Auto Trans - What are my options?

[Kerbstomp]

So, the transmission (4L60-E) on my VS 5.0 Caprice needs rebuilding, I've been quoted around $2K... I'm wondering what my other options would be and what the cost would be.. If I purchased a 2nd hand box, how difficult would this be to fit myself? Access to tools (and a bit of extra labour) isn't an issue as my mate has his own workshop and my old man and bro have offered to help.

Currently have about $1500 spare but if this isn't going to cut it and the cheapest option is to go with the rebuild then thats what I'll have to do, but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

[db_notso]

got a vs auto for v6 from a 100,00km car through wreckers for 150 bucks recently
flushed oil out and changed filter has been fine for 8 months now

we changed it together in 3 hours anda carton of coronas!~
actually without the beer might have taken a lot less time come to think of it!~

if your mechanic mate is helping and you have hoist maybe 2 hours

[soop]

You can't use a v6 auto with a 5ltr. Totally different belhousing and the genius who designed them didn't make them removeable.

You're in for a prick of a job mate, Been there done that and it was easier to go Manual. Also good luck getting the bastard out. Almost impossible without taking the motor out too.

*Manual conversion could be done for $1650, using a ford T5 and a CRC conversion kit.

[db_notso]

come on soop ive done em too there not that bad especially with hoist and a tranny jack!~

try doing a captiva one!~

[soop]

Ahh we had jack stands and a about 3ft off room. Not cool. Neither of us could get our hands up far enough to reach the bolts on the bell housing of the Auto. The 5ltr bellhousing is a fair whack wider then the 6. Even when we could get a spanner onto the bolts, couldn't turn the ####er.

Ended up being way easier to just pull the whole motor.

[db_notso]

lol i went out to a truck breakdown the other day
picture a crane and a truck gearbox then do a clutch five guys took 4.5 hours on the side of a highway
apparently was still cheaper than towing it!~

[soop]

Yeah, I've done a clutch in a Kenworth with a roadranger. Tried to kill me even. Lost the use in my left pinky finger... Bastard thing. Pretty freaky seeing your finger being about 8" long.

And that scenario sounds retarded. Someone should have told the driver/owner to go root themselves.

[db_notso]

ah the joys of being a heavy mechanic not for me hes on call all the time but gets like over a thousand dollars for a call out

[Kerbstomp]

Cheers guys, Might have a crack at doing it myself.. Otherwise the conversion to manual is definitely something to think about

[soop]

Let us know when you start. I want to time it from when you start to the "WTF???" post.

[coleb]

there not that bad to do was working at a trany shop for 2 years start from the back and make your way to the frunt. me and one ather guy had them out in an hour. but if you have extractors can make it a bitch. undo ever thing but leave the to side bellhousing bolts in and the cooling lines till last. we used a long exstension with a wobble socket (soz for the spleeing) to do the bellhousing bolts im sure the size was 17 mm. i just recently built mine i have a vr 5L the parts are not to bad for price depending on if theres hard parts stuffed in yours. planet set would be the most. reaction shells are not to bad you can get a beast reaction shell for around $150 or a moster from motospecs. i used a kit that had everything i needed to rebuild (gsr kit a new wide band elto frictions and to new A and B solenoids etc...) that was around $260 from motospecs i got a new convertor for $350 i think but thats a 2200 rpm storl i wonted a 2500 but was way to much like $700. the labour to build it is were the cost are it takes a good day to rebuild one lots of seals to replace and lots of cleaning. are you looking at doing a shift kit? i would use the B&M one you can get from autobarn for $150 give or take we had a guy use a B&M shift kit it worked realy well and he was happy with. i use the tranzgo stage 2 not to happy with it.