4l60e. What can they handle.

[ls1dan]

I have done a quick search and couldn't really find the answer I was looking for.

I want to know peoples experiences with the standard 4l60e box. WIll they or can they handle around 300 rwkw range of power. I know its all down to the way they are driven but would like to know peoples experiences.

I am getting the box built in a couple of weeks, but want to know if the gearbox will handle this sort of power and if so for how long. I don't plan on giving the car **it during this period but would like to know what it's capable of.

Thanks in advance.
DAN

[vxssblown]

yes they can handle 300rwkw, my vx ss has 330rwkw and the auto hasn't let go yet. But i don't drive the car every day and when i do drive it i don't flog the shit out of it all day long.

[NIXON]

From what i have been told they can handle abou 300rwkw, maybe more as vxssblown said if its not a daily drive. This is the problem i have now, my ute will be getting more power this year but im worried about the box.

[kblume]

mine lost all drive in 2nd after ~10,000km with 285rwkw. I don't give it hell, but don't drive it like a granny either :rofl:

Got the box rebuilt with all the usual goodies and a nice big cooler and it has been fine for ~20,000km now. Luck of the draw i guess, but a big cooler and some decent fluid plays a big part with the longevity of the 4L60/65's.

[vxssblown]

mine lost all drive in 2nd after ~10,000km with 285rwkw. I don't give it hell, but don't drive it like a granny either :rofl:

Got the box rebuilt with all the usual goodies and a nice big cooler and it has been fine for ~20,000km now. Luck of the draw i guess, but a big cooler and some decent fluid plays a big part with the longevity of the 4L60/65's.

10,000km that sucks, i must have a lucky box

[boggers007]

I know a few people running 300+kw thru these and it all comes down to the size of the tranny cooler id say as they run fine no problems but i bet if u start launching at the drags it will kill it

[white lie]

It is a bit of "luck of the draw" but there are a few things you can do to improve your odds.
Get the biggest tranny cooler you can, run a good quality fluid and change it as often as possible. Ideally, get a deep pan with a bung and drop the fluid in the pan every 5,000kms (just like you would your engine oil). It's fairly time consuming to fully flush the fluid and change the filter but should still be done quite regularly (especially if racing).

Mine (albeit a 4L65e) is still going strong after ~50,000kms with 280rwkW.

[vy2lx8]

My 4l60e (done 170k) died within 2 weeks of having my car cammed and blown 337rwkw, lost 3rd and 4th. Box was serviced and had a cooler fitted at same time as other work but still killed it. i was still relatively babying it around too. Luck of the draw. Built box and stall now and been a few months with a few mods to allow better flow of fluid to keep cooler and i'm seeing temps around 85-90 with no probs yet.

[A PSYCHO]

10,000km that sucks, i must have a lucky box

thats nothing. My stock 4L60E blew 2nd gear after 3000Ks when the cam went in. Making a tame 264RWKW. Had a large trans cooler fitted and box had 120,000Ks on it at time of cam install. No manual shifting or even power mode really. But i did give it abit of grief as all cammed V8 drivers would i guess.

Food for thought.

[DC347]

thats nothing. My stock 4L60E blew 2nd gear after 3000Ks when the cam went in. Making a tame 264RWKW.

I've seen how you drive it. No wonder it blew up. As already said big cooler good fluid.

Cheers Chris

[Munro3]

If you are going to get one built, then you my aswell get it beefed up. Mine let go after I got up to the 300rwkw mark.

[A PSYCHO]

I've seen how you drive it. No wonder it blew up. As already said big cooler good fluid.

Cheers Chris

umm do i even know you? haha.

[ssv402]

umm do i even know you? haha.

We are all watching you :1peek: Nice jammies.

[Popeye1]

Once you hit 300rwk its just a mater of time and you need to beef the box.

[A PSYCHO]

We are all watching you :1peek: Nice jammies.

I only really know 1 user off here 'personally', and its not him. Unless its from the 1 cruise ive been on through LS1? If so, that 3-4 hour window is hardly a real basis for assumptions about how i drive overall, but ok then.

[OMR346]

I've seen how you drive it. No wonder it blew up. As already said big cooler good fluid.

Cheers Chris

BAHAHAHAHAHAH Matt got OWNED....

lol He is right though. And i HAVE seen how you drive it, so i CAN say that :p

All good though. We all like to have fun every now and then. As said though, its the luck of the draw, with some cars. My box is still going after 18 months and about 30,000kms, with 273rwkw, 2 Powercruises, about 80 or so Willowbank passes, a few "spirited" mountain runs, and been daily driven aswell. Its not the best these days though, and will defently need to be built soon. Ive got a big Derale cooler on mine with a 3500rpm Dominator.

[A PSYCHO]

BAHAHAHAHAHAH Matt got OWNED....

lol He is right though. And i HAVE seen how you drive it, so i CAN say that :p

Are you on drugs son? This isnt really the thread for it, so i wont go all offtopic here, but i seem to remember you were one of the cars who took off belting it down the mountain that day, while i hung back and cruised. And i couldnt catch you on the way home, despite my best efforts. Who abuses theirs again? :1peek:

p.s. your definition of 'owned' worries me....

[***VX*R8***]

Hopefully this isn't too offtopic for the thread...

I know with a stock 4l60/65 it's bad for the box to manually take it down through the gears but what about on a built box that's been manualised??

[CRAIG LS2 GD]

Mine is manual shifted has been for few years now behind a nitrous 408 running lots of 10 second quarters and i have had no dramas but yes it is built for it...

[poolkeeper]

mines done 20k, big cooler with fan, regular servicing. Fingers crossed!!

[OMR346]

Are you on drugs son? This isnt really the thread for it, so i wont go all offtopic here, but i seem to remember you were one of the cars who took off belting it down the mountain that day, while i hung back and cruised. And i couldnt catch you on the way home, despite my best efforts. Who abuses theirs again? :1peek:

p.s. your definition of 'owned' worries me....

I wasnt referring to that LS1 cruise, Princess. You were driving pretty tame that day. I barely saw you the whole day lol. Defently a good run though.

[SSZ.]

ive got 295kw with big cooler i run a fan on the cooler at the drags and burnouts but these day she isnt looking to healthy and ive only had the cam in for 5000ish k's but its got close to 80000ks on it ive done motorvation this year with a fair few full 1/4 mile burnouts and about 150-200 drag passes

just wondering how far do i go with it when i build it and will that handle the pwr or do i just do a prity much standard reco and replace it with a better g/box when it blows

[pelagonia_ss]

Mine shat itself after 2 and a half years running 250rwkw.

[PC12]

Seems like I wish I had got a manual as most replies seem to have their autos shitting itselves.

I suppose stock engines and they last for years with normal driving.

[Scruffy]

What everyone has said about a big cooler. But put a fan on it if you're going to be doing skids. Mine held up to lots of abuse at the drags and track days until I really flogged it at powercruise.

[SSZ.]

yer they dont like it to much aye scruff, mine aint looking to good, got one at mitch's that i gota pick up and build that one

[walesy]

my auto just clicked over 265,000kms and only shat itself last week, as i planned to build a new engine/box combo i gave mine shit all the time manual shifting and everything, has 254rwkw, it was the first drama i had with the car, i lost 2nd, 4th, and reverse

[307DVL]

alot of the xr6 turbo guys are building these boxes and putting them in there cars. for drag and road manners 450rwkw plus

[CalaisRider]

My 4l60e (done 170k) died within 2 weeks of having my car cammed and blown 337rwkw, lost 3rd and 4th. Box was serviced and had a cooler fitted at same time as other work but still killed it. i was still relatively babying it around too. Luck of the draw. Built box and stall now and been a few months with a few mods to allow better flow of fluid to keep cooler and i'm seeing temps around 85-90 with no probs yet.

Yeh mine is one of the first builds of VE (L98 October 2006). Bought it new off the showroom floor but my A6 let go biig time at 42,000k, that was well before the huge HP of the forced induction and other goodies being made today.

It now has 310rwkw and the cam and stuff to get there. Its got 115,000 on the clock but box is still going strong despite quite a bit of motorsport across 2-3 years (how long the auto lasts from here on in is another question LOL).

I do have three big coolers over and above the through the radiator as stock and has a dedicated fan mounted to the third cooler. The system is now 8.5 litres to refill . I close cuircuit pressure flush fully, then refill at 20,000k max (takes 12 litres of dextron 6 to do this). The trans temp has dropped from 90s up to 100 degrees in daily drive - who knows how hot it must have got when at play; down to being 55 - 65 (daily drive), with 75 - 85 and sometimes 90 degrees being the norm on the circuit, skidpan, drags and motorkhana.

I still worry about by A6 longevity even with the abovementioned.

Pete