A little information about PerformaBuilt Transmissions

[performabuilt]

These are just a few of the things used in the level 1 build

1-Shown 1st and 2nd pictures are the rear and front planets. The planet clearance is allowed by GM up to .025 we never use a planet with excess of .020 clearance.

2-Next shown is the new low/reverse clutch set. All frictions are replaced with new.
3-The 4th picture shown is the new low/reverse steel plates

4-The 5th picture shown is a device called a case saver. It replaces the stock anti clunk spring and more evenly distributes shock against the case lugs. This helps to prevent excessive lug wear in the case or breakage of the case or lugs.

5-The 6th picture shown are the forward frictions these are the borg warner type. They are only used in our level 1. They are and exceelent clutch but we use something different in our levels 2 and 3.

6-The 7th picture shown is of the new forward clutch steels Notice on all steels the finish is not real slick rather its just a litle rough, This is to allow some oil to remain trapped between the frictions and the steels for cooling.

7-8th picture is of the high energy frictions used in the 3-4 clutch in this level, We install 9 of them stock is six or seven depending on model years 7004r-4l65e. The levels 2 and 3 get a diffeent clutch set.

8-The 9th picture is of new reverse input frictions again frictions are never reused in any of our units.

9-The 10th picture is of the red wide band we use it has porven itself and impressive peice and is used in both our levels 1 and 2

10-11th pic is of the new pump stator Its very important this peice be in good shape for those rebuilding transmissions thenselves there is a comonly missed problem with these. Always feel around carefully where the teflon rings from the input shaft ride inside this tube as any wear there or even small grooves will result in premature failure of one or more of the clutch sets in the input drum.

11-The Precision seal kit we use is shown in the 12th picture. All seals are replaced in every unit.

12-13 and 14 are two of the steel pistons we use in place of the aluminum pistons that come stock in many units. Very late units allready have these. They are replaced in every unit.

13-15 is a pictures of the pump vanes these are replaced in every unit along with many of the other parts in the pump. I didnt have pictures of.

14-Picture 16 is of a new corvette servo used in our level 1 (Stock in F bodies and GTOs) Our levels 2 and 3 use upgraded servos

15- This picture # 17 is a picture of the bushings and some of the accum servos we replace in every unit.

16-#18 is a picture of a Borg Warner dual cage input sprag standard on all our build levels

17-#19 is a picture of one of the new style wiring harnesses we use with late models. Theres a nice improvement done to the plug for the PCS eliminating loose conection problems associated with the previous design.

18-#20 is a picture os the beast sun shell the sungear installed. The beast is not used with the level-1 but is with the levels-2 and 3. The level 1 gets a new hardened late GM style sunshell which though not as strong as the beast is a nice peice. Didnt have a picture of it.


Anyway these are just a few of the things that go into our level one at lease things I have pictures of. All friction areas are allways replaced never reused. All seals and steel modled pistons and new. Along with many other things I have not gone into. Just though this would be and interesting twist to just the daily bump on a sale. The level 1 has surprised us several times as a number of people have bought it and then later exceeded the max rating we placed on it and the are still going strong. Its and excellent moderate bolt on application performance transmission.

[Y2KPewterSS]

Great info

[performabuilt]

CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE LEVEL2 INFORMATION
1-The planets , These are carfully inspected pinion to side clearance must be less than .020 max allowed GM clearance is .025 they are also inspected for any signs of stress or wear and if do not meet our minimum standards are replaced.


The LOW/REVERSE friction we use are the same in all Levels High quality Borg warner or Raybestos. These frictions are only applied in manual low 1 and reverse and are never on in any other gear position. Or during any automatic shift. I have noted that some people think these clutches are the first gear clutches. In fact there are no first gear clutches, Actual first gear is created when the low/roller sprag holds and the forward clutch is on. This set only acts to provide the engine overun braking effect in manual low. However having the car in manual low on a hard launch can be benificial as this set being on does help to support the low roller clucth just as the Overun clutch set can also help support the Input sprag as it is also on in manual Low 1. Just a little FYI. Launchig in manual low can be good to help strengthen these two areas of the trans.


Next the center support/Low roller clutch is inspected and a new roller/spring assembly install. I didnt have any pictures of this. But do have a picture of the case saver used in all levels. We use this in place of the anti clunk spring to help protect the case from damage from the very agressive shift of the center support that can occur during a hard launch. This peice eliminates case damage caused by the metal support slamming into the case by distributing the force more evenly.


Next in the level 2 we install the Beast sun shell along with sun gear which contains a new bushing and improvments to increase lube to the rear planet.We have to date never seen a beast shell strip or break. This is and exstremely strong peice and needs to be since it takes the full force of the engine on the second,fourth and reverse gears.


Next the input drum we remove the input shaft from the and inspect both the shaft and the drum for wear/cracks or any other damage.Reinstall the shaft into the drum and install new teflon rings on the shaft. We then install new steel molded steel pistons into the drum these are preferred to the aluminum pistons that are prone to crack and cause failure. Along with these we install new return spring cages and snap ring to hold it all in place. I did not have pictures of all of this. But here ae a couple I did have of the steel pistons.


We then install new overun frictions, The lube seal and The new Borg Warner dual cage sprag. We the install the forward frictions this is where our level 2 starts to differ from the level 1. Rather than using the paper grooved frictions like we do in the level 1 we opt to use the smoothe composite frictions here. The plus side is tighter grip, better heat durability and more surface area in this clutch pack which must hold all the engines power through all the forward gears except 4th.The only downside we have found is a slightly firmer engagment into drive from reverse,neutral or park. Of course with a high stall converter this is not noticable at all.


Now again different from the level 1 we use the ZPack by Raybestos we have had excellent results with these. I have seen situation where there was a presure issue Such as low fluid level or PCS failure where these clutches became really hot from slipping under those conditions and yet on tear down though you could certainly tell they got really hot they were nearly still in good enough shape to reuse, I was impressed. Of course we wouldnt reuse them it was just very nice to see how well they had endured. I have seen OEM frictions and some aftermarkets that have been through the same thing and the friction material usually paper be completely gone, Burned away.We set a minimum clearance for this set and then reinstall the square helper springs into the drum. The purpose in these is not well understood by many. But they prevent centrifical apply of the 3-4 clutch at High RPM this happens when fluild cannot escape from the 3-4 clutch chamber fast enough and it literally climbs the walls of the drum and applies the 3-4 clutch piston partially causing over a period of Hi RPM runs to eventually cause the 3-4 clutch to burn or wear excessivley.

Heres a short video from Raybestos about this design
http://www.raybestospowertrain.com/mov/zpak.wmv

[performabuilt]

Now we inspect the reverse input drum replacing bushings and measuring the run out accross the 2-4 band apply surface. MAX runout when using the Wide band can be no more than .005 from edge to edge. If it is more than this the drum must be replaced and we end up doing that quite often. In either case the drum is resurfaced with the apropriate finish and a light crosshatch for the band. The new Seals and A new friction set is installed. The drum is then placed on the input drum and the assembly installed. At this time we temporarily install the pump and set inout shaft end play to as close to min spec as possible with the assorted selective washers used on top of the input drum. Dont have alot of pictures yet for this. Heres a picture of the reverse input frictions.


The Wide Redlined band is installed the same one used in the level 1 as its plenty durable with reinforced band lug area we have never seen one tear through or break.Now this again is where things start to change from the level 1 We now use and install the fairbanks one peice billet servo. This servo has the largest apply area of any servo possible. Its a very simple billet aluminum cut and very durable. It also have the added benifit of reducing 3-4 clutch accumulation. It does not completely eliminate it however since a much heavier return spring is used between it and the case. So the 3-4 clutch oil must still fill the chamber to release the band. Band clearance is checked and ajusted as needed. We then use the SONNAX dual picton super hold servo for 4th gear. Between it, The wide band and the Zpack holding WOT ,shifts to 4th should never be a problem.The band clearance must be checked for both the second and fourth servos as one could be fine and the other be excessive, We do not suggest using the Fairbanks billet servo with any stock band as the band lugs are not strong enough and this will result in band lug tearing through the eye causing loss of second and fourth gears. For upgrades to the stock trans stick with the corvette or sonnax second gear servo.


We now assemble the pump with new bushings and Vanes all clearances are carefully checked and the nessesary actions taken where needed to assure the pump is straight and clean. And questionable part is replaced without exception and a large boost valve installed.Along with mods for increased lubrication cooling and converter charge. All seals again are new. The stator is removed and changed as needed. Many end up being changed. A common mistakein a build is not checking the inside of the tube where the input shaft teflon rings ride and grrove or wear here will cause premature failure of the frictions in the Input drum. If theres any wear here grooves etc at all the stator tube must be replaced. Again dont have pictures of this as I had no idea I was going to write this till now.So just using what I do have.



The valve body is the disassembled and inspected. Solenoids replaced. Our own shift kit installed it provides nice part throttle shifts reasonabe but firm and as throttle is increased the shift become progressivly firmer. We use new accumulator pistons and we do not restrict 1-2 accumulator as the Billet servo has plenty adequate force and hold to provide a positive 1-2 shift. And helps considerably with the 2-3 shift with nether being too agressive. The valve body plate is inspected, If it is bent holes warn or inferior in anyway it is replaced with a new one.Its a pretty simple call they are either perfect or they are not. Many of our cores are 03 up so we get quite a few good ones,
The wiring harness again is carfully inspected and new oring installed and these are only reused when is absolutly perfect condition again its a simple call its either perfect or bad. If its bad a new one is installed
__________________

[performabuilt]

A test pan and filter are placed on each unit, It is Then installed in our test vehicle filled with fluid and run for at least 1 hour Constantly shifts up and down through the gears. Lockup turned off and on over and over. While this is done the presure is monitored for any unusual deviations. With any sign of trouble the unit is pulled and checked to find out why, Once the unit has passed the test and the test chart filled out, The unit is removed and the pan removed and inspected for any unusual debris etc, If all is clear there, antoher pan and a new fitler is installed and the trans is packed for shipping.
During the test notes are made on a sheet that goes in the transmission buyers folder we keep for presure in all gears, Shift feel and temperatures reached. So we are confident about the product we ship.

[performabuilt]

Click the pictures below to watch

[performabuilt]

Here at PerformaBuilt we are allways looking for ways we can help our customers, We have and even provide test equipment when needed, The Picture below is of one such device. It has over the past year saved both us and the customer $1000 of dollars in unessesary repairs and returns.

We actually have two of these. I built them they are not the prettiest but very functional. As you can see there are a series of switches. The first two to the left of the picture turn the Shift solenoids A and B or (1-2 and 2-3) shift soleniods off and on.
This box is plugged directly into the transmission.Using these two swicthes you can create any gear and verify that the transmission is capable of shifting reguarless of the PCM comand.
The next switch over is lockup enable. This switch will turn on the converter clutch. This is vey helpfull in determining if a lockup issue is trans/ converter related or tuning/pcm related. The small red push button lower left is for the PCS its a simple test max or min line presure and is used to verify normal shifts in conditions similar to Light throttle or WOT. The small black button is for the 3-2 solenoid and while you really cant feel any change with it its was included to verify function by ear listening to it click.

This box has a long cable and plugs into your lighter socket and the directly to the trans round plug on top. This way you can keep it in the car with you and verify function in all conditions. And it still does even more if either of the 1-2,2-3 or lockup solenoid or circuits is open it will illuminate both the red and green LEDs at the same time. This would instantly tell you there was and open connection to one of these solenoids. Alternatly if theres a short, the orange LED at the lower right will go off as power will be disabled to the box again telling you there was and electrical issue with a shorted internl transmission wire or solenoid.

In normal operation the red LED is on when the solenoid is off and the green LED is on when the solenoid is on. We use this box when a customer seems to have and issue with shifting of some sort that cannot be explained or with lockup.

We send it to the customer so they will not have to spend $ and lots of time chasing there tails over these type issues. Which I know all of you see these Type problems pop up regularly with any vendors trans or converter regularly (no lockup-Wont upshift-Wont downshift etc).

With this our customer can know without guess work where to look for a problem. If the box allows all to work normally then they know to look at the tuning if the box cannot cause normal operation. Then We know the correct direction to head to help get the issue solved. Most of the time the box when it goes out ends up only verifying the trans is in working order.

Now some might say you could duplicate this with a tuner or tuning software and even some scanners and to some extent that is true. However we have see cases for instance where a tuner was used to comand lockup and no lockup occurred and yet with this device it worked normally.

When this happens even though tuning is not part of what we offer we have yet another box I do not have a picture of it as there is only one and it is on loan to one of our dealers presently. The other box has leads on it I call puncture leads. There function is to be directly connected to the cars harness wires one for each solenoid. this may be done under the car or at the PCM. We send diagrams for both but its generally simpler to hook at at harness under car . It has and LED for each solenoid in the trans . The LEDs will light up when the PCM turns on any solenoid. This has in a few cases though its not common proved that just because the tuning software or a scanner says something was comanded or turned on (lockup) (shift solenids) That does not mean that the PCM actually did it.

Anyway I thought you guys might find this interesting its a handy tool That I built. Though you can buy similar tool called breakout boxes or schafter shifters in the after market they cost 1000s dollars and we couldnt risk just sending one of those out so this was a low cost solution to further help our customers in anyway we can.
We are allways committed to helping our customers solve any issue they may have reguardless of the cause or reason.
This is one area where that year of electronics engineering in school comes in handy. Just wish I had done better in english and grammer

[performabuilt]

LINK TO THE HEAVY AND ROCKS CRAWLERS CLICK HERE

The Heavy duty series of our transmissions are similar in many ways to the Level 2 PRO RACE trans. Though they do not have the more performance oreinted shift charateristics associated with it.

i this unit the case is prepared like the other level and new case bushig installed. We then as with the level 2 install the 4 pinion planets carefully inspected and tolerance checked.


Now high quality LOW/REVERSE frictions are installed just like in the levels 2 and 3 However where in the case of performance transmissions this is not really a critical clutch set. it is in this unit because it may be called on regularly to back up heavy loads.



Then a new low roller sprag is installed as with the other units along with the beast sun shell again like the level 2 and 3 along with a case saver to replace the anti clunk spring possibly even more important again in these units since they are more likley to feel stress against the case more often than a performance unit



Now some things start to differ from the level 2 in this unit we use the grooved frictions in the forward clutch since there may be instances where these frictions are subject to low presure low throttle exstreme loads and the grooves do allow for better cooling in these situations where some clutch slipage is likley to occur and they have a somewhat less agressive apply.



The Borg warner 29 element dual cage sprag is also used in this unit like our levels 1- 2 and 3 along with the steel molded pistons. The aluminum are known to crack in high stress situations.



The next thing is the 3-4 clutch here we opt for the ALTO comercial heavy duty clutch set. While not intende for performance (some people do use them for that and they do seem to do quite well) We use the 9 friction set it comes as and assembly and from our expereince performs quite well in this application. In fact we have not to date seen a single 3-4 clutc failure when this trans was used in heavy duty use. But of course this is and entirley different type of stress than would be seen in a performance application.



Now like the levels 1 and 2 the wide redlined band is used in this unit,The difference being here we do not use the billet servo but instead opt for the corvette servo which is and upgrade for most trucks yet maintains a reasonable shift quality desired in this type application. Additionally we install the SONNAX super hold fourth servo which we also use in our levels 2 and 3 however its likley more needed here since the vehicles mostly trucks these are installed in are often used to TOW in overdrive.




The stator is inspected and replaced as needed. The pump is allways conditioned and the vanes replaced. A boost valve apropriate for this application is installed it is not the larger one like used in our Performance units as this would make shifts too agressive for this application.



The Pump bushing is replaced and the TCC valve is modified to deliver and more positive TCC engagement.

The valve body is prepared all the ACCUM pistons like our other units are replaced with new ones. Accumuation is not limited in anyway . Anoher difference here from the other units is the feeds for the various clutches are made smaller than in our performance unit to reduce shift shock not desirable with this unit. wiring harness inspected and replaced as needed,
The unit is then finished assembled and sent to the tester.
Note in all units all seals are replaced reguardless.
This is just a breif description of all we do since much other than parts is convered in pervious post hope you enjoyed. I think the level 3 is going to be next.



Another unique aspect of this unit is all Heavy haulers and rocks crawlers come with a heavy duty clutch low stall converter.

Would this unit be up to a high performance task? Certainly its a good compromise between the levels 1 and 2 where drivability in the way of comfort is still a major concern.

These units are where several of us have our roots from. High HP 4x4 mud trucks hey if you have ever been to NEPA you would understand

[performabuilt]

The level 3 is our strongest offering for the 4L60E at present.
Its unique from the other builds in several ways.

1- The case is prepared cleaned and painted with a tough epoxy Paint.All mating surfaces flat sanded and the polished with scotch brite. New rear case bushing installed. Reverse piston inspected new seals install and then it is placed into the case. Now the rear planet assembly is installed and this is also where the Lever three is unique from the other levels. For this unit we use GM OEM 5 PINION PLANETS. These planets run average $150 each. These planets are installed into the unit.The planet on the right is the rear planetary.


Once this planet is installed we then install new Borg warner or raybestos Low reverse clutches these are not holding clutches for anything other than reverse and in manual low they help to support the Low roller clutch.
The low frictions are on the left and the steel presure plates on the right.


Now we inspect the low roller support and install a new low roller clutch assembly. We then install a case saver support like the other units to help prevent damage to the case during hard launches and the Low support and roller assembly is installed.


The sun gear now has a new bushing installed and is specially modified through the creation of 4 slots. These slots are at the botton of the gear and ride against the breaing race in the rear planet. The reason for this is to improve lube to the rear planet by allowing oil to more easily escape between the bearing and the planet to improve lubrication, This is actually done in all our units however with the LEVEL 3 and the 5 pinion planets its even more important, Event though the 5 pin planet has more pinion area which is presumed to increase there torque handling capability. However you also have more metal to metal contact on the pinions do to the added area so they need more oil to keep them cool and lubricated. I do not have a picture showing this. Now the new Beast sunshell (To date we have never seen a failure here) is installed onto the sun gear and its placed into the transmission.


Now a new thurst washer is installled and the Front Five pinion planet assembly installed again not the cheap aftermarket type. at this time the output shaft is installed after having been carfully inspected and having presurize solvent sent though th lube channels to assure they are clear. Many people miss this or dont note that oil flows at every port in the shaft this is very important. A new output shaft retainer clip is installed these should allways be replaced and never reused. The front sun gear is now prepared like the low sun gear specially sloted and installed into the front planet. Unfortunatly I dont have pictures of the output shaft or the fron sun gears as while I did take the photos they came out very blurry for some reason. I will take them again and add later. The planet on the left is of a front 5 pinion planet.


Next we tackel the input drum again several things here are different from the other units. First as with all the units we press out the input shaft and carefully inspect the Inside spines in the drum for any signs of wear or stress or even that the shaft comes out to easily. It must be a tight fit. We then replace this shaft with a hardened shaft and use Red loctite to assure it does not move. Now we begin the assemble of the drum. We do not use the sleeve inside the drum anymore. At one time we did, This was not changed as a cost cutting factor since the sleeve is quite cheap and easy to install. But rather as a matter of choice. Heres why. In my entire history I have only seen two of these shafts spin in the Input drum And in each case the drum was obviously worn and the shaft had had a loose fit. We have seen 0 of these type failures in any level of performabuilt unit. The problem we have run into however has to do with the aluminum apply pistons that must be used when using the metal sleeve. These pistions are well know to crack even in stock aplications with much lower line presure and stress levels and we have seen this happen even in PerformaBuilt units when we were using the sleeve. The fix for this is to use the steel pistons with the molded seals like we use in all our units however these are completely incompatable with the sleeve input drum, They simply will not fit. You may ask why not only use the aluminum overun piston since its the only one that must clear the sleeve. The problem with this is that the inside diameter of the molded forward piston it must seal to is slighty larger and while you can assemble it this way you cannot get a good seal between the overun piston and the forward piston and it will leak. Now in OD position this would not matter However in the all the lower positions manual 1-2-D this would cause leakage of presure and eventual failure of the overun clutch set Since it is on then. So since we have seen no failures of the input drum from not having the sleeve but we have seen failures of the aluminum pistons it was decided that the greater risk of failure was to be found there, So we opted to use the steel apply pistons instead of the sleeve in the drum.
Below are two of the steel pistons. In most stock aplications except very late models these would be aluminum with removable seals. These are all (3-4)(forward) and (overun) pistons replaced new in every unit.


Install new raybestos overun frictions. The lube seal is replaced. Is the brownish seal shown in bottom of the pictue on the left, The pisture on the right is of the precision Seal/overhaul kit we use.


We then prepare and inspect the inner and outer sprag race and install a new Borg Warner dual cage sprag assemby. The we install this into the drum and install the new composite high energy forward clucth frictions and steels.Shown are the forward frictions, The forward clutch steels and at the bottom a borg warner dual cage sprag.



Now comes the 3-4 clutch here again things are a little different. In the level 1you may have noted we use the highenegry type frictions and in the Level 2 the Zpack. In the level three we choose to use the raybestos blue plate frictions count of 8 These frictions are true performance frictions and quite exspensive comparativly. Averaging 10 dollars each in the set making them considerable more exspensive than the frictions used in the other levels. We have found they have excellent energy absorbtion and friction charateristics. And have ecellent wear charateristics. You can read more about them by clicking the picture of them below. These frictions are installed and set to our own race clearance. The proper performance clearance in this set is very inportant in the 4L60E with any clutch set too loose and you risk breaking the lugs from the drum where the retaining ring for the 3-4 clutch rides. To tight and you risk burning from excessive drag with the set is not applied.
Bellow you will see picturesd are the Raybestos blue plate 3-4 clutch set, These are used with stock steels as this is what raybestos suggest rather than the koleens that are used with some other clutch sets. Please click the picture to learn more about this set.

[performabuilt]

Next we prepare the reverse input drum. This drum is critcal the surface the band rides on must have no more than a .005 variance from side to side. None is preferred however I have found even new stock drum do not meet this spec. But each and every one of the drums we use must meet this minimum or be replaced. A new bushing is installed along with a new raybestos or borg warner friction set. The surface of the drum is prepared with a slight cross hatch for better surface, This is also suggested by transgo this makes for a better friction surface and helps to hold some oil between the band and the drum to aid in cooling.Another change here is the band In the levels 1 and 2 we use the wide redlined band however in the level 3 we use the wide composite friction band by raybestos. Though the redlined band is certainly and excellent product this band has better friction charateristics and is better able to handle and dispurse heat. In truth its overkill for most any aplication since we havent see any issues with the red band, But this is the level 3 only the best here. Below is a picture of the high energy wide band. I will shortly add a picture of the reverse input drum. Once resized.


Now we do a mock install of the pump the set end play and select the apropriate washer to place on the input drum to acheive this. We then remove the pump to install the servos 2nd and 4th are both billet. The Second servo is a fairbanks superior peice. Its provides the max apply area for second possible and acts to limit but not eliminate 3-4 clutch acumulation. Only fairbanks/superior can offer this design as it is patented by them and it has 40 % more holdig area than the corvette servo.This servo is installed in a mock installation with the 4th servo no seals installed This is done to set the 2nd servo band clearance using a combination of the correct band apply pin length and spacers as needed. Then its removed and disassembled. Then the SONNAX super hold twin piston billet servo is installed again in mock set up so that its clearance can be set. Many times this is not done and only the 2nd gear servo clearance is set, However this servo can still be too loose or tight even when the others is perfect and must also be ajusted. The SONNAX servo is and excellent peice also with the dual pistons it provides 40 percent more hold in 4th gear than the stock servo.
Shown below are from left to right the (FAIRBANKS SUPERIOR BILLET SERVO)(THE GM CORVETTE SERVO)(SONNAX 4TH GEAR SUPER HOLD SERVO)
Note the corvette servo which is stock in FBODY CARS and compare it to the fairbanks peice. The fairbanks peice uses the entire circumfrence to apply the band in second gear. The corvette servo only uses the area outside the center so you can see how much more hold the fairbanks can provide and they are not a cheap peice by any means the corvette servo average price is 7-9 dollars. The Fairbanks peice averages between 65 and 85 dollars. We could use a cheaper servo but then again only the best. The Sonnax servo at the right I wish i hade taken apart but it contains 2 separate servos for that WOT 4th gear shift to hold.
You can click on the pictures of the Superior/fairbanks and the Sonnax servo for more details on each.


Now with the Band clearance set the two servo assemblies are installed and each static air tested for function and leaks.

We now address the PUMP. The pump body is carefully inspected and the mating surfaces flat sanded to assure no cross leaks. A new teflon bushng is installed and the pump stator replaced as needed along with the bushings. New pump vanes and washer are installed along with hardened pump rings and a Heavy duty slide spring. Rotor to pump face clearance is checked an a Large boost valve installed. The pump halves are then assembled and alighned. Pump is torqued to spec and installed into the transmission. New sealing orings are installed on each pump bolt and they are installed and torqued to spec. As with all our units all gaskets, seals and orings are all new.




More to come.

[performabuilt]

Many of you add aftermarket coolers to your cars and this is allways a good idea. Here are some hints.

1-Allways mount the cooler in a place that has good air flow and if mounting in front of the radiator always make sure the fin's in the cooler are parael with the fin's in the radiator to avoid restricting air flow to the radiator. If you must place the cooler in and area with litle air flow a FAN is a must.

2-When Installing coolers make sure lines are clear of anything that can rub them and always use line thats aproved for trans/hydraulic fluid. Fuel line will not work and will break down in transmission fluid.

3-By passing the radiator is the way I prefer a cooler be set up. Generally the trans will run cooler this way and additionally this may take some of the load off the radiators job of cooling the engine.

4-When hooking up multiple coolers sevral things should be noted. The cooler itself is a restriction of flow and this restriction while not a problem for the cooling or lube to the trans can cause excessive presure inside the converter. This can force the converter against the flex plate more so than normal and cause wear to the engine thrust bearing. A stopped up or severly restricted cooler or cooler lines can do the same. So when installing more than one cooler its advised to put them in paraell with each other, This means one line from the trans is split with a Y and one line run to each cooler then out of each and into a Y back to a single line running to the trans. This will assure adequate cooling while reducing the wear to the engine thrust bearing. Always use line thats at least as large as the inlets in the cooler, Avoid exstreme twist or turns in them particularly with rubber lines.

5-Type and brands of coolers. I really have no preference here as far as brand. From my expereince and exspensive brand name or a generic unit appear to do tha same job. I have found the stacked plate (Flat tube) Types when measured inlet to outlet temp drop tend to be more efficient in the same dimensional sizes with a greater temperature drop. I did a test once with two coolers in paraell one round tube and one flat with a laser thermometer to determine this.

6-This is not specifically about a cooler but about cooling. Always be sure that the metal lines coming from the trans under car do not contact the headers or exhaust. I once had a car where the trans temps would sky rocket when the car was being run hard and couldnt understand why. I after some looking around found that the cooler lines in and out were pinned against the headers. This would super heat the fluid when the headers got hot. Moved them away and the problem was solved, So allways keep trans cooler lines factory or otherwise as far away from the exhaust as possible.

7-Trans temps- This question get ask alot whats TOO HOT. Well ideally you want you average temp to stay under 190 degrees however I would not get to conerned till the temps get at and or over 230 degrees. Heat can damage a trans but with the exception of extreme heat 250 or higher this damage is a long term killer by breaking down fluid and causing rubber seals to harden and break.

8-Never use your cooler lines to remove fluid from your trans by starting the engine. or in and attempt to flush by catching fluid in a pan while adding fluid to the dipstick. When this is done no lube is beig sent to the planets and bushings and the can go dry and melt down very quickly detroying or significantly shortening the life of your transmission.

9-It is advisable to fully and properly flush a cooler especially when a converter failure is involved. Where a trans internal failure is unlikley to put debris in the cooler since all fluid coming from trans must travel through the trans filter. Where fluid coming from the Pump or converter does not and any debris from these will certainly end up in the cooler. Its allways a good idea to power flush a cooler or replace after a failure but is particulary important in this case of this type failure. Anything thats in your cooler or lines will end up in your valve body, Bushings and Planets. A cooler cannot be properly cleaned simply by blowing air through them. A can of cooler flush which most trans shops and or trans parts suppliers should have followed by a blow out with air is the correct way to do it.

10-When installing rubber cooler lines to metal lines its a good idea to put a small flair at the end of the metal line. Not too big because you will tear the line on the inside during install. Then place a clamp just ahead of the flair. Also roughening up the outer surface of the metal line with very coarse sand paper in area where clamp will ride will help assure a good seal and reduce the possibility of blow off.Never over tighten clamps to the point of the rubber ozzing through or being cut this well cause a failure too.

11-Temp sending units- The best place for these is in the pan since that will give the best average temperature which is whats important, Using the presure port is ok however you will show temps 10 to 20 dress higher average than you would in the pan.I do not suggest placing temp senders in either the inlet or outlet from the cooler as they will increase cooler restriction and increase the odds of a leak.

[performabuilt]

Fluid level is spoken about often here are the facts. With and auto trans and in particular the 4L60E there is no such thing as low. If you let the trans get even 1/2 quart low you will and or have damaged your transmission. They are absolutley not forgiving. We recently did some intentional test with a unit we use to check different ideas. Heres what we found at 1/2 quart low aprox 1/2 inch bellow pan rail we ran the trans. We monitored presures etc. The presures in this condition were completely unstable. Jumping from very low to beyond the max of our 300 PSI guage.as you changed gears particulary on the 2-3 3-4 and the reverse gears this condition became worse. I could easily see how after doing these test you could do a mirade of damage to your trans even this small amount low. In the case of the low presure the result would be obvious burned frictions however at the same time the presure spikes could just as easily break parts, push out snap rings ect causing serious damage and or sudden failures.

Now in a past test several years ago I did a similar test going in the other direction too much fluid. Heres what happened there, this was however unlike the first test with a 4l60e it was a 700r4 though would imagine the results would be similar. Adding one quart over after hitting the full line did not seem to have any notable effect. However adding two quarts over the trans began again to have presures resembling the low fluid scenario the presue dropped and spiked eratically and of course the fluid began quickly to resemble the apearance of the low fluid trans lots of air bubbleS and since a trans is not so different from a brake system the result was similar. You cannot have stable hydraulic presure with air in the fluid.

The air created in the low fluid scenario is a result of the filter becoming uncovered and the pump pulling air into the system. With the resulting crazy presure readings and the exstremley high fluid this occured because the internal rotational assemblies in the trans were acting alot like a blender and churning air into the fluid more rapidly than it could bubble out.

The Point on this is fluid level is imperativly important with and auto. There is no such thing as a little low. A little low means you just took years off the life of your trans or even killed it right now.
All trans should always be kept at the top of the crosshatch level warm running in park or neutral. Idealy I wish there was a way to assure the trans fluid was equal to the pan rail level in gear running. But I do understand why they dont have you checking it that way:eyes:

Another thing that should be addressed is aftermarket and stock deep pans. Some aftermarket pans while deep do not require a deep filter. Others require and exstention . Still others use the deep filter like goes in the truck 4L60E. Always carefully read the pan manufacturers instructions. While reguardless of the pan type the dip stick will still read the level correctly. If you for instance use a deep pan with the wrong filter bear in mind GM actually used the bottom of the pan to hold the filter up in place. True the little seal feels tight holding it in the pump but it can work its way out and drop into the pan when used this way. This will result in the trans acting like its low on fluid even when its not. At the same time if you place a fliter thats too tall for your pan combination it will crack in the neck area and again cause the syptom of low fluid. I thought I would mention this because we have run into this with some of our own customers changing pans and not being aware of the filter differences and requirements. So allways make sure you are using the correct type filter for the pan you are installing. Also note when installing a trans if you do not provide even support accross the pan again you can bend the pan and damage the filter causing the same set of syptoms

[performabuilt]

We recently got and have functioning our DYNO here is a little description. It was built for us from a design I made by a local but nationally known CYCLE SHOP.
I figured they make customer bikes bodies from scratch all the time so why not , We wanted a dyno but at the same time we didn’t need one that could test every trans for every kind of car, We needed one to test the trans we sell. After all the astro dyno was on its last legs. We beat on her all she could stand. So they took on the project and here is what we ended up with its a static brake type driven by a 40 hp three phase electric motor.
I must say I am very pleased with this addition to the PerformaBuit tools. While there are advantages to a vehicle test there are plenty to a DYNO too , 1 being the ability to hear better what’s happening with the trans and the ability to stop and make quick changes and pressure adjustments easily. Our new addition cannot test FWD but can test any rear wheel drive application, Later when we finish a few cosmetic additions I will post a picture of it, But we have been using it a little over a week and other than a minor snafu with the brake part. (Ripped the splines out of the center. electric motors are the hotrods of the future, Fixed now I have been very pleased with it. You may have noticed the past week I haven’t been around as much, This is why , They built it now its was my job to make all the gadgets to make it do all we wanted and make sure it did them well. I guess it was handy taking electronics engineering in 2 years at college after all. Just wish had done better in English and grammar as all of you I am sure know lol.
Frank

[performabuilt]

Sorry the quality of the pictures isnt to good something was wrong with cam may try to replace later.But still you can see pretty well.


This is the rear of the case and a new rear case bushing. This one is bad to wear.

This is the rear planey carrier and bearing the end of it goes in the rear of the case in that case bushing This too should be disassembled and carefully checked for wear where the bushing comes in contact and i between the teeth where planet rides for debris metal etc. This can get wedged in there and remain after cleaning,

same Carrier from front

This is the rear planet with oil slinger. This is the 4 pinion type like is used in the levels 1 and 2. The level 3 gets a 5 pinion however while failures other than lubrication issues are rare with the planets pinions themselves the more common failure here is with the splines in the hole at the top where nether planet is any beefier than the other.

veiw of same planet from the other side

Low reverse clutch set and steels. These are only on in reverse and also come on in manual low but not in auto first. They can however help support the low roller clutch during a hard launch as the actually bypass it when in manual low 1.

This is a picture of the rear planet assembly in the case with the low reverse frictions and steels, Also at the 12 oclock position its a little had to see is the case saver we use to replace the spring thats normally there to help avoid damage to the case.

This is the low roller clutch and support it is placed into the case and held in place by a snap ring in the case.

[performabuilt]

This is the low roller clutch and support it is placed into the case and held in place by a snap ring in the case.

Another veiw of the roller clutch and support.


These are pictures of the beast sunshell used in the level 2 and 3 units

These are pictures of the front planet race and support installed now


These are pictures of the input drum and the rings being sized the next part to be installed.

[performabuilt]

This is the reverse input drum next to be installed the 2-4 band rides on it. The clutches in it are only aplied during reverse.



This is the drum installd into the case and the band along with the installation of the band. Some install the band in the case first, I prefer after to avoid scuffing it.

[performabuilt]

These are pictures of the servo , servo bore and it installed. This particular servo set up is used in our level 2 and 3 and its actually a littl tedious to install. You have to be very carefull not to damage the teflon rings and make very sure you get the snap ring fully seated it its not then it will work its way out and as it does break the case.
This is a picture of the case channel area .The round hole near the top is where the band lug goes its important when installing the band to make sure that the end of the lug actually does go in the band anchor or you will not have 2 and 4th gears.

This is the valvebody installed.

Picture of front pump stator and input shaft splins



This is the number system we use to keep track of the units by who they belong to and when they were built . I am sure many of you that have our trans have wondered about this number, It is also stamped in the case. Somewhere out there is # 1

Well thatS all I have for now there were alotta pictures but I dId npt use the ones that were so bad as not to be veiwable, I will redo this post another day with better pictures. Its very fustrating to spend so much time taking pictures and have them come out blurry , Its obvious I am not a photographer.

[performabuilt]

Fluid level is spoken about often here are the facts. With and auto trans and in particular the 4L60E there is no such thing as low. If you let the trans get even 1/2 quart low you will and or have damaged your transmission. They are absolutley not forgiving. We recently did some intentional test with a unit we use to check different ideas. Heres what we found at 1/2 quart low aprox 1/2 inch bellow pan rail we ran the trans. We monitored presures etc. The presures in this condition were completely unstable. Jumping from very low to beyond the max of our 300 PSI guage.as you changed gears particulary on the 2-3 3-4 and the reverse gears this condition became worse. I could easily see how after doing these test you could do a mirade of damage to your trans even this small amount low. In the case of the low presure the result would be obvious burned frictions however at the same time the presure spikes could just as easily break parts, push out snap rings ect causing serious damage and or sudden failures.

Now in a past test several years ago I did a similar test going in the other direction too much fluid. Heres what happened there, this was however unlike the first test with a 4l60e it was a 700r4 though would imagine the results would be similar. Adding one quart over after hitting the full line did not seem to have any notable effect. However adding two quarts over the trans began again to have presures resembling the low fluid scenario the presue dropped and spiked eratically and of course the fluid began quickly to resemble the apearance of the low fluid trans lots of air bubbleS and since a trans is not so different from a brake system the result was similar. You cannot have stable hydraulic presure with air in the fluid.

The air created in the low fluid scenario is a result of the filter becoming uncovered and the pump pulling air into the system. With the resulting crazy presure readings and the exstremley high fluid this occured because the internal rotational assemblies in the trans were acting alot like a blender and churning air into the fluid more rapidly than it could bubble out.

The Point on this is fluid level is imperativly important with and auto. There is no such thing as a little low. A little low means you just took years off the life of your trans or even killed it right now.
All trans should always be kept at the top of the crosshatch level warm running in park or neutral. Idealy I wish there was a way to assure the trans fluid was equal to the pan rail level in gear running. But I do understand why they dont have you checking it that way

Another thing that should be addressed is aftermarket and stock deep pans. Some aftermarket pans while deep do not require a deep filter. Others require and exstention . Still others use the deep filter like goes in the truck 4L60E. Always carefully read the pan manufacturers instructions. While reguardless of the pan type the dip stick will still read the level correctly. If you for instance use a deep pan with the wrong filter bear in mind GM actually used the bottom of the pan to hold the filter up in place. True the little seal feels tight holding it in the pump but it can work its way out and drop into the pan when used this way. This will result in the trans acting like its low on fluid even when its not. At the same time if you place a fliter thats too tall for your pan combination it will crack in the neck area and again cause the syptom of low fluid. I thought I would mention this because we have run into this with some of our own customers changing pans and not being aware of the filter differences and requirements. So allways make sure you are using the correct type filter for the pan you are installing. Also note when installing a trans if you do not provide even support accross the pan again you can bend the pan and damage the filter causing the same set of syptoms
__________________

[performabuilt]

P0100
Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Malfunction

P0101
Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Range/Performance Problem

P0102
Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Low Input

P0103
Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit High Input

P0104
Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit Intermittent

Any MAF code can affect transmissions performance. The MAF is used by the transmission part of the PCM to measure engine load and this is used to ajust LINE PRESURE with the PCS. If you use and aftermarket oiled type filter its a good idea to clean your MAF regularly as a dirty MAF can lead to transmission failure.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
P0220
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch B Circuit Malfunction

P0221
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch B Circuit Range/Performance Problem

P0222
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch B Circuit Low Input

P0223
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch B Circuit High Input

P0224
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch B Circuit Intermittent

P0225
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch C Circuit Malfunction

P0226
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch C Circuit Range/Performance Problem

P0227
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch C Circuit Low Input

P0228
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch C Circuit High Input

P0229
Throttle/Petal Position Sensor/Switch C Circuit Intermittent

Throttle Position is used for a couple different things with the trans it afects line presure and shift timing so it can have a major effect on overall trans performance. But I have also run into a situation where After a cam and or throttle body install where stacked shifts occur at WOT only, The fix that sevral have used it to change the top range on it from 60% to 70%. I am not sure of the exact place in the tuning you do this but will ask as we have had a few customers of our own tell me of this fix.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

P0300
Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected

P0301
Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected

P0302
Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected

P0303
Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected

P0304
Cylinder 4 Misfire Detected

P0305
Cylinder 5 Misfire Detected

P0306
Cylinder 6 Misfire Detected

P0307
Cylinder 7 Misfire Detected

P0308
Cylinder 8 Misfire Detected

Engine Missfire can cause a no or intermitant lockup condition. The PCM will disable lockup when its sees a missfire. Its also may mistake a Large cam as and engine missfire and mistakingly disable lockup. Raising the missfire threshold to max will generally solve this.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
P0700
Transmission Control System Malfunction

P0701
Transmission Control System Range/Performance

P0702
Transmission Control System Electrical

These codes are set when theres a failure with the PCM itself normally however in the 05 up cars The code PO700 will set for any trans/control related issue and It simply means in these cases theres a code stored in the TCM that needs to be read since the TCM (Transmission control module) Is separate in these years.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
P0705
Transmission Range Sensor Circuit malfunction (PRNDL Input)

P0706
Transmission Range Sensor Circuit Range/Performance

P0707
Transmission Range Sensor Circuit Low Input

P0708
Transmission Range Sensor Circuit High Input

P0709
Transmission Range Sensor Circuit Intermittent

These codes are set when the Park neutrals switch and or the manifold presure sensor on the valve body its giving and incorrect signal. This will cause improper trans performance since the PCM will recive incorrect information about what manual position you have the shifter in.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

P0710
Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Malfunction

P0711
Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Range/Performance

P0712
Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Low Input

P0713
Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit High Input

P0714
Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Intermittent

These codes are set when the THERMISTOR in the Presure Manifold sensor is out of range. On the 60e and the 80E this is bolted to the valve body in the pan. The affect it can have is minor however it may cause the tans to operate in Hot mode or Cold mode at all times. This can have a minor effect on shift charateristics.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

P0715
Input/Turbine Speed Sensor Circuit Malfunction

P0716
Input/Turbine Speed Sensor Circuit Range/Performance

P0717
Input/Turbine Speed Sensor Circuit No Signal

P0718
Input/Turbine Speed Sensor Circuit Intermittent

These codes would only apply to The 4L80E and 4L70E there meanig is obvious and can cause irratic shifts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------


P0720
Output Speed Sensor Circuit Malfunction

P0721
Output Speed Sensor Range/Performance

P0722
Output Speed Sensor No Signal

P0723
Output Speed Sensor Intermittent

These codes are set for VSS and in the 80E for the rear speed sensor. They can result in no shift, irratic shifts, Late shifts. and no speedo reading of course.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

P0740
Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Malfuction

P0741
Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off

P0742
Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Stuck On

P0743
Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Electrical

P0744
Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Intermittent

These codes will result in NO TCC lockup and or Constant TCC on conditions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

P0751
Shift Solenoid A Performance or Stuck Off/
1-2 Shift Solenoid Valve Performance
Can be set due to a bad shit solenoid but also can be set due to a high stall converter. In the case of high stall converters the test for this code should be removed from programing. This code may result in limp mode allways in 3rd gear. Also if you want to let the PCM control lockup with a FMVB this code must be turned off.

P0752
Shift Solenoid A Stuck On
Same effect as P0751

P0753
Shift Solenoid A Electrical/
1-2 Shift Solenoid Circuit Electrical
This code means the shift solenoid is electrically bad or the circuit to it. This codes test should also be turned off if running a FMVB and allowing PCM to controll lockup

P0756
Shift Solenoid B Performance or Stuck Off/
2-3 Shift Solenoid Valve Performance
Same comentary as PO751 AND PO752


P0757
Shift Solenoid B Stuck On
Same as PO756


P0758
Shift Solenoid B Electrical/ 2-3 Shift Solenoid Circuit Electrical
This code is and elecrical fault for shift solenoid b or the circuit. This code test also should be turned off it wishing to use the PCM to control lockup with a FMVB.

P1114
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit Intermittent Low Voltage/IAT - B Circuit Low Input

P1115
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit Intermittent High Voltage/IAT - B Circuit High Input
Either one of these codes can cause a no lockup situation

PO1870 Component slipping
Genrally this code is set when TCC is comanded on and either it dosent happen or the converter clutch does not hold. It will result in high line and very harsh shifts. Generally if you have a no lockup situation and do not set this code the issue is tuning related.



I hope this information is usefull to some of you , I realize all the codes are not strictly F bodies types but since we do cater to other venues I wanted to include them

[performabuilt]

This is the case with a hard oil resistant enamel coating.



Case Cleaned and empty.


Case with race for thrust washer installed.



Stock and Billet intermediate shafts



Billet intermediate shaft installed .



Planet assemblies note maching for bearing rear planet at left.



Planet assembly in trans with band.



Bottom of center support with thrust washer and bearing installed.



Top of center support with Transgo special blue sealing rings installed



Center support installed in case with intermediate (2nd) apply piston. And yes I know the return springs are not yet installed. I put them in after the install for some reason.

That as far As I got today more next week