Full Manual and Gate Shifter on a 4l70e?

briscobones · Feb 7, 2019

So title just about says it all, I know transgo makes a full manual kit for the transmission. But is it possible to swap the 4l70e over to cable and run a ratchet or gated shifter?
I have had manuals all my life (apart from a c10 with a full manual TH400) and don't know much about autos.
I have tried to search on my own with little success, also its hard to shift on the column cause I'm too damn tall and the shifter hits my knee when attempting to go into first.

lsx.rich · Feb 7, 2019

im just here to see how this will turn out i got the same truck

ferraiolo1 · Feb 7, 2019

Have you ever used a gated shifter? It's ****** annoying to use in a DD

Also. Just leaving it in D and letting the tuned transmission shift it self provides better times.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

briscobones · Feb 7, 2019

ferraiolo1 said:
Have you ever used a gated shifter? It's ****** annoying to use in a DD

Also. Just leaving it in D and letting the tuned transmission shift it self provides better times.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not gated, I had a DD 79 c10 with a full manual TH400 and a ratchet shifter, loved it.
And even with a trans tune, the truck doesnt always shift how I like, maybe thats me, coming from 15 years of driving manuals lol

EDIT: that is also the thing, I dont necessarily want it to shift itself... at all lol...
I know a little about the Turbomatics and I know there are manual/automatic.... I would be okay with something like that, but If I put it in a specific gear, not just drive, I want it to stay there

briscobones · Feb 7, 2019

I want to say I have read a thread where someone swapped in a 6l80e, with TCM, out of a car and reused the shift-tronic bump shifter thingy. But they were not four wheel drive.

tzfbird · Feb 7, 2019

If the transmission has a shift shaft out the side then you are good to go with the ratchet shifter and the Tansgo Reprogramming Kit installed. You might want to look into the shifting though because it might not do anything to correct the shift feel.

ferraiolo1 · Feb 7, 2019

Also you have a cable operated trans. So just a matter of mounting the shifter in your console. The 6 speeds are the ones that are electronic. .

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

briscobones · Feb 7, 2019

ferraiolo1 said:
Also you have a cable operated trans. So just a matter of mounting the shifter in your console. The 6 speeds are the ones that are electronic. .

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Myth confirmed! Haha I feel only slightly stupid. That deserves a big ass homer Simpson DOH! Lol

briscobones · Feb 9, 2019

So big question, does the column shifter trigger certain signals for the computer, like park start and reverse lamps, or is it done on the trans its self

ferraiolo1 · Feb 9, 2019

Most likely on the Column. I know when I put a b&n in my trans am. I had to make a new reverse switch. .

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

briscobones · Feb 9, 2019

I think I am going to go ahead and order the gated shifter, start planning the fabrication on it although I might wait till break to actually do it.
Maybe this summer I will be able to have trans pulled, built, and a shift kit installed.
Now reading transgo's website, the 4l60e-3 kit is obviously full manual, but the 4l60e-HD2 sounds like a manual/automatic... Would the HD2 kit stay in whatever gear I put it no matter what, but if I put it in "D" it will act like an auto and shift itself?

tzfbird · Feb 11, 2019

If it's what I think it is, it is auto up to the selected gear and then it holds. Likewise it is auto below the selected gear. Otherwise you go full manual.

briscobones · Feb 14, 2019

SO I ordered a TCI Fast-Gate shifter, first impressions: I am very disappointed.
Seems like a "wonky" POS.
I wanted the BM Pro Stick but its twice the price.
At very least, when I get my truck back tomorrow Ill use the TCI to see if it will even fit where I want.
After that I need to decide whether to run the TCI for the time being or return and wait to scrape together the rest of the money for the BM. My only hope for it working properly, is that having it actually hooked to the trans my help with its performance, on the bench it does not work well at all.

briscobones · Feb 16, 2019

Just setup return of TCI and ordered a B&M, looks like it will fit. It was tight with the lever nearly touch the AC controls in park and the armrest in 1st. However, I believe the B&M has a shorter "throw" and worst case scenario the lever is steel and I could cut and weld to make it fit better.
Also, I think the PRNDL signal input is on the trans, not the column. When I ordered the B&M I had to get a special bracket as the newer 4l's have that PRNDL switch at the shift mechanism.
I should get all the parts next week, and I will probably try and install the shifter next weekend and then the following weekend finish everything up, make look pretty lol.

briscobones · Mar 23, 2019

Fianlly giving ya'll an update.
So aparently I can do a manual type tune and I just got HP tuners and am on their forums trying to figure out how.
Also, with HP I was able to datalog the injector duty cycle finally (I was guessing my injectors were holding me back on power) and as it turns out at 5800 feet im hitting 101.6% duty cycle. I wonder what it hit when we tuned for max power at sea-level where the truck was initially tuned. I am going to try and find a complete LS3 top-end take off (like someone who switched to a holley or FAST) but i want to switch to the LS3 TB (increase in 3mm), intake manifold (increase in looks lol, it flows identical to the truck intake), and finally the LS3 injectors (increase of 10lbs/hr).

Anyways, back to the shifter.
I still have a LOT of work to do, but I figured I'll show a progress pic or two.
Still need to either make or find a different cover than the aluminum that came with the shifter.
and need to clean up some welds, add sound deadening material underneath cause theres lots of drive train noise due to the steel plate instead of factory plastic.

1994Vmax · Mar 26, 2019

The neutral safety switch and gear indication is all on the trans on a 60e variant. Nothing to do with the column.

tzfbird · Mar 26, 2019

Not to make you change your mind but this thread has some pics of a Megashifter install.
https://www.performancetrucks.net/f...drivetrain-suspension-22/b-m-megashifter-automatic-shifter-light-trucks-548506/

Full Manual and Gate Shifter on a 4l70e?

Attachments

Our Vendors

Top Contributors this Month

Recommended Communities