GVW), the 700R4 was eventually succeeded by the 4L60E in 1997, GM’s first automatic overdrive transmission with electronic controls. To this day, aftermarket modifications allow the 700R4 to act as a premium stock transmission to modify and stick into big block racing vehicles without electronic controls.ĭesignated as a 4L60 in the early 90s (after its 4 speeds, longitudinal positioning and 6000 lbs. While still being a non-electronic transmission, access to overdrive and general better fuel efficiency allowed the 700R4 to help GM meet stricter emission guidelines, and help save customers money on fuel costs. With fuel prices up and the automobile still in hot demand, the 700R4 allowed GM vehicles to ride more efficiently, while incorporating many of the features that made the TH350 so great, including durability and power. The 700R4 made the leap into the four-speed automatic transmission market, introducing overdrive as a new feature for the more fuel-conscious America of the early 80s and beyond. Typically produced without a torque controller until the TH350-C in ’79, the transmission was eventually succeeded by GM’s 700R4. While small at under 22 inches in length and roughly 120lbs in weight, it was a transmission that at the time packed enough of a punch to drive a Jeep. The TH350 could be found under the hood in most GM trucks and rear-wheel drive cars up until the mid-80s, due to its reliability, sturdy build, and compact size. The history of the 4L65E goes as far back as the 1960s, when General Motors introduced the Turbo-Hydramatic 350 as a new and improved automatic transmission, a successor to the Powerglide. Some are interchangeable – others aren’t. However, as similar as these transmissions might be, they each come with different gear ratios, valve bodies, torque converters, and more. From the Turbo-Hydramatic 700R4, to the 4L60E, the 4L65E, and more recent 4L70E, GM has come up with several different ways to refine the design of the old-time classic TH350.

The 4L65E is ideal for such a high amount of torque, as its five-pinion design, 3-4 clutch and improved hydraulic fluid capacity make it a clear winner over the 4L60E for heavier builds with more required power.īut it takes more than that to justify buying a 4L65E over another transmission, or even figuring out which one you’ve currently got in your own Chevy. With some elbow grease, the right aftermarket parts and a good deal of experience with GM transmissions, a dedicated and qualified specialist can turn the 4L65E into a workhorse of a transmission, with a total 650 horsepower and matching 650 ft.-lbs. Unlike its predecessors, the 4L60E and later 4L65E is an electronic automatic transmission, with a five-pinion gearset, overdrive, and a stock torque limit of about 380 ft.-lbs. The 4L65E transmission is built for Chevrolet, as an improved iteration of the 4L60E, and a successor to the 700R4.

6l80 transmission