4L60E

[immortality]

From what I've been told the later 4l60e's are the better base to start with, bigger cooling lines for starters are much preferred, the later box should also have the more preferable 13 vane pump. I also believe the early boxes used plastic accumulator pistons where as the later ones have alloy but these should probably be upgraded if you are building the box to handle some decent power.

[vs ss]

The later ones had plastic accumulator pistons and you can change the cooler lines to the big as it’s only the screw in bosses that are bigger. (Interchangeable between each other and internal orifices are bigger than the fitting ) Yep you can change to 13 vane pump if desired and you can also use a early and late pwm pump halves to give better volume. Then you can install a boost valve and machine Longer bushes for the rear of the pump and the sun gear that the reaction shell goes onto. If you want you can use 4l65 5gear planetarys and fit the Torrington roller behind the reaction shell. You can also machine and fit a roller bearing with a lip seal in the end of the input drum. How far you want to go is up to you! People will argue what works and what doesn’t but in reality it’s up to the person building it and how much you want to spend. Everyone has their own ways.

[immortality]

Yeah if you are building it than the options are endless.

[vs ss]

Yeah for sure.
Sorry op I went a bit off track. I am probably confusing more than helping your decision.
At the end of the day yes the case on both will stand up to heaps of power and the electronic side is the same( apart from the pwm missing) Pretty much whatever way you go is up to you but as immortality mentioned some people do like to start with the later ones.

[j_ds_au]

Actually, if the car in question (a VR) is anything like an Ecotec VS, then there are two more challenges in fitting a newer 4L60E transmission :
- The common version of the bell housing will interfere with the exhaust, you need one with a cut-out section on the lower right side, like was used in the VS series 3 ute.
- The back of the sump has a different arrangement for bolting to the bottom of the bell housing. Two braces are used in the older models, whereas the sump and bell housing bolt directly together in the later models. The two arrangements are incompatible.

Joe.

[alffie]

So if I use a VS Harness and tune i can use the 98 or 02? If i use the 94 i just use the vr tune and harness? There is endless options for the 4l60E now, theres even the 2.86 gear swap.

[vs ss]

Yes that’s correct.

[j_ds_au]

Here's a picture of a VS series III 4L60E, showing how this has a modified bell housing to accommodate the VS exhaust :

4L60E special for VS series III

Perhaps a VR requires modifying similarly if using a latter 4L60E ...

Joe.

PS. Yes, the above corresponds to the V6 arrangement, I don't know if the V8 arrangements are likewise.

[vlad01]

All good but pretty sure the OP has a v8 and they all use the old style bellhousing which is different to v6 anyway.

[alffie]

Ah this is the V6 4L60E, Iam runinning the V8 4L60E there is a much differnt bellhousing so the main difference for me is the 02 has the LS rh starter and my 396 has the LH starter so iam thinking i go with the 98 4L60