6 Speed Auto

**wickedbeast** · 01-23-2011, 06:50 PM

Has anyone tried to or heard of a 6 Speed Auto swap for our cars?really interested to know if possible.

**justinmc978** · 01-23-2011, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by wickedbeast

Has anyone tried to or heard of a 6 Speed Auto swap for our cars?really interested to know if possible.

anything is possible with the right amount of cash.

a 6l80e tranny out of a truck will bolt right up, but you will have to buy a whole new ECM and have to use the BFH mod to make room in the tunnel. (6l80es are over an inch taller than a 4l60e)

unless you have a special reason for doing this, other than 'performance' or mpg, this would be a gigantic waste of hard earned money.

**1998 T/A** · 01-23-2011, 08:50 PM

I'd rather sink the money into a 6 speed manual

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 01-24-2011, 08:47 AM

I think a 6sp auto would be awsome. plus if you could figure out a way for paddle shifting that would be sexy! MPH would be great for stalled guys. a 4000 stall would be the norm

**justinmc978** · 01-24-2011, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by JoshuaGrooms83

I think a 6sp auto would be awsome. plus if you could figure out a way for paddle shifting that would be sexy! MPH would be great for stalled guys. a 4000 stall would be the norm

http://news.hspn.com/articles/936/1/...tic/Page1.html

**Firebirdjones** · 01-24-2011, 09:32 AM

Have you actually seen one of those trannys?? Those things are huge.. Massive automatic that would definately require tranny tunnel fabbing, and probably more than a simple hammer job. I'm talking cutting the tunnel out and making a new section to weld in.

Not worth the fab work alone in my opinion on a car that already comes factory equipped with an overdrive.

Be easier to stick a gear vendor unit on the back of your 4L60 and have yourself an 8 speed auto

**1998 T/A** · 01-24-2011, 09:48 AM

Paddle Shifters are for Ferrari's and Evo's not muscle cars

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 01-24-2011, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by 1998 T/A

Paddle Shifters are for Ferrari's and Evo's not muscle cars

ya ya, and yet those cars are faster then our in stock form... might be somthing to that other than the fact that our cars are boat anchors lol

As for fab work, metal is easy. getting a tranny is easy. its tuning and wiring that would be the hardest part. yeah paddle shifting would be probably way to expensive and complicated to actually get it up and running. but an auto with even 1 extra gear for OD would be nice. I dont know about you but stick shifting is only fun when you RACING!! city driving and cruzing around town gets a bit old. ive driven stick in other cars and id hate to have to try and manage a 400+ dual or triple clutch manul car at a shop light and stop sign constantly. could be to say the least annoying and tiring. I also like when im stopped on a hill, i roll forward not backward when i put it in D.

Now what that you were talking about with the 8sp auto? that gear vendor thing?

**LSCyaL8R** · 01-24-2011, 10:19 AM

aside from the chatter i rather enjoy my stick.... even with its 6 puck ceramic metallic clutch disc its billet steel flywheel its braided steel hydraulic lines and it's tick adjustable master cylinder. and when i'm not driving that i'm driving my 5 speed stick 1997 saturn SC2. and yes i drive both in NYC traffic. I rather enjoy rowing my own and have yet to tire of it. My friends are constantly impressed with my rev matched downshifts when I turn corners around town. The smoothness of a manual when shifted gently is also a surprise to many.

I know i know... to each his own and all that. enjoy your A8

i'll stick with my M6 thank you!

**Firebirdjones** · 01-24-2011, 10:58 AM

Gear Vendors have been around since the 60's as far as I can remember. They handle 2,000 HP and bolt onto the rear of most transmissions out there on the market.

It's a gear splitter. So you would have.....

1st
1st, over
2nd
2,nd over
3rd
3rd, over
4th
4th over.

They can be used in manual mode or programmed automatically. It would be the easier and cheaper route to go in my opinion and offer more versatility, and more overdrive reduction for better gas mileage than the 6 speed auto can offer.

**justinmc978** · 01-24-2011, 10:59 AM

guys please don't turn this into a manual vs. automatic thread, there are enough of those already.

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 01-24-2011, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by justinmc978

guys please don't turn this into a manual vs. automatic thread, there are enough of those already.

sorry about that. keeping to topic cause i know how you feel.

As for the 6sp auto, I think its a great idea thats gonna need alot of customizing and work to get it too work. Probably the easiest way to do this is get a drivetrane and asscoiated computer and wiring to get this to work with out having to splice. Guessing an LS3 with a 6L80E or whatever tranny the new autos are labled. Gives you a great excuse for a 440+ hp stock motor swap

This would probably be the most expensive, but you know everything would work with that computer coming with it. From my understanding the new 6pd autos have some kind of special computer controlling that us 4l60 guys just dont have.

**Firebirdjones** · 01-24-2011, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by JoshuaGrooms83

sorry about that. keeping to topic cause i know how you feel.

As for the 6sp auto, I think its a great idea thats gonna need alot of customizing and work to get it too work. Probably the easiest way to do this is get a drivetrane and asscoiated computer and wiring to get this to work with out having to splice. Guessing an LS3 with a 6L80E or whatever tranny the new autos are labled. Gives you a great excuse for a 440+ hp stock motor swap

This would probably be the most expensive, but you know everything would work with that computer coming with it. From my understanding the new 6pd autos have some kind of special computer controlling that us 4l60 guys just dont have.

There are also alot of reports out there of the 6 speed auto's have slipping issues when alot of power is applied, and they generate a ton of heat to the point they require 2 coolers in unison. A converter would make that even worse. As a matter of fact, a recent magazine did a write up on this addressing these very issues. They even talk about how touchy and difficult the trans is to tune it. Just doesn't sound like something I'd want. Gear Vendors is much more simple, with more overdrive reduction.

**justinmc978** · 01-24-2011, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by JoshuaGrooms83

sorry about that. keeping to topic cause i know how you feel.

As for the 6sp auto, I think its a great idea thats gonna need alot of customizing and work to get it too work. Probably the easiest way to do this is get a drivetrane and asscoiated computer and wiring to get this to work with out having to splice. Guessing an LS3 with a 6L80E or whatever tranny the new autos are labled. Gives you a great excuse for a 440+ hp stock motor swap

This would probably be the most expensive, but you know everything would work with that computer coming with it. From my understanding the new 6pd autos have some kind of special computer controlling that us 4l60 guys just dont have.

you looked on topic to me, I was really talking to the other guys

the ls3 in camaros really only comes with a manual, autos come with the l99 motor, which uses varible displacement technology, I believe that is where most of the extra hassle with electronics comes in

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 01-24-2011, 11:48 AM

you are right that that cost wise, it would be loks of work... small gains. and now that you reminded me who gear vendor is lol (googled) I too would go with the gear vendor thing for ease of installation. But for pure ingeniuety and desire to see this happen, go for it! i myself am gonna just leave my little 4L60e in there for now

**Cutlass** · 01-25-2011, 03:28 AM

I don't see ANY reason to swap in a 6 speed auto unless you just like a challenge and wanna learn some stuff (nothing wrong with that). The 6 speed auto isn't all that great IMHO.

**shady milkman** · 01-25-2011, 06:38 AM

worth noting that the 6l80e is smaller than the 4l80e which is a tank...but on top of that ..the 6l80e family of trans need a 58 tooth reluctor wheel to work properly with the pcm

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 01-25-2011, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

worth noting that the 6l80e is smaller than the 4l80e which is a tank...but on top of that ..the 6l80e family of trans need a 58 tooth reluctor wheel to work properly with the pcm

Thats what i was somwhat mentioning before where it might be easier to get the whole drivetran and PCM with harness to make this go smoother. A bit expensive, but easier. Changing relutor rings and adding some kind of trans computer (the 6A is controlled differently i believe i read somwhere), tuning the existing PCM to shift for 6 gears (not sure if it can) plus lock-up, and of course getting the new trans to fit altogether (have to do this regardless of either route) Either route would invole alot of research and fabrication. that gear venders thing is sound better and better lol

**justinmc978** · 01-25-2011, 06:59 AM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

worth noting that the 6l80e is smaller than the 4l80e which is a tank...but on top of that ..the 6l80e family of trans need a 58 tooth reluctor wheel to work properly with the pcm

the 6 speed (left) is much taller and bulkier

edit: you said 4l80e, the older truck transmission, but I think you meant 4l60e, which is what f-bodies got...

**Firebirdjones** · 01-25-2011, 07:15 AM

Ya I was going to say, I think Shady got his numbers crossed there,,,it happens with old age

The 6L80E is a tank, much bigger than the 4L80E it was based off of.

You can plainly see how it's also much bulkier toward the tailshaft housing,,,which is where the transmission tunnel is funneling down and getting smaller in an F-body. Major transmission tunnel surgery required for that monster. Even the 4L80E doesn't do that.