I see AC Delco, Fram and Wix filters for the 4L80E and other brands I don't recognize. I didn't see anything in the archives about brand preference.

I'm happy with Wix, been less than happy with Fram on a Toyota, no experience with AC Delco.

Is AC Delco at the autopart store different from AC Delco at the GM parts counter?

Are there better or worse tranny filters?

Do any come with a rubber gasket which I prefer to cork gaskets?

Are they all made by Standyne? :)

Thanks,
Sixto
97 C2500 burb

Good question!

Also to add to that: What tranny oil are you all running as well?

Doggone it, you had to make this an oil thread! :)

Sixto
97 C2500 burb

Can you trust those 10 Min. oil change places with changing transmission fluid, filter........are there any special little tricks or secrets that need to be known to do it right?..........Just thought that there a specialized sevice so they might actually know what there doing........Anyone have any dealings with fluid change establishments?

Thanks,
Louis

>Doggone it, you had to make this an oil thread! <

LOL

Granted as far as I can remember no one has picked on trannys on this board before..?

IMO I would not trust a quick oil change place with a tranny. Then again I am fairly frugal and like to save the $, plus you get to see how the truck is doing... Aw, truck bonding. :D

Wix and Hastings are both excellent quality filters.

Wix part # iyou need is 58917 and Hastings part # is TF91...

I have a fram in hand that I intend to use on the 4L80E. It looks to be pretty good quality but the big question is about the filter media itself, which I know nothing about the Fram trans filter media. Part number is FT1134 for 4L80-E trans.

I do know that the big beef with the Fram oil filters is that they use cardboard end caps that can absorb and swell, coming away from the media, allowing oil to go around the media.

As a side note, there was a small notice included with the fram filter that explains why no pan gasket is included. It says,

"The seal for the transmission oil pan is to be reinstalled. It is manufactured of a rigid nylon material, has overmolded metal torque limiters and VAMAC beads on both top and bottom sides to provide a positive seal.

Should replacement be necessary, the pan seal is available from Chevrolet and GMC truck dealers under GM part number 8677743 and may be available from other gasket suppliers."

If anyone knows anything else about this I'd love to hear it.

Fram is saying the pan gasket is reusable. Ok for sure if not leaking now or damaged by dropping the pan. GM/AC Delco is OE on the filter & gasket.Torque converter can be drilled for total drain ,tapped & plugged. Synthetic ATF, drill & tap,new pan gasket at a minimum. Deeper pan,stacked plate cooler,the ultimate. Also certain small parts(SONNAX),shift improver kit,etc. are worthy additions. Find the best reputation trans shop & getter done!!!

The rubber gasket on the transmission pan can be reused. when i changed my filter I put on a new gasket though. i used a fram filter with no problems.

I have changed fluid and filter(WIX) twice since I bought mine and reused the factory gasket with no leaks.

I change my trans filter/fluid every 40K miles on all my GM cars/trucks. Have done that for 20+ years, no trans problems as a result and adding a good aux cooler plumbed with the standard radiator cooler works great. I use Fram trans filters & a quality ATF like Valvoline or Shell. On my 4L80E i reused the factory pan gasket, it has built-in standoffs that prevent crushing the gasket and i have no leaks. It's pretty easy to change, a little messy so have a BIG pan and some kitty-litter to keep the driveway from being a oil-bath.
Don

I NEVER let my Trany lines run through the Coolant. If they rot in the Rad.. "and they will" when you will get trany fluid in the Rad until you shut it off then you will get lots of antifreeze in your trany and then your trany will be scrap after one good drive. Get a big enough Tans cooler and you will not need the on in your Rad.

Well i've driven my Gm cars/trucks for over 200,000 miles / 20 years each car and NEVER had that happen. Changing/flushing the coolant every 3 years will go a long way toward not having radiator problems. Running just an external cooler is much less effecient than a liquid/liquid cooler as the heat exchange rate is much less.
Don

IIRC the rust inhibiters in standard coolants start to break down after two years, so if you flush and fill regularly, say every three years there really should never be a problem with a radiator that has integral trans cooler.

my .02

NEVER ,NEVER ELIMINATE an internal immersion factory cooler. Add one after or before the external auxillary cooler if you want additional capacity.

Get a big enough Tans cooler and you will not need the on in your Rad.

IIRC routing the tranny cooler lines through the radiator after the external cooler is to get the fluid to 180*F or whatever the operating temperature is. Supposedly that could mean heating the fluid after the external cooler.

Is there a thermostat in the 4L80E as there is in other ATs?

Sixto
97 C2500 burb

Torque converter can be drilled for total drain ,tapped & plugged.

I couldn't find any info on this in the archives. Does anyone have a write-up on adding a drain to a 4L80E TC?

Thanks,
Sixto
97 C2500 burb