THE PROCARE HIGH PERFORMANCE 4L60E TRANSMISSION

   MAKING THE DECISION WHICH HIGH PERFORMANCE/ HEAVY DUTY TRANSMISSION TO PURCHASE IS CONFUSING BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT CLAIMS BY TRANSMISSION BUILDERS.  I WILL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN SOME OF THE DIFFERENT CLAIMS TO MAKE YOUR CHOICE A LITTLE EASIER.

   WHEN I BEGAN WORKING ON AUTOMOBILES 30 YEARS AGO AT THE YOUNG AGE OF 18 YEARS I WAS TAUGHT BY MY EX-FATHER-IN-LAW THAT PATIENCE AND QUALITY PARTS ARE THE KEY TO A REPAIR THAT WILL GIVE LONG SERVICE LIFE.  HE TAUGHT ME THIS WHILE BUILDING MY FIRST HIGH PERFORMANCE VEHICLE.  WE INSTALLED A 327 CID SMALL BLOCK IN A 1973 VEGA GT WAGON.  I LEARNED THAT HIGH PERFORMANCE WAS A TOTALITY OF COMPONENTS WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE THE DESIRED RESULTS.  AS A YOUNG APPRENTICE I THOUGHT WE JUST PUT THE ENGINE IN THE CAR AND DRIVE.  AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS PERFORMING MODIFICATIONS TO THE SUSPENSION, ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, COOLING SYSTEM, SUBFRAME AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL,  I FIGURED OUT WHY HE WANTED TO START WITH A CAMARO BODY.  I HOT RODDED THAT VEGA DAILY FOR SEVERAL YEARS PERFORMING ONLY ROUTINE MAINTANCE.  THE POINT I AM MAKING IS THAT IF A TRANSMISSION BUILDER ONLY INSTALLS A "SHIFT KIT" AND A FEW FRICTIONS IT WILL NOT STAND UP TO HIGH PERFORMANCE ABUSE.  THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE BUILT INSTALLING THE TOTALITY OF HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPONENTS THAT WORK TOGETHER ELIMINATING ANY WEAK LINKS.

   THE 4L60E TRANSMISSION WAS DESIGNED BY THE FACTORY AS A MEDIUM DUTY TRANSMISSION WITH A MAXIMUM ENGINE TORQUE RATING OF 350 FT LBS FROM THE FACTORY.  EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT OVER 350 FT LBS OF TORQUE THE INPUT SHAFT, INPUT DRUM OR THE SUN SHELL USUALLY FAIL.  FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO WITHSTAND OVER 350 FT LBS OF TORQUE THESE PARTS MUST BE REINFORCED OR REPLACED WITH STRONGER UNITS.  AT PROCARE TRANSMISSIONS ALL OUR TRANSMISSIONS RATED UP TO 450 HP HAVE A REINFORCED INPUT DRUM AND A HEAVY DUTY SUN SHELL.  OUR UNITS OVER 450 HP HAVE CRYO TREATED REINFORCED DRUMS AND CRYO TREATED HEAVY DUTY SUN SHELLS.  IN OUR LATER MODEL UNITS OVER 450 HP WE CUSTOM FIT THE LATE MODEL REINFORCED 4L70E DRUMS, WHICH HAVE A MUCH IMPROVED INPUT SHAFT.   AT PROCARE TRANSMISSIONS WE ARE REALISTIC, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WITH MODIFICATIONS THE MAXIMUM ENGINE TORQUE FOR OUR 700R4 OR 4L60E TRANSMISSION IS APPROXIMATELY 550 FT LBS OF TORQUE.  THIS IS WHY OUR TOP OF THE LINE PERFORMANCE 4L60E/700R4 TRANSMISSION IS RATED AT 650 HP.  THESE ARE EXPENSIVE PARTS, BE LEARY OF LOW PRICED TRANSMISSIONS RATED OVER 375 HP THAT DO NOT HAVE THESE MODIFICATIONS.

   THE PLANETARY GEAR SETS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN THE HIGH PERFORMANCE TRANSMISSION.  AT PROCARE WE INSTALL NEW ACDELCO 4 PINION PLANETS IN ALL OUR TRANSMISSIONS RATED TO 450HP.  IN OUR UNITS RATED TO 650 HP WE ONLY INSTALL FACTORY ACDELCO 5 PINION HEAVY DUTY PLANETARY SETS WITH NEW RING GEARS.  PERIOD!!!  NO INSPECTED, REMAN OR CHEAP AFTERMARKET PLANETS HERE.

   ONLY HIGH PERFORMANCE FRICTIONS AND STEELS ARE USED IN OUR PERFORMANCE TRANSMISSIONS.  WE HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE THE RAYBESTOS STAGE ONE AND ALTO RED EAGLE FRICTIONS.  BOTH OF THESE FRICTIONS ARE COMPARABLE RED FRICTIONS AND PERFORM WELL IN HIGH PERFORMANCE APPLICATIONS.  OUR UNITS USED IN VEHICLES CLOSE TO THE MAXIMUM HORSEPOWER RATING GET THE RAYBESTOS BLUE PLATE FRICTIONS.  THE RAYBESTOS BLUE PLATE FRICTIONS ARE A RACING FRICTION AND CAN WITHSTAND THE ABUSE.  WHEN IT COMES TO THE BAND WE ONLY USE THE ALTO WIDE CARBON BAND WITH A NEW ACDELCO REVERSE INPUT DRUM.  TO APPLY THE BAND WE USE THE SONNAX OR SUPERIOR SERVOS DEPENDING ON APPLICATION TO CREATE A STRONGER 2ND AND 4TH GEAR.  THE FRICTION CLEARANCE IS TIGHT BUT ALWAYS WITHIN FACTORY SPECIFICATION AND WE ALWAYS USE NEW WAVED PLATES IN THE CLUTCH PACKS THAT USE THEM.        

   WHEN BUILDING ANY TRANSMISSION TO GIVE A LONG SERVICE LIFE YOU MUST PAY CLOSE ATTENTION WHEN INSPECTING PARTS THAT ARE TO REINSTALLED.  THE MOST OVERLOOKED PART IN THE 4L60E TRANSMISSION IS THE VALVE BODY.  THE VALVE BODY USUALLY SHOWS LITTLE OR NO SIGNS OF WEAR ON A VISUAL INSPECTION.  IN REALITY, IN THE 4L60E TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY WEAR IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF CLUTCH FAILURE.  THE ALUMINUM CASTING IS PRONE TO WEAR FROM OSCILLATING VALVES AND BYPASSES FLUID CREATING LOW APPLY PRESSURE TO THE CLUTCH PISTONS.  AT PROCARE TRANSMISSIONS EVERY VALVE BODY IS COMPLETELY REMANUFACTURED AND TESTED FOR LEAKAGE.  WE ALSO INSTALL HIGH PERFORMANCE ACCUMULATOR AND SHIFT VALVES FOR BETTER SHIFT PERFORMANCE.  WE DO NOT INSTALL "QUICK FIX TCC VALVES" OR "SHIFT KITS" CLAIMING TO REPAIR WORN OR DAMAGED VALVE BODIES.  ONLY HIGH QUALITY REPLACEMENT PARTS THAT MEET OR EXCEED FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS ARE USED IN THE REMANUFACTURING PROCESS.   THE VALVE BODY IS ALSO THE SINGLE MOST EXPENSIVE PART IN THE TRANSMISSION.  IF THE TRANSMISSION PRICE IS REAL LOW CHANCES ARE THE VALVE BODY HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED.   TRANSMISSIONS BUILT WITH WORN OR "PATCHED" VALVE BODIES USUALLY LAST JUST PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD.

   THE 4L60E WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE A MAXIMUM RPM LIMIT OF 6000RPM FROM THE FACTORY.   WHEN YOU EXCEED THIS LIMIT CHANCES ARE VERY GOOD YOU WILL BREAK THE PUMP ROTOR.  IN OUR UNITS OVER 450 HP WE INSTALL A BILLET PUMP ROTOR THAT CAN WITHSTAND THE HIGHER RPM RANGE.  THE PUMP ALSO RECIEVES OTHER MODIFCATIONS NECESSARY FOR HIGH RPM OPERATION.  THERE ARE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT OCCUR WHEN YOU TURN A HIGHER RPM.  THE MAIN TROUBLE IS CENTRIFIGUAL APPLY OF THE 3-4 CLUTCHES.  WE MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM.

   AS YOU CAN SEE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD A CHEAP HIGH PERFORMANCE TRANSMISSION.  WHEN YOU SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS CREATING HORSE POWER YOU NEED A TRANSMISSION THAT CAN HANDLE THE POWER.  WE CAN BUILD THAT TRANSMISSION FOR YOU AT PROCARE TRANSMISSIONS.  EVERY TRANSMISSION IS CUSTOM BUILT FOR EACH APPLICATION AND CUSTOM CALIBRATED TO WORK IN YOUR VEHICLE.  WE DO NOT USE "SHIFT KITS".  MOST SHIFT KITS ARE LARGELY DESIGNED TO BLOCK OR MODIFY ACCUMULATOR OPERATION TO CREATE A HARD SHIFT FEEL.  THIS DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO STRENGTHEN THE TRANSMISSION, IN MOST CASES IT SHORTENS TRANSMISSION LIFE.  OUR TRANSMISSIONS ARE CALIBRATED TO INCREASE OPERATING PRESSURE FOR BETTER CLUTCH HOLDING POWER.  THE SHIFT IS CRISP AND FIRM.  OUR TRANSMISSIONS ARE BUILT DEPENDABLE AND GIVE A LONG SERVICE LIFE.

   EVERY TRANSMISSION IS ASSEMBLED BY AN ASE CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN.