4 Speed Auto Lifespan

[cordiaturbz1]

Hi all,wondering if anyone has a rough idea of how much abuse the 4 speed auto can handle..??? im running close to 300 rwkw and I havent had any problems yet for about 6-8 months now and it does get driven hard a fair bit, drags-skids etc etc... I have heard of problems from other members on other forums with gearbox problems straight after getting mods, im just curious to see how long you guys have been getting round with your 4speed autos with a reasonable amount of power before they decided to hit the deck or are they still going strong...im paranoid now I have red alot of posts on this forum where the auto has failed @ around 300rwkw so I guess its just a matter of time..???flat out shifts into 2nd dont feel as hard as they use too but the box still drives well and puts the power to the ground...any info is greatly appreciated...

Also anyone with good results from a good automatic rebuilder in the brisbane area..think ill be down this track soon..

Thanks

[t6xr]

I was running 315rwkw for about 18 months before it decided it had enough, now I have a C9 3 speed with a 3 grand stallie, b&m shifter, trans cooler etc and it hasnt missed a beat. Couldnt be more happier now I have confidence in a strong auto.

Good luck.

[TOM1111]

guess it depends how you drive it and how it was tuned

they can last a week or as Bluboost has shown they can be pretty reliable while running more then 300rwkw

[PSYCHO XRT]

IMO it comes down to having the RIGHT calibration within the hardware [AUTO BOX] and software [TUNING] side of things.

The auto has to be rebuilt using the RIGHT PARTS and has to be within the right specs which I strongly believe is best left to a Transmission specialist.

The other important aspect is from the tuning side of things. This allows the tuner to carefully adjust/play with the auto setting's which may help to prolong the life of the box. Lastly it comes down to your driving habits but if the above 2 components are done properly and correctly you will have a box that will live longer but keep in mind they are not built to last and will let go at some point of time....

my 2 cents.....

San.

Edited 17/09/08 03:10 AM by Varaitch

[cordiaturbz1]

Thanks for the quick feedback guys.. well ive done more reading on the 4 speeds and it seems they can only handle so much power(350-400rwkws) for a limited amount of time before you have to rebuild it again regardless on what hardware it has or how its tuned if ya drive em hard enough??..better lay off the skids then ha ha.. Im starting to think about running a different box when this one fails as I want a gearbox that can handle a "raping".. .. how streetable is a C9 3 speed, how much am I looking at for this kinda conversion, or am I better off bombing the 4 speed and hoping for the best??

[Guest]

The conversion with a properly built C9 & overdrive wouldn't leave you much change out of $10k!

[cordiaturbz1]

10k DAMN.. well guess its the beef the max outta the 4 speed option, at the end of the day its just really a fast daily driver... got a project drag car atm id much rather pump 10K into.. so whos the best bloke to go see about rebuilding the auto in the brisbane area ive heard good things about bob grant automatics.. anyone know who else has played with these 4 speed autos before.. cheers

[straughsberry]

Remember a 3 speed means no overdrive - 3000rpm at 100kmh. Ifn u dont care about that, then go for a 3 speed. Otherwise, I'd be looking at a Powerglide with perhaps a Gear Vendors overdrive mate. That setup will yield a very strong 1000+hp setup with an overdrive for highway cruising.

I was looking at a 4l60E becasue it has an overdrive until my trans builder talked me into a little experiment. So I'm currently getting a full rebuild on my BTR 4 speed. In 5 or 6 months I'll be aiming for 500rwkw and he is pretty confident he can build one to hold. It's a matter of seeing what breaks as the power gets raised and engineering around it.

[t6xr]

The 3 speed o.k if your not doing too much highway driving but at 3000rpm it does suck a bit of juice.

It all depends on how you drive it and what kind of driving you do etc. You can get a tuff 4 speed built just make sure they use the right parts and do it properly.

Good luck,

Rob-T6XR

[Guest]

Isn't there an overdrive kit available for the C9 as well? Thought I read on here that someone was building one with the overdrive as a possibility