4l80e capability

RickDLance

Active member
Feb 14, 2007
1,276
14
38
Mike, or anyone else, Can a 4l80e be built to hold up to 2000hp at 5000 rpm at the drag strip?
 

onebaddmaxxx

Active member
Feb 22, 2009
1,212
1
38
Cecil County Md
We have a 4l80e i built behind our lbz race truck
single 476, dual fuelers, 200% injectors etc
Truck weighs 4870 with driver, went fastest time of 6.43 last year throwing low rail after the launch. Fresh injectors for this season...rail pressure holds perfect so should be a good bit faster. Our goal was to be able to run 5.90s on fuel and more on nitrous
(we also have a stock lb7 short block in the truck)

Hydraulic upgrades need to be on point, Lose 3rd and 4th accumulators, And you only need to run 4 checkballs. We are in OD by the end of the 1/8th. we run 215psi for our setup.

The issue is the od sprag will break if the overruns are not applied and it spins and grabs hard. You can either keep the shifter in M3 with a checkball omitted until your in 3rd gear then bump to 4th, or run the sonnax overrun kit. Youll also want to run a od carrier and coast clutch drum from 93-96 as the sprag is larger. Hope this helps
 

Mike L.

Got Sheep?
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Aug 12, 2006
15,681
232
63
Fullerton CA
There have been improvements for 4th and I'm not familiar with them as I have been out of that game for a while.
 

rfletes79

Active member
Mar 5, 2010
649
164
43
Galt, Ca 95632
I've been talking to Rossler about building one for the Chevelle, he says a 400 will be stronger, but I need the overdrive so we are going to "try" it and see what happens. He says I can shift into od under full power, which is something most builders can't do. He mods them with some special black majic shit for this to be possible. My car is 4400lbs, prob 1000hp and shifting at 4000-4500. Not sure on the torque but its a single turbo lb7 with nitrous, your guess is as good as mine. He wasn't very warm and fuzzy about it, but said that no one else out there can build it better, so IF I was willing to try it, then he was willing to build it (with no guarantees, other then it would be best there is)


I should be ordering mine before then end of the month. Then you need to decide on the converter, I haven't started calling companies yet but I have a few in mind and so does Carl.
 

rfletes79

Active member
Mar 5, 2010
649
164
43
Galt, Ca 95632
Mike, at what point does 4th Gear become a problem? I am planning on pushing mine only to 500HP, but that is 900-1000 LBS of torque and that is 1000HP Turbo LS Territory. I know the 4l80e has been pushed behind Dmax before, but I don't thinking it will hold 2K unless its a really light chassis. Fastest 4L80 that I know of is 8.33@172.
http://www.competitiondiesel.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184628

Rossler has one in the 7's, just this last year. I don't remember who it is, but in speaking with Carl he brought it up.
 

RickDLance

Active member
Feb 14, 2007
1,276
14
38
I will need the overdrive also. Lenco can do it for me but not on my Lenco.:(

Either I buy a newer Lenco with the correct splines for the overdrive, or try a 4l80e.
 

wilrob

Back in the Motherland
Sep 14, 2016
366
0
16
Dallas, TX
4l80e is what I was leaning towards when I get around to the cummins swap into my old c10, now Im wondering if I should go th400...
 

Chevy1925

don't know sh!t about IFS
Staff member
Oct 21, 2009
21,680
5,828
113
Phoenix Az
Jake's claims to handle 1500hp with their top end stuff, but, who knows in reality

http://www.jakesperformance.com/4l80/

brian had all kinds of issues getting him to take care of the trans he has in his drag truck. i dont think id touch one of his trans. Plus, those numbers are speculated under gas engines where the torque is at or under the HP rating hes giving.

EDIT: "trans he HAD in his drag truck" he went to rossler i believe for the current trans
 
Last edited:

JoshH

Daggum farm truck
Staff member
Vendor/Sponsor
Feb 14, 2007
13,714
776
113
Texas!!!
I had a lot of problems with the 4L80 Jake (or one of his guys) built for me too. I got a valve body from Rossler and built it myself with much better results. That was at maybe 700 hp.
 

1FastBrick

Well-known member
Dec 1, 2016
2,541
1,069
113
Junkyard
I Would Not recommend Jakes either.

He has been Kicked from Performancetrucks.net Forum. I am not sure if he still sponsors the LS1Tech Side of the board.

I know of 2 people personally that had issues.

One bought parts and it never worked right. Jakes would not assist in any way with technical support of there parts. Customer literally put new Stock parts back in and the issue went away. Other person finally was fed up and sent it to Gilbert at ACE and he fixed it up. But I don't know if Gilbert is still in the business. I know he closed his shop when the OKC Show Took off and went out there to help with some of the cars. That was the last I heard about him.
 

prostreeter600

Street rodder
Jul 18, 2010
894
7
18
Dallas Tx
Seems that there is not a trans that holds up once a person gets up into higher horsepower numbers over a 1000 . The higher the HP the more maintenance and rebuilding they require in shorter intervals. I suppose it goes with the territory, GOTTA PAY TO PLAY . I’m sure the lenco May be a different story but obviously probably more $$$ .