how to ID a 4L80E or a 6L80E

[RayzS10]

I am looking on EBay and found two sellers of transmissions that should fit my 62 Buick Special w/ an LQ4, listed under another section here;

I have one saying he has the 6L80E and another that has the 4L80E. How can I identify either one? Please note that the closest I have been to any transmission is on my 1998 S-10 and only when it was on a lift!; and it is the 4L60E and I cannot identify that one either!

Any help would certainly be appreciated.

Thanks,
Raymond

[Smittro]

Maybe this will help;;

4L60e:

4L80e:

6L80e:

[SnIpEr]

No 4L80Es have a removable bellhousing, that's where I would look first to know right off the bat whether you might be on the right track or not. Then, look at the accumulator housing portion of the case where there is text written on the case and look for where it says "Hydramatic 4L80E". The accumulator housing is that "block" portion shown near the bellhousing right behind the rubber grommet for the dipstick tube in that picture posted above.

[RayzS10]

That is a great way to check. Thanks Sniper! I also got some #'s from an ID tag on it? 7CKA?

[SnIpEr]

Tags are pretty useless for the most part, I woudn't look to much into it. A lot of guys freak out trying to find out what it means and want to know if it means something different is going on internally, but there isn't.

[RayzS10]

Looks like it actually is a 6L80E, seems as though the pan is really long, separate bell housing and a stubby tail shaft, but no rear housing or yoke.
The guy lives fairly local and I am going to get my $$ together and see if I can pick it up.... Wish me luck!

[SnIpEr]

You are going to have a hell of a time with that 6L80E. Conversions with them are very hard, and they're not performance oriented transmissions by any means. The 4L80E would be your better choice for price, power capabilities, and performance. The 6L80E is a very tune dependent transmission, and it's not easy to find people who specialize in tuning the trans. No matter what parts you put in it, it's all for nothing if the tune isn't perfect. Again, I'm going to HIGHLY recommend avoiding that. Many people see 6L80E and think they get the best of both worlds, like a 4L80E with 6 gears. Completely different and many are left disappointed. It's the reason why many 5th gen owners put 4L80Es in their cars vs messing with the 6L80E. Can't tell you how many calls I've had with guys who had a 6L80E built to the moon that blew up very quickly