How Hard Is It to Rebuild a 4l60e Transmission (+5 Best 4l60e Rebuild Kit)

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Last updated on July 11th, 2023 at 05:47 pm

Indeed, the rebuilding of any transmission is not as easy as changing the oil in your car, it’s something a professional mechanic might find fun and very challenging.

However, note that rebuilding a transmission yourself is very hard and chances are you could end up damaging it beyond repair when you don’t know.

What you should do is to take your vehicle to an experienced transmission rebuilding mechanic near you. you love to read this on transmission leak.

Though there are different levels of transmission complexity, handling your transmission job can be done when you know what to do, like having the right tools, giving attention to detail, and also getting some helpful tips from your friendly mechanic.  

Related Article: How to Rebuild a Transmission 4l60e: Step By Step 4l60e Rebuild Guide On

How to rebuild a 4l60e transmission

1. Try spreading out the hard parts on the Performance Automatic build bench. Note that the 4L60E doesn’t look different from the 700-R4, 4L60, 4L65E, or 4L75E transmission. You just need to take this abused 4L60E and give it a better rebuilding capacity with improvements from Performance Automatic
2. Note that this particular 4L60E was significantly trashed with a succession of every broken hard part. The Performance Automatic is going to be built in 400-500 horsepower and a better torque capacity.
3. Remember that one of the 4L60E weakness is the factory sun reaction shell. This tends to break around the hub which doesn’t take much time for it to fail. The Performance Automatic fits its 4L60E building with this improved, thicker sun shell (left) which is with a stronger, welded center hub and a radiuses spline area that prevents failure. Note that a heavy-duty Torrington bearing helps to reduce friction in this area upon rebuilding, which also reduces heat.
4. The Performance Automatic help increases 4L60E torque capacity with a five-pinion front planet (left) and ring gear.
5. Meaning, with the five pinions instead of four (right) you will be spreading torque across the more mechanical surface area. The 4L60E will handle about 400-500 horsepower with the five-pinion front planet. This is about 20 percent more torque capacity.
6. The rear planet torque capacity will be increased by 20 percent with a five-pinion planet (left) and ring gear instead of the 4L60E’s vanilla four pinions (right). However, this will take your 4L60E about 400-500+ horsepower torque capacity and around 6,500-7,000-pound gross weight when rebuilding. Note that this gives you the capacity of the 4L65E/4L75E.

5 best 4l60e rebuild kit (4l60e transmission rebuild kit)

#1. The GM 4L60-E (97-03) QUALITY TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL MASTER REBUILD KIT W/STEELS

The GM 4L60E MASTER OVERHAUL REBUILT TRANSMISSION KIT (97-03) is exactly as it is pictured. Their customer service is very friendly, and they have great quality parts, with great prices.

Features;

• It comes with ALLOMATIC clutches and sealing rings
• Comes with all metal clad seals
• The gaskets, Steels plates, o rings, and Band are available 
• There is a bushing front pump and filter deep pan (black) inside.
• It came with a high-quality allomatic frictions and Raybestos steels 
• It includes a piston kit 

As of the writing of this article, you can get this rebuild kit on amazon for $139 but you check the current price with the link below.

#2. The 4L60E Transmission Rebuild Kit 1997-2003 + frictions, filter, band

The 4L60E REBUILD KIT for GM vehicles 1997-2003 happens to be a great rebuilding kit that is available in the market. Priced at $129.95

Features:

• Comes with Gasket and Seal Kit
• There is OE Exedy and Alto Friction Plate Module
• Comes with a deep pan filter
• There is Alto Red Eagle Powerband and Molded Piston Set
• Comes with a dimension of 18.25 x 16.25 x 5 inches

As of the writing of this article, you can get this rebuild kit on amazon for $122.9 but you check the current price with the link below.

#3. The 4L60E Transmission Rebuild Kit Heavy Duty Master Kit with 3-4 Power-pack

Here is another rebuilding kit that comes with complete custom Alto HEG high energy graphite with 3-4 power pack friction & steel module. 

Features:

• There is a complete Alto gasket set with molded pistons
• Comes with 1- Alto Red Eagle 2-4 Band
• There is 1 – Alto deep pan filter and 1-Alto Bushing Kit 
• This kit is for Rebuilds of 1997-2003 GM 4L60E transmissions
• It includes the Alto 3-4 Power Pack which increases the stock 3-4 clutch stack to about 30% greater holding capacity & durability
• It is meant for deep pan units only, meaning if you have a shallow pan filter or Corvette Pan Filter, it will not be correct.

As of the writing of this article, you can get this rebuild kit on amazon for $220  but you can check the current price with the link below.

#5.The ATP CMS-24 Automatic Transmission Master Repair Kit Plus 

This unique product called ATP premium transmission repair kits offers a complete solution and comes with all the parts you need for a comprehensive rebuilding. The producers have over 60 years of transmission part expertise, which means you can trust ATP components to be of the highest quality as they assure you a smooth rebuilding that will restore the OE level of performance.

Priced at $146.78

Features:

• The premium clutch material gives you a smooth-shifting, load stability, and high wear resistance 
• The steel plates are produced to the precise measurements for a stress-free installation and shudder free performance 
• It comes with gaskets, seals, and O-rings which are exact fit replacements 
• All the parts are vacuum packaged to boards and sealed in bags to make sure all components arrive uncompromised 
• The product is for rebuild of 1993-95 GM 4L60E transmissions

As of the writing of this article, you can get this rebuild kit on amazon for $162.9 but you check the current price with the link below.

They are proven leaders in the automatic transmission industry, with over 100 years of combined experience. Priced at $36.88

Features:

• It has the highest quality charts that are available in the automatic transmission industry 
• The product comes with a step by step procedures to help you along the way 
• The product is very durable
• Strong and available in the market

You check the current price with the link below.

How long does it take to rebuild a 4l60e transmission?

A lot of vehicle owners ask ‘’how long does it take to rebuild a 4l60e transmission’’? The truth is that someone needs to know the exact condition of your vehicle first to answer this question. However, the estimated time should be about 8 hours, and to rebuild the transmission, you need an additional 6 hours.

So how much does it cost to rebuild a 4l60e transmission?

In case you are planning on taking it to a repair shop for rebuilding, this means you have to pull and bring the transmission to them, then it’s possible to have it rebuilt for $1000 or under. 

But the repair shop pulls it, rebuild, and reinstall the transmission, then it can cost anywhere from $2000-$4000.

Why is the 4l60e a bad transmission?

This is because the 4L60E happens to be a four-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission that is used in light-duty trucks manufactured by General Motors (GM). Although, most automatic transmission diagnoses and repairs are beyond the knowledge of local mechanics, and also, you can still diagnose some minor problems without specialized tools or training. 

However, such a diagnosis simply means you have to recognize and isolate the symptoms of a specific malfunction before you can decide which repairs are really necessary.

How do I know if my 4l60e is bad?

As we all know, transmission failure cannot happen without a warning. This simply means that there are various warning signs that your transmission’s going bad. 

Below ere are 10 transmission symptoms you should be aware of.

• Weird Smells
• Some strange Sounds
• Noisiness
• Check Engine Light
• No Response
• Fluid Leaking
• Clutch Drag
• Shaking
• Won’t Go Into Gear
• Slipping Gears

What transmission can replace a 4l60e?

Note that the 4L60E transmission has been used before in a slew of 1/2-ton GM trucks and SUVs, and it has also been used in some GM 3/4-ton trucks. This is because it’s a transmission that has proven itself a workhorse. But you can chose to replace it with a much beefier 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission.

Can a 4l60e handle 500hp?

Yes, but you will need to first upgrade all the standard soft parts, and also the hard parts if you intend to have that much power put through it.

The most important thing is the torque you are putting into it, if it’s built right and you keep it cool, then it should last a while. 

What to Read Next: How to Rebuild a Transmission 4l60e: Step By Step 4l60e Rebuild Guide

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