4L80E conversion. Is it worth it?

[Dusty Bradford]

It is what you get used to. It's also amusing to hear people talk like OD transmissions have been around since cars began driving on roads. Now you hear how a non OD trans will overheat, can't be driven on the highway, etc....yet all these T-400's, 350's and powerglides came from a production car somewhere.

The largest part is what YOU want from a trans. If you want to program it to shift automatically and have OD for 3hr interstate drives with the stock 3.42 gear, the 80e is a good yet more expensive choice.

I prefer the T-400 with a manual valve body myself. They are a cheaper trans, with a 3.23 rear gear and 28" tire they can run 70mph down the interstate, you can beat on it for years and I actually like the manual valve body and shifting it myself. I want to feel like I'm driving the car. Making a full throttle pass and having the trans shift itself is boring to me. I guess because I like driving a manual trans and shifting gears crosses over to the auto's I've owned. With a manual valve body you don't have to down shift, you can coast to a stop light, pull the shifter back into 1 and start over. Or if you don't like shifting gears, you can still run a vacuum modulator with an auto shift valvebody but I prefer the manual with a trans brake much more.

 

[tbone87]

The Buick was the first car I owned with OD.. Lol Now a th350 with break and a 9.5 from twisted 6 racing going in it..

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/index.php?threads/420828/

 

[TURBOPOWERED68]

I am going 4L80e, just not sure if it will make it before the V6 is out of the car or not. That said everybody is suggesting that i also go with the 400. But to me that one time that I am on the Hwy in overdrive will make it all worth it.

 

[NY Twin Turbo]

Nice install. Do you have any pictures of the way it was installed? If so could you start a new thread with a how to so not to mess up this thread?

Unfortunately, I've done enormous amounts of fabrication and never really thought much about taking pictures along the way. Partly because I didn't have a smart phone/digital camera, but mostly because I never had anyone to share them with. I've only been on the forum for about 2 months now.

But, I do remember when I fitted the shifter, it was done with the console and shifter out of the interior and on a work table. A very steady hand with a Dremel was used to cut and massage the B&M supplied console to sit in the Buick factory one. A little latex caulk around the cut and some custom mixed (by me) interior grey spray paint finished it off.

 

[TexasT]

Yep, we are gonna need you to start taking and posting pix.
Sounds like some mad skillz.

 

[Pronto]

Did you mount the shifter to the floor or just the console? Is that a Mega hitter from b&m?

 

[chris kirk]

I may drive it about 100-200 miles depending on that weekend's trip. For example, Cotton's Performance is about 120 miles from me and I drive it there. Lebanon Dragway is about 150 miles and I drive it there also. But most of the time it's more about the amount of time I drive it. Sometimes, when the weather is nice, I like to drive it nearly all day!

I thought I would hate shifting it. I probably would if it weren't for the B&M Ratchet Shifter. I don't hate it. I actually love it. And I got the shifter to work perfectly in the console. (see picture below)

Heat does not build much on steady cruising. But it does build quickly under load. When that happens I turn on the fan up front. And then I turn on the Tildon pump. This helps by circulating the fluid from the pan to another cooler out back. Sounds complicated, but it's not. Just the flip of a switch. A few minutes later and the fluid is at 170 degrees again.

Oh, and the pot-holes............View attachment 249376

That's a nice design. One day when you have a minute if you could start a new thread like Pronto suggested would be great. Would like to know the details. Thanks for the info.