A Quick Review Of The GM 4L8E Automatic Transmission

Overdrive transmissions are some of the greatest inventions in the automobile industry. They allow a car to run deep rear gears, so that they can make the tire-smoking thing, yet still appearing as a stable highway cruiser. The problem, which is majorly felt here, is the durability. To deal with this, at first the tried-and-tested 700-R4 was used, but it didn’t hold up for some of the most aggressive tasks. Then came TH400, which held up quite well. Now imagine a situation where you could add an overdrive fourth gear and a fully adjustable suit to the TH400? Meet the GM 4L80E transmission!

The 4L80E is a truck automatic transmission that was introduced by GM in the early 90s. It comprises of the same internal components as the TH400, and uses electronics to control shift point and firmness. Approximately, 75 percent of the 4L80E’s internal parts are interchangeable with a TH400, and also the bellhousing bolt pattern, flexplate are the same as the TH400. This enables the 4L89E parts to bolt up to big or small blocks just like normal. 4L80E is big and heavy, but it will still fit in most of the GM muscle cars. There are various websites, where you can find the 4L80E for about $2,500 to $3,000. While this may sound expensive, it includes 4L80E transmission rebuild kits, rebuild trans with bumped-up internals, a computer, a wiring harness and a custom chip. Basically it is a one-time investment that fulfills all your requirements.