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454 with 4l80

tanman_2006

tanman_2006

Just a farm kid...
Messages
5,694
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940
Location
Seiling, Oklahoma
I have been looking for a crew cab 4x4 one ton that was in need of some repair for some time now. Next week I am going to go look at a 93 K3500 Crew Cab SRW with a 4l80.

Now for the issue and why it's cheap.

Trans doesn't go into 3rd or 4th. I was thinking tps or solenoid.

Now I have a 96 4l80 out of a 6.5. I was thinking of doing a trans swap (if the 93 needs rebuilt) and using optishift to control it.

The goal with the crew cab long bed is a p400 6 speed Allison horse trailer pulling beast. So I don't really want to dump a lot of money into it. The 4l80 was originally bought and built with the idea of building my K1500 into a race truck so a few miles on it won't kill its possible future purpose.

What do I need to check on the 93 454 4l80 to see what might be wrong? They want 1200 for the truck and it has 120k miles on it.
 
I am not out for power, it will just be a DD mostly until it gets it 6.5 and 6 speed Allison swap. I just want to get it rolling cheap and run around in it.
 
Need to scan the 93 to see whats up. If it was just 4th, I would say a temp sensor issue, but no 3rd or 4th sounds like a shift solenoid, valve body, or clutch pack issue. The 96 isn't a direct swap, but can be put in and made to work with a valve body swap and a couple of other small tweaks if it's 2 wheel drive(4X4 adds alot more work to it). The OPTISHIFT is another issue, but then you can run into issues with the ECM, trouble codes, and it not getting up to full power without finding a manual trans chip for the ECM.
 
93 is 4x4 and 96 trans is 4x4. I don't have an issue with upgrading to a TBI chip for manual trans if the 96 4x4 trans will work.

If I use an optishift (I have it never used it) and the 96 trans with manual chip from TBI Chips then what else will it take to make it work. I'm expecting to need a torque converter.

Will the old paper clip scan work?
 
Yes, the paper clip will work. Depending on what the 96 came from, it may need a converter. It should bolt in no problem, the only change I know thats required will be to swap the manual shift shaft as 93 had mechanical shift linkage, and 95+ used a cable. Your optishift should already be set up to work, but depending on which optishift you have, I'm not sure if it will shift properly on 4 low. I don't think the early ones had the 4 low input in them, but there might be a software update to add it in if you have the early optishift 1(this may not be an issue, all depends on which one with which software you have).
 
So will the 93 linkage bolt up? This had a push button tcase and a built low stall converter. I was thinking I'd get more of a 2200rpm triple disc with the intention of building a 6.5 x att "sport truck" in the future
 
You just have to swap out the manual shift shaft from the 93 to the 96, or you could build your own adapter to connect the shift linkage up. It isn't a big hurdle, but it is a nyisance none the less. And hang onto that 93 4l80e 4x4, people out there are willing to pay good money for the output tone wheel as GM discontinued them. I've heard the going rate is $150-200(although I've seen ads for almost $600) for that tone wheel to go on the output shaft. They frequently get damaged during rebuild, and 91-93 trucks require them to run in stock form.

Heres a link with some info on swapping shift shafts.
http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f213/4l80e-shift-shaft-help-505790/#/topics/505790?_k=1cv651
 
10-4

The guy with the 454 left on vacation this AM so it will be Friday before I get to check it out. In the mean time I found a 98 K3500 with no fuel to cylinders for 1400 I might check out. But he mentioned ether.
 
If he hit the truck with some quick-start-boom in a can, just inspect it closely for blowby. I have looked over a truck, flashed the cash and then told him my knowledge of the truck(usually see a can in the truck is the give away) then tell them compression/ leakdown test and I'll buy it or walk away.
If they hemhaw about it, I jump in the middle of their sentence with "If you know it's junked from starting fluid -just say it!" The answer is usually no, and I say then lets checknit out together, and if it doesnt meet specs, youll know what it takes to fix it if you keep it or sell it to a friend.

I've done that about 8-9 times and only once had a guy refuse. I told him good luck and walked away. Seller always wants to sell more than buyer wants to buy.

Obviously you need to show up with tools, coveralls& gloves, etc in your rig.
 
Yeah the ether thing and being a 3hr drive has me leary. Says he bought it 2yrs ago and hasn't had time to work on it. Previous owned had a gm crate engine dropped in I 2012, the PO also was the guy that tried ether and said it fired that way. It is easily covered in 2 years of dust sitting in a barn or shop.
 
Using ether WITHOUT using the glowplugs is not an issue. 99% of those who use ether make the mistake of obeying the Wait to Start light and when the incoming ether on that first revolution hits a hot glowplug, BAM!
 
Ok finally checked out the 454...

It hits 3k at 50ish. Is that 2nd or 3rd? Pretty sure I was still in 2nd. Runs great and pulls decent to 50mph.

Has new solenoids, a low mile trans swap, clean fluid, and bad temp sensor. The trailer brake box is in front of the DTC port do I didn't get codes, unfortunately I didn't take tools.


Been sitting since March and fired on the 3rd crank, maybe 5-6 sec.
 
So trans is shot? He's been driving it for 3 yrs this way. Just farm to farm on back roads. Trans fluid is bright and smells good.
 
May be fine. Without knowing codes or seeing a data stream on it who knows. Could be as simple as a bad tps or temp sensor. Or could be fried, no telling without checking it.
 
Side note. Went and looked at a single cab 94 3500 Cab and Chassis 2wd 5 Speed TBI 350. Ran decent driving around and went about 8 miles no problem. Paid the guy with a check (local guy) and got and mile out of town when it started bucking and sputtering trying to accelerate from 50mph in 4th. After that it coughed and sputtered like a 6.5 with dying pmd all the way back to town.

The guy gave my check back and said he had been through 3 tbi's, intake manifold gaskets, plugs and wires, and checked fuel psi. I'm guessing something is out in the cap/rotor but he's gone as far to check compression so I don't know why he'd skip the ignition.

Any thoughts on what could be wrong with that one? No cel but I didn't try the paperclip, I was too pissed about it dying on me right after buying to care.
 
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