454 4L80E shifting problems and interchangeability

[DustynB]

Hi guys,

I hope someone is able to help me out.

In the summer I bought a 98 Chevy 2500 454 with the automatic 4x4 which is electronic push button style on the dash. I thought I bought the truck for a good price which I thought to be a good price considering it was a very clean and original truck that came from out west (BC) where they don’t use salt out there.

Part 1: Anyways after I bought the truck and started driving it I noticed once would shift 1st, 2nd, 3rd smooth and even Overdrive (OD) if the truck was cold... But once the truck started to get some temperature it kicked out of OD and dropped down to 3rd gear which obviously caused the engine to rev higher at around 3000RPM at 100km/h or 60MPH where as in OD it would be around 2200-2300... Once the truck kicks out of OD it won’t go back in no matter what I try doing. If the truck does happen to lockup in OD if I slow down to where it downshifts into 3rd and I speed up again it won’t shift back up... I have done research and I heard a lot of different answers from potential wiring problems to a faulty solenoid... I am very confused as to what’s causing this, has anyone had the same problem and know what may be causing this?

Part 2: I have thought about just finding a good used tranny and swapping it out and maybe that would solve my headache... So now the problem with changing transmissions is I would I not need the exact same transmission? I would need a 98 to 99 style because the coolant lines are in different places, a 4x4 tcase with electronic push button style not the mechanical on the floor 4x4, and the transmission would have to be out of a 454 (bbc) because the internals are different rather from a diesel or 350 3/4 ton? Now I know you can get away with putting any in 4l80e from let’s say a 350 yes it might bolt up but the inside will have different gear ratios and different just build heavier? Also the torque converter on a 454 has its own speed that it locks up at... This has me stumped because I have done some research and people have swapped them on forums but nobody has discussed this and does it not make sense thatthe internal parts are adjusted for the engine that’s in front of the transmission? I found a 2005 Chevy 2500 4l80e with the tcase 4x4 electronic push button... the transmission has roughly 160k on it but I am unsure if it will work and moneys tight right now I can’t take a guess that it will work and there’s not a lot of talk on the internet with the same questions I ask...

Thanks in advance for helping me, cheers and stay safe!!

 

[MrMarty51]

Check all the ground connections, dont just eyeball them, remove them from their studs and sand them to bright and shiny, then, a very light smear of dielectric compound to each terminal.
Put a scanner on it to verify it is getting voltage to the OD solenoid after it warms up. A solenoid can be going to faulty mode after it heats up.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

You cannot do anything without getting a scanner on it. This is a fully electronic transmission that is controlled by the PCM, overdrive can be inhibited for a number of reasons, but without knowing the codes it's throwing, or seeing the data stream, there is no reason to know why it's doing it. And just swapping trans without diagnosing it is a great way to waste time, money, and most likely create more problems. You could have a simple temp sensor issue causing this, or even an engine code that is causing it.

And it is a fully electronic transmission, shifting and lockup is all electronically controlled, and does not change from model to model. The only real difference is the torque converter, diesels & 454's use a low stall, tbi 350's used a mid stall dual stator, vortec 350'd used a high stall single stator, and then there was the ultra rare high stall single stator behind a 4.3l. The transfer case style doesn't matter, nor does it have to be the same year, or even a 454. You could just as easily take a 4l80e from behind a 4.3l van, change the converter, and bolt it behind your 454.

But DIAGNOSE yours FIRST, unless you like burning $100 bills for amusement.

 

[DustynB]

You cannot do anything without getting a scanner on it. This is a fully electronic transmission that is controlled by the PCM, overdrive can be inhibited for a number of reasons, but without knowing the codes it's throwing, or seeing the data stream, there is no reason to know why it's doing it. And just swapping trans without diagnosing it is a great way to waste time, money, and most likely create more problems. You could have a simple temp sensor issue causing this, or even an engine code that is causing it.

And it is a fully electronic transmission, shifting and lockup is all electronically controlled, and does not change from model to model. The only real difference is the torque converter, diesels & 454's use a low stall, tbi 350's used a mid stall dual stator, vortec 350'd used a high stall single stator, and then there was the ultra rare high stall single stator behind a 4.3l. The transfer case style doesn't matter, nor does it have to be the same year, or even a 454. You could just as easily take a 4l80e from behind a 4.3l van, change the converter, and bolt it behind your 454.

But DIAGNOSE yours FIRST, unless you like burning $100 bills for amusement.

Okay I will Definitely get a OBD 2 tool on it... the reason I thought you needed around the same year of transmission is because the earlier style 4l80e’s were actually designed differently, the older ones have two coolant lines that go into the front half of the transmission but was later redesigned to having one of the coolant lines to the back of the transmission because there was a big problem in the 90s with 4l80e’s overheating and burning out (no fluid was getting to the rear of the tranny)... Also one of my main concerns is that the internals of the transmission are actually different... For example the 350 doesn’t have the same power and torque as a 454 so that being said is there not more clutches or heavier pressure plates?or something to make it a bit beefier? It makes sense that GM would have made them heavier otherwise it will just demolish the clutches and gears...

Thanks Dustyn

 

[DustynB]

Check all the ground connections, dont just eyeball them, remove them from their studs and sand them to bright and shiny, then, a very light smear of dielectric compound to each terminal.
Put a scanner on it to verify it is getting voltage to the OD solenoid after it warms up. A solenoid can be going to faulty mode after it heats up.

I will definitely do that, maybe it would be something dumb like a ground wire.. there’s no sense taking everything apart to find out the solenoid was faulty...

Thanks Dustyn

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Okay I will Definitely get a OBD 2 tool on it... the reason I thought you needed around the same year of transmission is because the earlier style 4l80e’s were actually designed differently, the older ones have two coolant lines that go into the front half of the transmission but was later redesigned to having one of the coolant lines to the back of the transmission because there was a big problem in the 90s with 4l80e’s overheating and burning out (no fluid was getting to the rear of the tranny)... Also one of my main concerns is that the internals of the transmission are actually different... For example the 350 doesn’t have the same power and torque as a 454 so that being said is there not more clutches or heavier pressure plates?or something to make it a bit beefier? It makes sense that GM would have made them heavier otherwise it will just demolish the clutches and gears...

Thanks Dustyn

No, a 4l80e is a 4l80e. There were some differences like straight cut gears, and rear mounted parking brake, but those were in medium duty trucks, 3500HD's, and motorhomes. GM moved the lines to try and improve oiling, but earlier transmissions did not have that many issues, actually many prefer the earlier transmissions since they used the lube circuit to oil the rear instead of AFL regulated fluid pressure. GM did make some changes to the orifice sizes in the valve body separator plate to help with shifting between engines, but they were not huge differences.

 

[DustynB]

No, a 4l80e is a 4l80e. There were some differences like straight cut gears, and rear mounted parking brake, but those were in medium duty trucks, 3500HD's, and motorhomes. GM moved the lines to try and improve oiling, but earlier transmissions did not have that many issues, actually many prefer the earlier transmissions since they used the lube circuit to oil the rear instead of AFL regulated fluid pressure. GM did make some changes to the orifice sizes in the valve body separator plate to help with shifting between engines, but they were not huge differences.

Okay, thank you very much... very informative and good things to know, I appreciate it very much...

Thanks Dustyn

 

[DustynB]

Okay so I remembered that a few months ago I had a few engine lights on the dash and I actually used a cheaper blue tooth ODB 2 scanner called blue driver... anyways these were some of the codes that came up on my phone, does the P1860 solenoid the problem?

Thanks Dustyn

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

Yes, the p1860 can cause your problem.

 

[DustynB]

Okay, now how do I go about fixing it??

Thanks a lot Dustyn

 

[sethfrancis28]

Okay, now how do I go about fixing it??

Thanks a lot Dustyn

Hey Dustyn I'm having the same issues you described. What ended up being your fix???

 

[DustynB]

Hey Dustyn I'm having the same issues you described. What ended up being your fix???

no i have not i ended up pushing the truck to the corner. did you end up solving the issue?