6L80-E six speed automatic information

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
The first information on the 2006 six speed automatic has now been released to GM service technicians.
Designation of the transmission is 6L80-E.
Some very interesting design specifications make this transmission more efficient, more powerful, and better suited for performance driving than any previously introduced.

First, many speculated that the new six speed was actually a derivitive of the 5L50-E that is now in the XLR, this is not the case. This 5L50 was actually a similar design of the older 4L30 that was in the older Catera. The case was actually given an extension housing to accomodate the additional ratios. The 6L80 is a brand new casing, with a very high torque capacity.
Preliminary torque values will be as high as 580 ft lbs. I say as high as, because there will be several variants of this unit. Some with lower torque capacities, to accomodate other drivelines.

Control: The controls of the transmission are similar in layout to the Allison transmission in the GM HD pickup trucks. The valve body, which actually changes the fluid flow to shift the transmission between the gears, is very similar to the Allison. There is an upper half, a lower half and the 'control solenoid' assembly.

Apply components: This is refering to the clutches and components that hold the planetary gearset to give a certain ratio. In older transmission designs, there were bands and multiple sprags to apply, not so in the 6L80. Once again, similar to the Allison, there are only clutch packages and one sprag. This tells me that the initial torque surge, as associated with drag racing, will be better handled without breakage.

The components are: 1/2/3/4 clutch, which has 5 fiber plates
3/5 Reverse clutch, which has 4 fiber plates
4/5/6 clutch, which has 6 fiber plates
2/6 clutch, which has 5 fiber plates
Low/reverse clutch, which has 5 fiber plates
Low/reverse sprag

Fluid supply: The oil pump assembly on the 6L80 is once again similar to the Allison, as it is built directly to the front torque converter cover, for enhanced strength and less distortion. 13 vanes, for more fluid flow and more consistant pressure, without pumping cavitation are all going to make this substantially better than any transmission previously in Corvette.

I cannot wait to drive one of these, because I can tell you first hand, from a design standpoint it should be the best automatic yet equipped on Corvette.

Copyright, CorvetteActionCenter.com

 

[msiska]

Thank you! Have they come out with the rear axle ratios for this new six speed auto (A6?) yet?

 

[WhalePirot]

Thanks so much C4C5C6...

Once again, a home run! Any thoughts of your moving your expertise out west?? I have a few questions about my project(s).. LOL

I wish more technicians were as good as you are.

 

[Hib Halverson]

I wonder why GM is releasing information to techs on the 6L80E at this point in time?

 

[OLDGOAT]

could it be that the Z06 will have this option but not the "ordinary" C6? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[c4c5specialist]

could it be that the Z06 will have this option but not the "ordinary" C6? Inquiring minds want to know.

HI there,
Good question. No information was given on the actual applications.
Hydramatic is telling me on a personal level that many vehicles will be using this new transmission. This must be why they have given us so many torque capacities.
We will know more after the first of the year.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[c4c5specialist]

I wonder why GM is releasing information to techs on the 6L80E at this point in time?

HI Hib,
Good question. No scheduling has been given for a training course in the GM technical centers as of this time.
This information is in the GM ESI, or electronic service information.
However, other things, like solenoid function, hydraulic circuitry and actual fluid pressure specifications are NOT there.
I am just waiting at this point.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[KANE]

Hi there,
The first information on the 2006 six speed automatic has now been released to GM service technicians.
Designation of the transmission is 6L80-E.
Some very interesting design specifications make this transmission more efficient, more powerful, and better suited for performance driving than any previously introduced........
I cannot wait to drive one of these, because I can tell you first hand, from a design standpoint it should be the best automatic yet equipped on Corvette.

I am even more excited - because I want to put one in a C3 (my next retro-project car) backed-up to an LS2!!!

Would it fit?-

 

[JBsC5]

This is going to be a bad @ss tranny..


World class and probably one of the fastest corvette automatics ever...

Nearly identical if not faster in acceleration than a professionally driven six speed manual...

Hard not to purchase that option with all that it will offer..

Would be surprised if all this technology could be retrofitted to earlier corvettes....You never know but it sure has me wondering too..

I look foward to the answer on retrofits as well.

Great question.

 

[WhalePirot]

Retro option?

Check this as a coming retro tranny option: www.zeroshift.com. If interested, sales@zeroshift.com may add you to their list, as they did me.

From their reply of 9/7/04: ZS-T56 will handle over 700lb/ft torque, maybe more.

Installation is not just a box swap, 'kit' comprises:

- T56 (6-speed) Transmission (exchange) - surcharge (TBA) without exchange T56
- ZeroShift FlatLiner ZCU
- FlatLiner clutch kit - a means of controlling the clutch, varies car to car
- FlatLiner throttle kit – a means of blipping the throttle, varies car to car
- FlatLiner ignition kit – a means of cutting ignition, varies car to car

It's not a DIY install. When the time comes, a ZeroShift-approved SpeedShop would need to give you a quotation to tailor a system to suit your car. The above kit retains the stick shift and the clutch pedal. You use the clutch for launch/creep hill start.

An option to add to the above is the FromZero system that takes over clutch control, allowing deletion of the clutch pedal entirely. Makes 2-pedal car with manual H-gate shift capable of perfect launches, whatever the surface/ambient conditions.

My guess is the point at which you COULD procure a ZS-T56 is 12 to 18 months away. During that time you will be able to read plenty about ZeroShift to determine whether or not you WOULD buy one.

 

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
A few other things to remember about this particular design.
This was designed as a global transmission, meaning that the transmission will be able to fit a number of designs.
This is why the different torque capacities and car/truck lines.
This is very similar to how the 4L60 is in very different vehicles.
Another reason why the transmission will look very big, but it will still apply to various models.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[JBsC5]

c4C5,



A lot of people are curious if the A6 will retrofit to A4 C5's? and even A4 C6s?

Any rumors if this would work ? or why it might not?

 

[OLDGOAT]

where is new automatic built?

Does anyone know where this new automatic is going to be built? For that matter does anyone know where the present vette auto and 6 speeds are built? I believe that the entire engine is imported from Canada. Is this true?

 

[Hib Halverson]

It is highly unlikey the 6L80E will interchange with the 4L60E in the C5. One reason is the L80 is a longer transmission. In fact, the Y-platform which the Corvette and the XLR share, was lengthened to accomodate the XLR's 5L50E and, undoubtedly, that lengthening is, also, required for the L80. It would be very difficult to lengthen a C5 to accomodate the six-speed auto.

My guess is the 6L80E will be built in one of Hydra-matic's US plants.

The C5 and C6 manual is built by TREMEC in Mexico. When Borg-Warner got out of the manual trans business in the late 90s, it sold the deign and tooling for the T56 to TREMEC.

The LS1, LS6 and LS2 have components made in a number of places. The blocks are cast in Mexico by NEMAK. The plant if one of the most modern casting founderies in the world. The heads are cast and machined in Flint Mi. The engines are assembled in St. Catherines. Ontario, Canada.

 

[OLDGOAT]

thanks for the factual information. I have said in another post that a modern manufacturing plant ( with modern policies and procedures like ISO standards ) can be moved lock stock and barrel to another country and it will soon be producing identical quality to a US plant. I have heard little negative about the vette 6 speeds...they seem to be a very solid designed and built subassembly. Same with the blocks you mentioned. It's amazing isn't it...all this material...all the tens of thousands of engine blocks being transported thousands of miles from Mexico to Canada and then to Bowling Green. A truly amazing feat of management and just in time coordination. Amazing.

 

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
This transmission is being built at the Willow Run assembly plant.
This plant also makes the 4L80 and the 4T80 heavy duty transmissions.
As a sidebar, the 4L60 is now being upgraded to 4L70 capacity.
This is telling us that there is not only the L60, L65, but now the L70 for the 2006 model year.
Allthebest, c4c5

 

[WhalePirot]

a modern manufacturing plant (with modern policies and procedures like ISO standards ) can be moved to another country and it will be producing identical quality to a US plant.

Or US plants can be made as modern as those newly built overseas, with a truly amazing result.


I have personally witnessed three levels of quality; held all in my hand. From worst to best: 3- Chinese, 2- Israeli, 1- American. I expect OldGoat will disagree, but these alternator brush assemblies varied greatly in appearance and reliability, while the price difference from low to high was 27 cents!

 

[OLDGOAT]

In agreement with your observation Whalepilot but even more extreme is a story I heard about brake pads regarding counterfeit parts.....we're not talking lower grade foreign made parts but actual knock offs of branded domestic parts. It seems that the pads were being made of some kind of masonite like compressed plant material or straw. They looked right, felt right and fit right but would catastrophically fail on first application. The sellers made lots of bucks and did not care who died in the process. You are correct and my excerpted statement perhaps should be modified to read that plants moved offshore MAY produce parts as good as in the US. However, due to cultural differences which can be numerous and significant the workers may not understand the processes or desired result. We are in a period of adjustment to uncontrolled global markets. It's a highly complex issue with lots of players with selfish interests. It's a mess. I fear that in many cases it took the shock of foreign manufacturing to wake up US workers. The quality of US made autos in the 70's and early 80's for example was very poor. The Japanese bested us on quality and design plain and simple. We took up the challenge and now can make cars equal or better. The problem is that multinational corporations are not loyal to a particular nation or its workers. With standardized manufacturing and global quality standards like ISO it is at least theoretically possible to move a plant 10000 miles and have it produce the same quality. When the wages are a tenth or less in the new location with no pollution control etc it's tough to say no. This is one reason the Kyoto accords are such a travesty. They exempted all the so called developing nations such as RED China. That country has virtually NO pollution control while we are forced to have HUGE costs added to our processes by the environmental radicals. Pollution control is important but all these activists should concentrate on the third world. I suspect there may be, in fact, considerable overlap between our viewpoints.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Old Goat....on Kyoto and mainland China you are spot on! Too bad the mainstream press doesn't focus on that.

 

[Aurora40]

while the price difference from low to high was 27 cents!

I'm not trying to push one argument or another, but this statistic could possibly be misleading. What was the overall price? 27 cents difference on a $10,000 part is probably trivial. 27 cents difference on a 30 cent part is probably not, especially if a large volume of them are needed.