Transmission Coolers Full of Debris, Transmission Hot Mode 4l80e

AuroraGirl

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so this topic doesnt appear to show up here in the forums, i will be updating with pictures my repair which has been in service for days to make sure it did not leak. I will be installing a magnetic inline filter as well since the nature of the failure mode and reocurrance potential

line diameters 3/8 for the transmission to both coolers if you have the aux, or just one. 2500 HD 4l80e. Not sure if the trans cooler lines on the 4l60e are the same diameter, so if they were different then i suggest increasing the size if they were less than 3/8
 

stutaeng

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Your lines were full of debris?! Clutch material? Do you have any transmission codes?

Yes, both the 4L60e and 4L80e have the same diameter, both around 3/8" IIRC. But different routing, etc.

I would suggest you either flush or replace the auxiliary cooler and/or radiator if you had a lot of clutch material. I flushed my radiator engine oil cooler on my 06 Suburban. I'd rebuild the engine and to get it running and on the road again, just installed a block-off plate I had laying around and my cooler lines had started to seep oil...well, I didn't cap the radiator ports and it was like 6 months before I ordered replacement lines.

I was worried about contaminants that got inside the radiator, so cut off an old cooler line end and cut threads on one end to match the cooler clean can. I cut another old cooler line and just ran clear vinyl tubing to a catch can with hose clamps. Run the entire can of the cooler cleaner, then follow by blasting it with compressed air until everything is nice and dry. Not the same as those professional machines that pump the cleaning solution back and forth, but better than nothing and very inexpensive.
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AuroraGirl

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Your lines were full of debris?! Clutch material? Do you have any transmission codes?

Yes, both the 4L60e and 4L80e have the same diameter, both around 3/8" IIRC. But different routing, etc.

I would suggest you either flush or replace the auxiliary cooler and/or radiator if you had a lot of clutch material. I flushed my radiator engine oil cooler on my 06 Suburban. I'd rebuild the engine and to get it running and on the road again, just installed a block-off plate I had laying around and my cooler lines had started to seep oil...well, I didn't cap the radiator ports and it was like 6 months before I ordered replacement lines.

I was worried about contaminants that got inside the radiator, so cut off an old cooler line end and cut threads on one end to match the cooler clean can. I cut another old cooler line and just ran clear vinyl tubing to a catch can with hose clamps. Run the entire can of the cooler cleaner, then follow by blasting it with compressed air until everything is nice and dry. Not the same as those professional machines that pump the cleaning solution back and forth, but better than nothing and very inexpensive.
View attachment 5568
View attachment 5569
Unfortunately,..yes…

Most likely a situation I can fix with dropping the valve body and working the regulator bore and valve with nick’s recommended fix.

But it may also be torque converter wear.

The truck needs to get me to summertime lol. The fluid was slightly low from leaky hoses.

I reused the retainer clips, which is also a big no no (1 time use) , and lost one so I used one from a 2005 Grand Prix. Which was slightly too big I think, so slightly weeps still but not leaky like before.

I noticed I now have a torque converter drain down after a couple days, reverse doesn’t engage for a few moments and is almost like it’s a higher gear(so less quick movement and feels like low power.

I’m not sure where the trans does the drain back bloc, but it likely means it’s stuck open from this stuff
 

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