welp, i totalled my xj last wed morning....
it looks like ill be picking up a 95 or another 96 xj, instead of just a bare unibody like i had originally planned, so i can get it past inspection (MD doesnt have yearly inspections, just when its sold) before i tear into it...
im gonna take the 4.0 out and sell it

in order to comply with MD emmisions, i have to use an engine of the same year or newer....
im not crazy about the LT1 because of the opti-spark

im thinkin an LS1 and 4L80e could be a good swap candidate.
i know motor mounts will have to be custom, as well as radiator.
ill obviously get a custom wiring harness from painless or centech or someone.

id like to get opinions on any possible downside to this setup. i really cant see any downsides on the tranny, that thing is bombproof, but im less certain about the LS1. its nice and light, gets good mileage and plenty of power....
ill send my atlas back to AA for an input change to amtcht he 4l80e.
ok, thats my idea....lets hear what yall think.

I would trust the LS1 before the 4L60E. I suppose you are wanting to get a 4L80E from a truck and put it behind the LS1. Then that would be a very strong setup. The LS1 is a great engine. The only problems that are fairly common are oil pump failures and bending pushrods. These are common conditions on engines that are pushed hard also.

The LS1 ways in just under 400lbs which is reason enough to get it the ford 302(I just aquired one for my YJ!) is around 450lbs but significantly less in cost. The weight savings of the LS1 will be negated by the 4L80E as that is one heavy duty transmission! I plan on running a C4 trans which will make my combo super light(at least for an 8cyl). Good luck w/ the swap if you go the route your describing w/ the Atlas you will definetly have a bullet proof drivetrain!

the vortec350 i run in my jeep is from a 99 dually. it origionally came with a 4L80E and i installed the combo in my jeep. well the 4L80E is a long tranny. even for my 100" wheelbase cj. i removed it and put in a th400. it is shorter and lighter than the 4L80E....and i don't need OD on a trail rig.

I've done an LS1 swap into a kit car, and have another buddy using a 4L80E in an AWD race truck. I'm going to put a 5.3 (truck engine, very similar to the LS1) in my Jeep with a 4L60E.

Besides the physical work you'd have to make it all fit, you will need to do some custom programming to the computer to eliminate OBDII codes etc. They'll set codes for no emissions equipment, if the fuel tank pressure is low, if you aren't using all four 02 sensors, if you gut the cats etc. Check out www.ls1tech.com for more detailed info, I frequent the hybrid section for such fun projects. If you do your homework and are good with computers, it can be a great project. If EFI & computers aren't your game, it will be a nightmare.

Lots of tidbits of info floating around there, and I can give you some help on it as well.



:flipoff2: to me for my first post :D

thanks for the info smeagol.....
im actually planning on retaining all the emissions equiipment, cause i want it to be a perfectly legal swap, and as i understand it, in the state of MD, you have to have an engine of the same year or newer, and same wieght class. which means i can put in an LS1 or LT1, but not a Vortec. pretty dumb, but oh well, id rather have the LS1 regardless.

so im thinking, if i set it up with all the stock emmissions stuff, and a stock computer, and maybe grab the hypertech power programmer, which is supposed to recalibrate tire size, gear ratio, timing and fuel curve, id be good to go

opinions on that?
also, i assume that i can get a wiring harness set up for LS1/4l80e
from somenone....any recommendations?
does anyone know the total legnth of hte 4L80e?

thanks again

so im thinking, if i set it up with all the stock emmissions stuff, and a stock computer, and maybe grab the hypertech power programmer, which is supposed to recalibrate tire size, gear ratio, timing and fuel curve, id be good to go

opinions on that?

Could work, depends how tough they are on the emissions. Fitting the stock cats on it may be difficult, if you have to just pass a sniffer test, and no scrutinizing visuals, you'll do ok. The OBDII stuff is so sensitive, that moving an 02 sensor downstream may throw it off. You will need to run a deadhead fuel system also (no return line) so getting the intake pump & sender from an Fbody or Vette will be necessary (Ebay!). Also have to run a sensor for the fuel tank pressure. Get all the emissions parts is a definite, egr, charcoal canister etc. For what you'd pay for hypertech and its limitations, I'd recommend finding some LS1 hot rod guys in your area and splitting the LS1 Edit cost with them. You can do everything a hypertech can do and about a zillion other changes. This is especially crucial in a hybrid setup.

also, i assume that i can get a wiring harness set up for LS1/4l80e
from somenone....any recommendations?

Ebay has a lot of deals going, with users of questionable reputation. Try Valvegod@aol.com . He should have anything you could possibly need, in *great* shape, with decent pricing. He has a great rep on all the LS1 boards, and I've done business with him too. You may find that the 4L80E and 4L60E are different as far as computer/connections go, so you'd have to use a truck harness. If that is the case, go with the harness from a truck, with a truck PCM, and then use LS1 edit (www.carputing.com) to edit your calibration to be able to work with the LS1. You may want to search for a 6.0 L truck motor. Good power & torque, better truck motor, but is still an iron block, so it's heavier.

does anyone know the total legnth of hte 4L80e?

Advance Adapters or Novak engineering should have this data I believe. TCI may be another place to try.

TCI makes a stand alone computer for the 4L80E, I had to go to one when I dropped the Pro-Jectioned 502 into my '91 K3500, the 4L80e is a super tough trans, but I think it might be overkill for your application, it robs a lot of horsepower, hell, the torque converter alone weighs like 90lbs empty! I'd use a properly built 4L60 or 700R4, basically the same trans, only the 700R4 doesn't use computer controls.

If you play your cards right, the GM computer will control the 4L80E. It will definitely control the 4L60E. I've used the TCI computer on a 4L80E, it's pretty slick. The ATSG one sucked, and wouldn't work for us, period.

I do agree that the 4L80E is overkill for most applications, I'm not sure what you are planning on doing with it. I used a 4L60/700r4 (no computer controls) in a ~600hp AWD race truck, and it worked out pretty well, but it was by no means durable ;)

If you are doing slow crawling, some high throttle stuff, as opposed to ALL WOT stuff, I'd say a well built 4L60E will be fine.

FWIW, I'm pretty sure a non computer controlled 4L60 will bolt up to an LS1 at all, or without some hassles. They have a different bellhousing setup for those motors, even though the trannies are pretty much the same.

LS1 drag racers have been going to strong 200r4's actually, as there are some serious billet pieces available for those trannies. 1st gear in them isn't as nice as the 4L60's though.

A factory computer for a 4L60e will not work with a 4L80e or vice versa, a buddy of mine swapped a big block into his '94 blazer on 38's, using all the big blocks stock TBI, he tried the chip from the big block in his computer and the motor ran better than ever (after messign around with 10 aftermarket chips) but when he put it in gear he rolled about three feet and the thing bound up, wouldn't budge, if he shut the ignition off the truck would roll down the driveway. He swapped the stock chip back in and it drove fine, just ran shitty like before.

Find a harness & computer for a 5.3 or 6.0 L motor that had a 4L80E originally, then use the LS1, use LS1 Edit for that computer, and alter the calibration for the LS1 (different displacement, injector sizing etc).

It'd work fine that way, but I still say the 4L60E would work fine if built correctly.

Don't listen to this Bryan guy, he is full of SH!T. I have listened to him in the past and every time he has been dead wrong.





Sorry Bryan Just busting your balls a little welcome to the PBB
:flipoff2: :flipoff2:



send me a PM with a phone number at your new place I need to talk to you about a few things on kevin's truck