Shifter Question??

[TC]

This is for my Monte SS, I'm thinking of getting a 4l80e setup with manual shifting, what shifter do you think would be a good choice??.... And remember this car will see both track and street time.......Probably more street than track....

[SuperBuickGuy]

4L80e is a heavy transmission. What kind of track are you going to see? drag? autocross? high-speed oval?

[JeffMcKC]

Doc used the TCI Outlaw on his till I made him sell that piece of junk 4L80E

[Bamfster]

FWIW .... It'd be cool to see the factory shifter modified to work with it. It's not too terribly difficult to make a gate to be able to bump shift it w/a reverse lock out tab.

[TC]

4L80e is a heavy transmission. What kind of track are you going to see? drag? autocross? high-speed oval?

The Monte is going to be done up for drag racing, the 4l80e is the only 4 speed auto that can be built to withstand 1200hp. And believe it or not when built properly they are a very efficient transmission at getting the power to the rear wheels.... As for modifying the stock shifter, it's falling apart, so I'm going to have to buy one either way......

[JeffMcKC]

Yeah, you will find out its a power robbing, thrust bearing taker outer. They are getting better, but is far behind a Shorty Glide with a GV for holding power or robbing power. Doc had a Rossler and spent a ton, by the time they where done it had converter troubles still, no one had a 6800 stall that would work. It slowed his car down by 1 second in 1/4 mile.

[anotheridiot]

Billet hubs will allow a powerglide to handle 1200 hp. Thats the weak point, all the cast steel components inside. The pump is the biggest hurdle on the 4L80E, I figured you would opt for a Lenco. You also have to deal with lockout solenoids on the torque converter on the electric. Dont know why you would want to deal with all those solenoids instead of just getting a manual valve body in it, those screens on the solenoids fill fast. You are also stuck with speed solenoids too, really dont know how much strip abuse all that stuff can take.

The reason people opt for the 4L80 or 4L85 is for the street though, utilizing the overdrive to save fuel. The overdrive hub is in the front of the transmission, so if its more street I think you are spot on, but strip I would lose those solenoids and make sure that overdrive hub can be stiffened or locked up for the strip.

[TC]

Billet hubs will allow a powerglide to handle 1200 hp. Thats the weak point, all the cast steel components inside. The pump is the biggest hurdle on the 4L80E, I figured you would opt for a Lenco. You also have to deal with lockout solenoids on the torque converter on the electric. Dont know why you would want to deal with all those solenoids instead of just getting a manual valve body in it, those screens on the solenoids fill fast. You are also stuck with speed solenoids too, really dont know how much strip abuse all that stuff can take.

The reason people opt for the 4L80 or 4L85 is for the street though, utilizing the overdrive to save fuel. The overdrive hub is in the front of the transmission, so if its more street I think you are spot on, but strip I would lose those solenoids and make sure that overdrive hub can be stiffened or locked up for the strip.

I'll throw this out there, just to see what you guy think of this guy.... Here's a video that kind of explains what he does to the 4l80e's......

Here's the link to the transmission page.....

http://www.maddogtransmissions.com/4L80_4L80E_Transmission_p/4l80-fslash-4l80e.htm

And still looking for a good shifter.....

Anyone heard of Precision Performance or Kilduff shifters or Winters shifters??.....

[Scott Liggett]

If dthe trans is going to be a manual valve body; I'd use a gated shifter instead of a rachet style. On the street, it's easier to get the trans back into first with a gated type. That's a personal opinion.

[Barry Donovan]

If dthe trans is going to be a manual valve body; I'd use a gated shifter instead of a rachet style. On the street, it's easier to get the trans back into first with a gated type. That's a personal opinion.

+1..

I drove the g body oem floor shifters around, had a Pontiac version as well.
the chevy does something nice...
modify the original.

[200kss]

First I've got to ask if you've checked with top 200-4R builders about building one for your application? It would literally be a bolt-in. If you're wanting to keep the factory console, I've seen most of the popular ratchet shifters used, from B&M and Hurst.

I use a stock Monte SS shifter with a manual valvebody TH350.

[TC]

First I've got to ask if you've checked with top 200-4R builders about building one for your application? It would literally be a bolt-in. If you're wanting to keep the factory console, I've seen most of the popular ratchet shifters used, from B&M and Hurst.

I use a stock Monte SS shifter with a manual valvebody TH350.

At the Good Guys Show that Joe and Remy and I went to I stopped in at the Hughes Performance booth and talked with them, when I asked about doing the 2004R they laughed, said not behind a nitrous motor making that much HP(700+).... He said the 700R4 was a better way to go.... Though I didn't discuss the turbo motor which I'm sure at that HP level he would have laughed again, even with the 700R4 as an option........ The 4L80e's are the only ones that I see people rating them at 1200hp or more.... That MadDog guy will warranty his for a year, with unlimited miles and he advertises it as being able to handle 1200hp.... The other option is a TCI 6-speed, which is based off of a 4L80e transmission, though they are quite spendy, more than twice the amount of a built 4L80e.....

The other turn off of the 2004R and 700R4 is the TV cable I don't want to have to run one......

And as for the install, the 4L80E is a direct fit, no trany tunnel modifications and they make a trany crossmember for the swap, so it's really just having the driveline shortened, but then I'll be putting a TRZ 9" in it anyway so the driveshaft will have to be changed no matter what.......

[dieselgeek]

At the Good Guys Show that Joe and Remy and I went to I stopped in at the Hughes Performance booth and talked with them, when I asked about doing the 2004R they laughed, said not behind a nitrous motor making that much HP(700+)....

Tell that to Brian Rock who's been running a 2004R in a mid nine sec 3800lb car for years. Of course, his car actually runs so, why not plan on a air shifted Liberty for your drag racing, autocross, roadcourse grocery getting daily driven 8 second terror?

[TC]

Tell that to Brian Rock who's been running a 2004R in a mid nine sec 3800lb car for years. Of course, his car actually runs so, why not plan on a air shifted Liberty for your drag racing, autocross, roadcourse grocery getting daily driven 8 second terror?

He runs "all motor", did you notice I said the guys at Hughes said it wouldn't survive behind a "Nitrous" motor....... Nitrous is so much more violent on a drivetrain than a naturally aspirated motor is that is making the same HP....... But then if you actually built a car of your own and raced it, you might know that....... Please stick to something you know about, like EFI and laptops.......

[dieselgeek]

He runs "all motor"

if "all motor" means "progressive nitrous with an EMS-pro controlling ignition" then sure, whatever Alex. You should take your own advice.