. This is the case’s flat part where the pan bolts. Therefore, you can take this measurement with the dipstick mounted in the car. Here, you could get the transmission in and bolted to the cross member.

The next step is to drop the pan and assess the stick. Mark a new line on the stick if the right measurement was not gotten correctly. Now you’ll agree that this is an easier process that can save you from damaging your transmission in the long run.
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Automatic Transmission Accumulators

It’s possible to block the third or fourth accumulators using a wide range of options. An option is to purchase an accumulator delete plate that will offer high-level performance.

This plate is also not so pricey and it comes with the promise of excellent performance each time. Another option is to resort to the stock accumulator housing and block the feed holes. This blockage can be done with the help of a set screw such as a 5/16″-18 tap and set screw.

It’s worth pointing out that the bore that lacks the pin is for the third accumulator whereas the hole that comes with the pin is for the 4th. Coupled with that, the 2nd accumulator is the case and there’s no need to block it.
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GM 4L80-E Transmission Pressure Booster

The GM 4L80-E transmission pressure can be increased using a boost valve. In this case, if you’re getting less than 1khp to the tire, it’s useful to use a valve and sleeve while maintaining the stock pressure regulator spring. Contrastingly, you need to resort to the sonnax spring if the transmission is making over  1khp.
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Transmission Snap Ring Enhancement

There’s another enhancement you can carry out and that is the improvement of the intermediate clutch snap ring. Although there is a stock ring, the latter may be too weak to handle the performance required.

Accordingly, settle for a snap ring from a TorqueFlite 727. since it has a level of thickness that will impact positively on your ride. Also, if the clearance is overly tight with the .106, you can opt for a thickness option of .088.
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GM 4L80-E Transmission Valve Body Separator Plates

You could take the extra step to drill the plate separator since it can also up performance. Here, the 5/64″ (.078) is suited for lighter cars and even lower power units for 2nd gear. Also, the 3/32 (.093) is ideal for the heavy vehicles around 4k+ lbs.

The 3rd can be fixed in the 7/64 (.110), which is suited for most vehicles, When it comes high hp/heavy, you can resort to 1/8″ (.125) and the same can be said for the 4th. Needless to say, these numbers may vary from one car to the other.

On the other hand, it is worth pointing out that a bigger hole may result in firmer and faster shifts. And if the accumulators have been blocked, it’s ideal to settle for the smaller hole options since shifts will be faster and firmer due to the block on accumulators.

Once that is done, you should also consider replacing the electronics and harness. It’ll not cost an arm and a leg to get this replacement down and you can even replace the EPC solenoid. The latter is useful in controlling GM 4L80-E transmission pressure.
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GM 4L80-E TransGo HD2 Kit

The TransGo HD2 Kit may not be the most ideal part to resort to. This is because it dual feeds the direct clutch while also increasing the line pressure. Also, the direct clutch is useful in the reverse gear and the third gear.

Coupled with that, there are two chambers in the apply piston for this clutch. And in the reverse gear, both chambers are used and it’s able to get full apply force. But when it comes to the 3rd gear, only one chamber is used, which helps in reducing the apply area and the holding power.

That being the case, dual feeding the clutch will enable the chambers of the apply piston to also resort to the 3rd gear. On the other hand, if you plan on removing the center lip seal of the apply piston, it may be needful to remove the 2nd sealing ring on the center support.

You may also have to connect the case passage with a 3/8 cup plug in. Likewise, you could tap the center support and install a set screw. And while at it, ensure that the set screw is linked below flush to prevent the non-sealing against the case.
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The Bottom Line

Relying on the GM 4L80-E transmission swap tips and tricks above can help you create a transmission that will handle all the load posed at it. These tips can serve you anytime, whether you’re using a new or old transmission. The goal is to ensure you end up with a ride whose performance is impressive. Now if that’s what you’re out to get, try these tips.