RCR: LQ4 Swapped Colorado

[kevm14]

Probably found the fuel delivery problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12fAk0uVH5M

Restriction in the feed line coming off the stock pump assembly. And possibly by design. He'll fix that, though.

[kevm14]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk35uyVt9vg

700 rwhp at 20 psi, pump gas. On an LQ4 with 288k on it. Cam and valve springs are the ONLY engine mods.

This should motivate anyone to improve their fabrication skills. Seems totally worth it.

[bill25]

Here is the blog version: https://sites.google.com/site/sloppywik ... s/colorado

He also has a parts list of common parts:
https://sites.google.com/site/sloppywik ... parts-list

At quick glance, $2,500 worth of stuff not including the donor vehicle, the actual vehicle, and junk yard rear end, and radiator. He got a 6.0L van as a donor. Not a bad idea.

Also, no mounts, no gauges if this is an older vehicle. It is cheap for what you get, definitely, but it isn't cheap. He also saved money by swapping into a truck and doing so allowed him to use the van accessories as is.

[kevm14]

I believe he also can sell:
- Colorado engine, trans, rear axle, gauge cluster, airbag?
- All unused donor parts such as: GM PCM from LQ4, the rest of the van

I asked for a price breakdown in the youtube comments.

There is absolutely no question in my mind that this build is Pareto optimal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-obj ... timization

In other words, you can do it cheaper, but you won't go as fast (that may be what you want). You can go faster, but it will cost more money.

In general, it's probably fair to state that anything you or I do will cost more money for reasons like creature comforts, starting with a vehicle less ideal for a swap, etc. His priorities are a lot more focused. He wants to go fast, cheap. He has accomplished that, repeatedly. Regardless of whether your G-body build would be more expensive (and it would be), there are PLENTY of people out there who would have said what he is actually doing is impossible.

[kevm14]

Here is the blog version: https://sites.google.com/site/sloppywik ... s/colorado

He also has a parts list of common parts:
https://sites.google.com/site/sloppywik ... parts-list

At quick glance, $2,500 worth of stuff not including the donor vehicle, the actual vehicle, and junk yard rear end, and radiator. He got a 6.0L van as a donor. Not a bad idea.

Also, no mounts, no gauges if this is an older vehicle. It is cheap for what you get, definitely, but it isn't cheap. He also saved money by swapping into a truck and doing so allowed him to use the van accessories as is.

Damn, that turbo is $348 shipped. Cheap. And that'll do 700 rwhp worth of airflow (probably a little more). On an LQ4 with a cam and stock heads, that amounts to about 20 psi.

[kevm14]

And that Trans Go HD2 shift kit for the 4L80E is only $120. $120 to hold "500-800 hp" (to quote Sloppy Mechanics). The install is tricky but it is absolutely worth it. The only alternative is to spend however many thousands of dollars on an aftermarket "built" 4L80E. Which is basically unnecessary. The 4L80E is essentially an electronic and overdrive version of the highly reputable TH400 ("Turbo 400"). Unlike the 700R4, they went to OD and electronics all at once in 1991. And apparently it was worth the wait.

I've driven two 4L80E vehicles: 1995 K2500 w/ 6.5TD and ~2000 Silverado 2500 with LQ4. They both drove well, and they shift very nicely. I guess that is why GM was able to sell the 4L80E to those furrin' companies, for use in their fancy cars (not trucks).

[kevm14]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_4L80-E ... ion#4L80-E

Fancy cars include:

1992–1998 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Spur II, III, IV
1991–1992 Bentley Eight
1991–1997 Bentley Turbo R
1991–2002 Bentley Continental R/S/T
1999–2006 Bentley Arnage Red Label / Bentley Arnage R/RL/T
1993–1996 Jaguar XJS
1994–1997 Jaguar XJR
1993–1997 Jaguar XJ12 / Daimler Double Six
1996–1999 Aston Martin DB7

After that I would bet a sum of money that they went to ZF. Also, these are all British brands. Interesting.

Bonus trivia: unlike the 700R4/4L60-E ratios, the 4L80E has a taller first (2.48) which is considered superior in performance applications. 4th is also 0.75 so in general this is not a very wide ratio trans (3.3, vs 4.37 on the 700R4), and that may help longevity in and of itself.

Bonus trivia #2: it is 2.5" longer than the 700-R4/4L60-E and 4.25" longer than the 200-4R.

In 2015, I'd say the ONLY thing "wrong" with the 4L80E is the narrow ratio range. From what I recall, the shift quality itself is actually better than the 4L60-E (this is backed up by the cars in the above list). Another downside and partial fallout of the narrow ratio range, is that it is not what I would call a fuel economy transmission. On a turbo V8 application where you run a taller axle ratio, this probably works out just fine.

[kevm14]

If you forgive the citations needed, some good info:

THM400 transmissions are very popular in automotive competition due to their great strength.[citation needed] Much of this strength comes from the use of a cast iron center support to suspend the transmission's concentric shafts that join the clutch assemblies to the gear train.[citation needed] The center support, which is splined to the interior of the transmission's case, also provides a robust reaction point for first gear (the gear train's reaction carrier is restrained from counter-rotating the engine in first gear by a roller clutch whose inner race is part of the center support).[citation needed] Since the first gear reactive force is evenly distributed around the periphery of the case, the types of mechanical (and some times violent) failures that have plagued other competition transmissions[vague] are rare.[citation needed]

The THM400 was the first three-speed, Simpson-geared automatic to use overrunning clutches for both first and second gear reaction,[citation needed] a feature that eliminated the need to coordinate the simultaneous release of a band and application of a clutch to make the 2-3 gear change.[citation needed] Owing to this feature, as well as the use of a large, multi-plate clutch to provide second gear reaction, the THM400 is able to withstand very high input torque and an enormous number of shifting cycles, as would be encountered in frequent stop-and-go driving.[citation needed] As a result, it has met with considerable success in commercial vehicle applications.[citation needed]

Keep in mind the TH400 was originally released in 1964, making it older than the TH350! I am still looking to see if it is still in production, but it was used as recently as 2013.

Sloppy Mechanics covers the refinements on the 4L80E over the years:

4L80E Differences:

'91 -'96: They are all pretty much the same. They were also known to have a crappy connector that passes through the case. Most have had them updated by now, but there are still some that haven't and might need replacing. They have the ‘older’ style lubrication, where both cooling lines are behind the bellhousing. They also have larger overdrive roller clutch, usually came with a 16 element sprag instead of the 36 element. The bellhouse bolt pattern is the traditional SBC/BBC pattern. These early transmission also did not have mounting holes for the manual lever position switch (MLPS) ie. neutral safety switch.

'94 -'96: These are the same as the earlier ones but with a few differences. It has an updated EPC (electronic pressure control) solenoid. Some also had a longer shift shaft for the MLPS.

'97 - '99: These years have the ‘new’ style lubrication, where there is one oil cooler line behind the bellhousing and the other being farther towards the back of the transmission. Also uses the bellhousing bolt pattern of previous years.

‘00 - ’03: Same as previous years but bellhousing bolt pattern was changed to the LS style.

‘04 - up: Same as previous year with some minor valve body changes.

[kevm14]

Hot Rod article on the 4L80E:
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/transmissi ... nsmission/

[kevm14]

I can't find the 4L80E on the GM Powertrain site, so maybe it is finally out of production.