Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Just wondering if anyone had any opinions/advice etc on adapting a 4l80e auto to a nissan patrol 4.8.

I keen to look into options on converting my truck from 5 speed manual to auto but the factory Nissan box is too complicated/unknown so I was thinking about the possibility of adapting the gm auto.

Obviously I would have to get an adapter made for the bellhousing but marks already do an adapter to suit the transfer on these boxes.

Was told that to do a conversion with the Nissan 5 speed requires dash replacement and all that so was out of the question but if I could run the box without all the factory ecm etc that would be cool

Any good tech would be greatly appreciated.

Ontrack in Melb are playing around with a 5psd auto in Andrews ute. Not sure if they have finished the R&D yet. But if they can get it to hold together it will be a good box to use. Also pretty sure they are still using the GU shifter.

Sorry cant help with your question though.

fatassgq wrote:Just wondering if anyone had any opinions/advice etc on adapting a 4l80e auto to a nissan patrol 4.8.

I keen to look into options on converting my truck from 5 speed manual to auto but the factory Nissan box is too complicated/unknown so I was thinking about the possibility of adapting the gm auto.

Obviously I would have to get an adapter made for the bellhousing but marks already do an adapter to suit the transfer on these boxes.

Was told that to do a conversion with the Nissan 5 speed requires dash replacement and all that so was out of the question but if I could run the box without all the factory ecm etc that would be cool

Any good tech would be greatly appreciated.

i have started working on getting dimensions to do an adapter, but i need a stock auto to get the last few measurements.

the 4l80 auto from the new VE holdens???

these are very weak boxes and a lot of them have been blowing up.

there is one guy in qld who is building them stronger but its not cheap!!

just something to think about if u have a big turbo or something on the 4.8!

joel from PGS will disagree with that... the 4l60 is weak

I might have to ring ontrack then. I would probably try to use the Nissan 5 speed auto if I could run it seperately ie with a seperate computer without all the bullshit.

No turbos yet but maybe one day.

Hey greg are you gonna mate one up to the 4.2? Not sure if the 4.8 is the same or not but would be interesting to know.

Yeah I think it is the 4l60 that is the week one

mikesmith wrote:the 4l80 auto from the new VE holdens???

these are very weak boxes and a lot of them have been blowing up.

there is one guy in qld who is building them stronger but its not cheap!!

just something to think about if u have a big turbo or something on the 4.8!

The box in the VE is the 6L80E, the first number pertaining to the amount of gears.

this is why i am making my own adapters!!

cus i am sick of the BS around nissan stuff. i spent quite a bit of time chatting to THE best nissan auto guy in OZ. He was very confident in doing me an auto that "MIGHT" handle 400+ hp!! reliability???? $$$$$ ~$3k using MY auto.

ANY of the GM autos can easily be made to handle 450hp (and all ~$3k - full auto supplied, not rebuilding mine) and most can be made to handle way more.

Once i get a chance i will try and work out the feasibility of making an adapter to replicate a SB chev. IMO then you can put whatever you want behind it. and cheaply!

4l60, 4l65 which came out in really late vy's and the vz's and 6l80 are all weak boxes until u spend money on them.

the 6l80's have been blowing up everywhere with cars that have a bit of power and the 4l60's and 65's are to. you really need to spend some dollards on them to get them to handle good power!!.

the 4l65 in my VY clubby lasted 35,000kms and i was only on my 2nd set of tyres then so it didit cop a hard time.

mikesmith wrote:4l60, 4l65 which came out in really late vy's and the vz's and 6l80 are all weak boxes until u spend money on them.

the 6l80's have been blowing up everywhere with cars that have a bit of power and the 4l60's and 65's are to. you really need to spend some dollards on them to get them to handle good power!!.

the 4l65 in my VY clubby lasted 35,000kms and i was only on my 2nd set of tyres then so it didit cop a hard time.

Yeah but any idiot can trick up a 4l60 or t700 and the bits are cheap. You can buy them cheap. Nissan ones are either blown up or super expensive to have a handgrenade! You can buy everything for a GM auto. you can't buy an offroad - reverse pattern full manual compression braking valve body for a nissan auto. or a transbrake!

your rite there mad engineer as i said in the end with the gearboxes its just a matter of how deep your pockets are as to how much power they will handle!!

yeah i wish there was a really cheap way around it! me personally i would just put a NV4500 behind it, or a C4 and Atlas. but it would be nice to be able to have something like a shift kitted t700 behind average powered tb/td42's. cheap and very driveable, especially with 3:1 first gears

unless the td or tb 42 had a massive haridryer u would only need a shift kit to improve the shifting the box should handle the power no worries.

i am talking about the 4l series boxes blowing up because of 250kw plus loads. but even then the stock non modified engines wrecked boxes eventually!!!

definitely a market there for them though!! as u have said

That is the exact reason I started looking into the possibility of adapting a gm box because they are common and have everything available. Once sorted will handle heaps and don't cost anywhere near the nissan 5 speed.

I know the 5 speed nissan box is pretty nice gear but not needed or justified for a conversion. Far too hard to get to work in a conversion situation

Let me know how ya go Greg as I think the 4th gear syncro in my 5 speed is on the way out and I am so sick of changing gears!!! ha ha

Could always use an older nissan patrol 4 speed auto but these are still not economical compared to the gm boxes.

Got quoted about 7 to 8 grand for complete auto conversion from a wrecker a while ago for the 5 speed auto. this included the dash and computer etc but just put me off the whole thing Way too much

The weak link in the gm th700&4l60 is the input shafts & over drive clutch packs. The input shaft is pressed into a cast alloy drum & with alot of grunt they crack the alloy housing. I dont no about the 4l80s. The nissan jatco re4 trans are strong as they are huge inside. The reason some people say they are crap is cos the early ones had a weaker rear suport bearing in them. When they where rebuilt the rear hub was machined & a bigger bearing was installed. In my opinion if you want to use a gm trans use a 4l80 but i would spend the extra cash & do the jatco re4 they are strong & less mucking around to fit its just the wiring is the hard bit

fatassgq wrote: Got quoted about 7 to 8 grand for complete auto conversion from a wrecker a while ago for the 5 speed auto. this included the dash and computer etc but just put me off the whole thing Way too much

Hve you done the sums on the 4L80e swap?

You'll need an unknown and definitely not cheap engine/gearbox adapter, $1K or so for the gearbox/transfer adapter, the box, ($3K?) shifter, a shift controller (you're after an 'e' after all) you'll still want an auto pedal box, shift interlock set up for the starting circuit, cooler, a converter to work with the characteristics of the 4.8, starter motor (as yet unkown?), flexplate - likely custom.... then take into account possible driveshaft mods etc.

And all of that stuff you've got to source/work out for a gearbox that was never sold in a car here new.

4L80E's are grouse boxes, Dad had one in his 96 Hummer and it was a lovely thing, but I just can't see the sums adding up- I reckon you'd easy burn $7K

Steve.

mikesmith wrote:unless the td or tb 42 had a massive haridryer u would only need a shift kit to improve the shifting the box should handle the power no worries.

i am talking about the 4l series boxes blowing up because of 250kw plus loads. but even then the stock non modified engines wrecked boxes eventually!!!

definitely a market there for them though!! as u have said

By any chance did you have a transmission oil cooler on you 4L65E when you blew it up? These are pretty tough cookies but boiling the fluid will kill them quickly. If you're doing mods and stalling it up alot then a cooler is a wise mod.

yeh mate it had a cooler on it! the problem with the boxes is once they get old and putting big power thru them the bands cant hold on and u loose 2nd gear.

kevlar bands and clutches setup rite usually fix it all and as u said a trans cooler is a must do!!

fatassgq wrote:I might have to ring ontrack then. I would probably try to use the Nissan 5 speed auto if I could run it seperately ie with a seperate computer without all the bullshit.

Most places I spoke to had been tryin to get the 4.8 Auto to work, but only 1 had it working, but it was a bodge job that I looked at.