Ive been searching around for a while and cannot find any threads talking about how well the 4L80 stands up to the duramax. Does anyone have any experience with this combo? I know this trans is no slouch in the gasser world, and duramaxs with them are noticably cheaper on the used market. Please quench my curiousity

Nick

The duramax never came with a 4l80 in production.

There are no 4l80es behind Duramaxes yet. They will be behind a detuned dmax in the Savanas.

is it a 4L85?.....I thought you could get a dmax with a different auto than the allison..

I woul hate to do a 4X4 launch with a 4L85E.

Seriously. I heard that they literally blow up.

that doesn't sound promising, I wonder if they have a weak input shaft or what the main issue is.

As of right now GM does not sell the 4L80E on a diesel, but we are putting it in a suburban in the future.

The 4l80 can be built to hold up to the D max. Give ATS a call if you want one, not cheap.

The 4l80 can be built to hold up to the D max. Give ATS a call if you want one, not cheap.
Why isn't Clint running one in his truck?

By not cheap, do you mean more than an allison or less?

Why isn't Clint running one in his truck?Because the Allison came in his truck and is a better trans. It does not make the 4l80 a bad trans. It can be built to withstand big power #'s. I think ATS quoted me $3600 with the tripple loc converter.

The 4L80E came behind the 6.5 Turbo Diesel engine's of the 90's.
If I remember correctly the 4L80E is bascially a Older Turbo 400 tranny with a OD added. It may be a different case but has the same HD part's as the 400's
Turbo 400's are behind a lot of drag car's so they can be built to handle the power and torque, so I'm not sure why no one hasn't put 1 behind a Duramax yet, someone will when the need comes for it I'm sure.

Duramax only has come with the Allison's so far, and the manual tranny's.

Because the Allison came in his truck and is a better trans. It does not make the 4l80 a bad trans. It can be built to withstand big power #'s. I think ATS quoted me $3600 with the tripple loc converter.
The stock turbo and injectors came with his truck also and that didn't stop him from changing them out for more power. The 4L80 is a great trans but it is overtaxed by diesel tq. I have built many of them for heavy tow vehichles and tool trucks behind a 6.5 engine and they don't live. Clint ( ATS) or Joe (Suncoast) can build any trans they want for their trucks; they have the time and money and the personel, and yes they would run faster than the Ally. Once maybe twice if they didn't break it coming out of the hole.

IM NOT FOR CERTAIN BUT I THINK THERE WAS A PIKE'S PEAK RACE TRUCK THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY SPONSORED BY GM THAT WAS A HALF TON AND HAD A DMAX/4L80 IN IT. ANYONE REMEMBER THIS???? FROM THAT other SITE??? ;)

I previously ran a Peninsular 6.5 Turbo 300 HP in a 4wd CC with a 4L80E. Use was hard driving and about 30% towing. In 150,000 miles, rebuilt (using HD and racing parts) the tranny 6 times with a total cost of over 20K in it. Gave up. Got a 02 D/A. Previous to that had a 84 GMC 4X4 dually with a Case Cummins 6BTAA in it with a built turbo 400 with dual Gear Vendors OD's, 4:11 gears. In 300,000 miles plus of towing 43' enclosed race car trailers, the turbo 400 exploded on me about every 40,000 or 50,000 miles, and always ran hot. Would not handle the torque. It isn't the HP, it is the torque and the high temps when worked hard (25,000 to 39,000 GVCW). The allison has been perfect for me with 75,000 on a 02, and 15,000 on a 05 so far.

Maybe you need a new trans shop.

Hey NUT, you are correct about the race. However, that truck was 'moving', not doing 4x4 dead starts on sticky pavement.:eek: Listen to Mike L. on this...... they will not live. Why would GM absorb a huge cost of lifting the chasses and adding an Allison if they could get by with a 4L80E or a 4L85E trans? Think about this.......... there are plenty of dragsters with crummy 700's in them, why don't we use one of those? Why, because they just wouldn't hold for time. An Allison is good for time, which means it's good for business. ;)

I was never talking a stock trans. I thought we were talking built trans. I know the Allison is a better trans with 5 gears, grade braking and everything else.

I was never talking a stock trans. I thought we were talking built trans. I know the Allison is a better trans with 5 gears, grade braking and everything else. Joey - I'm not sure you could build a 4L80 strong enough to last more than a few runs, even with all of the best race parts out there... I for one would hate to see a fellow member here dump a huge amount of cash into a transmission, only to have it come apart beyond repair after a few runs in the truck...http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/images/smilies/frown.gif If the duramax is bone stock and you were just tooling up and down the highway, not pulling anything or dragracing, that 4L80 might live a long and happy life...But for competition, it just seems like a recipe for disaster and wallet draining to me..
Just my opinion, take it for what it's worth to you.

Joey, I think Scott said it best........we're just looking after a fellow Diesel Place member.

I can understand that. I lump the 4l80 and the 4100r and the 47re all in the same boat as far as power holding ability when built up with the right parts.