Deere Freek
Recruit
I'm told that the 4l80 basicly chews up 80 hp from the engine. Are there any tranny swaps or mods that would let me get more of the hp available from my engine to the groud without sacrificing durability?
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Don't fret your hp loss - your torque converter more than makes up for that. Keep in mind that your TC is actually a torque multiplier, typically around 1.6:1. So, in direct drive, if you're putting 300# of torque into the tranny, you're getting 480# out the tailshaft. No manual trans can do that. Also, the use of multi-disc clutch packs means you have more friction surface than any single disk 12" clutch can ever have. This is why auto trannies are far better at towing than manuals will ever be.
All seriousness aside, you've got one of the best auto trannies available to the light truck market. To get any heavier/stronger, you're looking at the Allison autos, and those require more than three times the HP to turn 'em. I'm keeping my 4L80.So the stock setup for the tranny isn't all that bad then i take it??
The hp loss thru your 4L80 is less than 20hp - realistically, somewhere between 15 and 18. We have an electric tranny dyno at our training facility; the next time I test one of these, I'll do the amps/volts/watts thing and figure hp loss. Just for kicks, I'll also ask the GM tranny folks at the training center in Dallas about the 'official' figure.
Don't fret your hp loss - your torque converter more than makes up for that. Keep in mind that your TC is actually a torque multiplier, typically around 1.6:1. So, in direct drive, if you're putting 300# of torque into the tranny, you're getting 480# out the tailshaft. No manual trans can do that. Also, the use of multi-disc clutch packs means you have more friction surface than any single disk 12" clutch can ever have. This is why auto trannies are far better at towing than manuals will ever be.