flynlow3

iTrader: (2)

I am currently rebuilding my 4l60E tranny and debating a few things. First off, are these parts good.

I used * beast sunshell
* raybestos kevlar bands
* Alto 3-4 9clutch pack
* Servo that was larger than corvette
* trans go shift kit

I am debating on a 5 pin planetary over stocker 4. I would like to know what the pro's say. Worth the money?


Does my tranny have a hope in surviving with 400 hp if everything is installed properly?

Any other upgrades i should do? I am having parts machined for better lubrication as well.

Thanks

PBA

I used the Beast sunshell. Yes, this is fine.
* Raybestos kevlar bands. No!!! The stock Borg Warner Hi-Energy or the Alto black carbon band, the Alto red will do if you cannot get the black one.
* Alto 3-4 9 clutch pack. There are better ones by far. The BW Hi-E 8 or 9 clutch setup is best.
* Servo that was larger than corvette. Which one?, the Sonnax 2nd gear servo is larger, and still will give you some cushion on the 1-2 shift.
* Trans Go shift kit. Yes, the modified is the one to use here.
* 5 pinion planets, are they worth it? No, the 4 pinion planetaries do not break, save your money here.
When this unit is built correctly, it can hold up to more than 700HP.

flynlow3

iTrader: (2)

I was told the zpack was good and since it is not in stock i was told the alto was good. Can i ask whats wrong with the raybestos kevlar band? I ordered it already! Ooops...


thanks
Jeff

Gilbert@Ace Racing

There really is nothing wrong with the Kevlar band... we reserve it for our track only cars though. It can be a bit agressive on the apply and can cause the drum to wear prematurely.

Hope that helps.

g

flynlow3

iTrader: (2)

Well thank you for the input. Hope my alto 9 clutch pack holds up. Wish i would have gone with an 8 pack now!

PBA

"There really is nothing wrong with the Kevlar band... we reserve it for our track only cars though. It can be a bit aggressive on the apply and can cause the drum to wear prematurely."
That is exactly what is wrong with the Kevlar band. It slips at the beginning of the shift, then grabs all at once at the end of the shift, what you call aggressive, and produces a lot of heat too, which is very hard on the drum. It is a good material for absorbing bullets in the line of fire and not much else. The BW Hi-E band will out last the Kevlar band by far. In all of my 9 second 4L60E's, we use the Borg Warner Hi-Energy 2-4 band with excellent results. Once we pass 850FWHP, then the Alto Carbon lined extra wide band will be used, but right now the BW Hi-E band is working great.

FLT

iTrader: (1)

The carbon lined wide band actually slips on the initial apply as well. I believe that it might be greatly reducing the shock of the 1-2 shift when trying to keep the tires on the car. We have done testing with this band with great results. We ran it in a car for a complete season. When we removed it it looked as good as the day it went in and the drum did as well. I have seen many units with the Kevlar band have good results however I do not think that it is a good piece for a daily driver. I have also seen some heat marks in them that shows the signs of slipping when it applied. Just my opinion. Trust me I have tested all of the products for these units at one time or another. Hell I'm into trying new things. But to completely change the way I'm going to build I need results first. Vince

Gilbert@Ace Racing

While I cannot say as I have experienced the slippage at the intial hit, or maybe have not recognized it.... I can say I have only seen this band be hard on the drums when we set the servo up aggressively on our high H/P power added combo's in the heavier vehicles.

Early on we had other bands fail and switched... ordinarilly for a street / strip combo with say up to 650 RWHP we have gone with an Alto band with much success... but when those guys add N2O or other power adders they do not seem to hold up well... have seen them show signs of glazing compared to the Kevlar band.

I believe the band apply / slip issue is very relative to the weight of the vehicle vs. the power vs. the RPM's. And because of that we utilize a few different servo / band setups. But hey... I am always open to learning new ways of getting the job done!

g

PBA

"The carbon lined wide band actually slips on the initial apply as well." Let me restate this, all clutch/band material have a certain amount of slip from the beginning of the shift, and this is normal. When using the Kevlar material though, it acts like you are using type "F" fluid in this unit, a lot of slip at the beginning of the shift, and then all at once (at the end of the shift) the band/clutch comes on. This is why there is so much more "feel" to the shift. I have talked to the tech at Borg Warner, Raybestos, and Alto on this over the years, and the thinking is pretty much unilateral, they do not like Kevlar, and/or Ford type "F" fluid with the clutch/band material that has been offered over the last couple of decades. The Dexron type of fluid starts the apply at the beginning of the shift, and all of the way through the shift. That is why the smoothness of the shift with Dexron fluid. Their dyno results have proven this, and my results concur. Your results may/will vary.