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S80 transmission rebuild

29K views 34 replies 10 participants last post by  bernardbay 
#1 ·
Suprisingly, I've been receiving a fairly steady stream of status inquires since I killed my transmission in July/August (after the FMIC install).



So, for those who were concerned, (as well as for future researchers of S80 transmission threads) I figured that I'd post an update.

But, since this IS an S80T6 I am talking about - I'd better take a few precautions:



Ok, that's better.
Now, on to the update...



I finally got around to having the transmission pulled. It'll be dropped off on Tuedsay for a complete overhaul consisting of a high performance street/strip rebuild (clutches/bands,valve body, shift kit, etc...), upgrading the input shaft to a stronger unit, upgrading the chain to a 7/8 single chain, and (drum roll please ...)



Changing the stock convertor's stall speed to approx 3K.

The transmission rebuild is being done by this guy:
http://www.tripleedgeperformance.com/
Expected turn around is about 2 weeks due to the custom convertor work
I've asked him to provide a post mortem analysis so others can benefit from my transmission's death.

That is all.

EDIT: added link to website

Modified by osineo at 8:45 PM 12-12-2009
 
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#2 ·
awesome!

so one thing i found out was that the differential wasn't compatible with the HD differential from the 4t65hd. there was something about the speed sensor location... what i didn't learn was if the volvo version was comparable to the HD nonetheless, or did they go with the weaker modified standard one.
 
#3 ·
Re: (SkyWriter)

I dropped the transmission off with Dave from TripleEdge Performanance.
We chatted for about 30 minutes. He said the he does rebuilds for the 4T65E units about 150 times a year. Also said that GM's version of the diff can't b be easily swapped with the Volvo version - and that it really wouldn't matter because he has never seen a reliable limited slip differential for these transmissions

I'll ask him your question when I speak with him again.
 
#4 ·
Re: (osineo)

Interesting, one of the first ive heard thats done a rebuild upgrade on the 4T65. Being that we replace these trans bout once or twice a week curious to see the reliability of this sort of rebuild, cool project http://********************/smile/emthup.gif
 
#5 ·
Re: (SkyWriter)

Quote, originally posted by SkyWriter »

so one thing i found out was that the differential wasn't compatible with the HD differential from the 4t65hd. there was something about the speed sensor location... what i didn't learn was if the volvo version was comparable to the HD nonetheless, or did they go with the weaker modified standard one.


Here is the answer to your question:

"All of the Volvo differentials that I have seen are the same. They are based off of the GM HD version differential but in my opinion is superior to anything that GM offered as the axle side of the differential is huge compared to the GM differentials and rides in a very larger roller bearing which gives it a lot more support. I havent seen any that have been a problem yet and they seem to hold up very well in the Volvos"
 
#6 ·
Re: (osineo)

excellent! building up the rest of the transmission without knowing if there was a weak differential bothered me to no end
i think i'll budget sometime this winter to get the transmission out of my parts car for a rebuild. when do you expect you'll have your installed?
 
#13 ·
Re: (dcarlson12)

Quote, originally posted by dcarlson12 »
So were there no bearings, gears, shafts, splines, etc. gone bad? Were the clutches replaced? And what if anything was done to the valve/body assembly?

I don't know yet. I'll have an in depth conversation about the cause of death when I go pick the trans up. Should have it by Tuesday-ish.
 
#15 ·
Re: (osineo)

The rebuilt transmission is back in my garage.
The official cause of death was the clutch/bands, but he said that 4th gear would 've died in another 1000 miles or so. There also was evidence of extreme heat inside the transfer case
( I wonder why
)

In addition to the HD Input Shaft, converting to a 7/8th single chain, and getting a street/strip rebuild the case was cleaned and painted. (just like on his website)





The torque convertor was sent to Precision Industries (http://www.converter.com) to have the stall speed changed. Apparently, each convertor they touch has to leave the shop dipped in fuchsia.
Thank goodness it's hidden by the belhousing



I was suprised to receive a gallon of this:



He said something about transmission fluid having the viscosity of water, and that this transmission/drive train oil from Catapiller will help to break in the transmission and extend the life of the unit.
Instructions said to pour this in the trans before starting the car along with 2 quarts of Dextron3, start the motor and top off the transmission with more Dextron 3.
I'm not sure if he wants me to use this each time I flush the trans or just this once.

I also picked up a new transmission cooler.



Break in consists of 50 -100 miles of city driving which will give the kevlar material inside the convertor time to bed correctly, while also allowing the pcm time to adjust to the new transmission

 
#16 ·
Re: (osineo)

Quote, originally posted by osineo »
I was suprised to receive a gallon of this:



He said something about transmission fluid having the viscosity of water, and that this transmission/drive train oil from Catapiller will help to break in the transmission and extend the life of the unit.
Instructions said to pour this in the trans before starting the car along with 2 quarts of Dextron3, start the motor and top off the transmission with more Dextron 3.
I'm not sure if he wants me to use this each time I flush the trans or just this once.

I'm surprised you weren't spec'd Dexron-VI which AFAIK is what GM is recommending should be used in all 4T65-Es now. Speaking of which I went with Valvoline Dexron-VI when I changed the ATF and filter in the '02 S80 T6 a good while back.

Quote, originally posted by osineo »

I also picked up a new transmission cooler.



That looks like a ginormous cooler. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

I take it you're not running the factory intercooler and so the A/C condenser is set backwards a bit from the front bumper reinforcement giving you way more room to play with.

 
#17 ·
Re: (Dextrobrick)

Quote, originally posted by Dextrobrick »


I'm surprised you weren't spec'd Dexron-VI which AFAIK is what GM is recommending should be used in all 4T65-Es now....

I was surprised that he didn't recommend a synthetic fluid.

Quote »

That looks like a ginormous cooler. http://********************/smile/emthup.gif

I take it you're not running the factory intercooler and so the A/C condenser is set backwards a bit from the front bumper reinforcement giving you way more room to play with.


It's a medium size cooler rated at 5000lb towing capacity. There's is plenty of area behind the grill, above the front bumper reinforcement to install the cooler. I'll post a few pics once everything is done.

http://********************/smile/emthup.gif
 
#18 ·
Re: (osineo)

Thread epilogue:
Well, the transmission is in the car, my 100 mile break in period is over and I thought that I'd add a final update and some closure to this thread.

Let me preface this by saying that right now, the car is limiting boost to 10-12 lbs. Why? I don't know yet. Could it be because the "Service Transmission" message is still on? (My code reader won't reset TCM codes so I'll need to visit the dealer to have it reset). Maybe it's because I also have a CEL. I didn't bother to pull the CEL code(s) because I figured I'll deal with it later this week.

Also note the tires were changed to my winter set which are 17" Potenza's. Weather wise, the high temp was around 25 degrees today - which meant cold street surfaces (less traction).
Finally, consider that fact that I've been driving the 05 Odyssey for 5 months - so my butt dyno needs to be re-calibrated.

And with those disclosures, here are my initial impressions:
Around town driving has definitely changed. The transmission feels "tighter" and shifts firmly. When leaving from a light, the stall feels similar to driving with the transmission in winter mode. The TCM still seems to be learning the transmission because the up-shifts aren't as hard as they initially were, but the down shifts are pretty violent when in GT mode. Brake torquing the stall results in 2800 rpm launches which totally over-power the current tires.

At highway speeds, this car really shines now. Passing gear is wicked - compared to stock. With the fmic, the car doesn't seem to run out of breath up top during 40-120mph pulls like it did in the past.

Over all, I am pleased. After I clear all codes and change the plugs I'll see about posting a video or two.
 
#21 ·
Re:

Quote, originally posted by osineo »
Could it be because the "Service Transmission" message is still on?

I reset the "transmission service urgent" message using my http://www.ppc-diagnostic.com tool by the way. Felt like I was in W mode when it was on. They go for about US$200 so might be worth ordering one if your stealership charges an arm and a leg. Also FWIW, I did a CAI mod to the air box on my NA 2.9L last summer. Everything was fine until this winter when I started getting a CEL indicating a "preheating leak". I guess when the ambient temp is over a certain threshold it doesn't notice. I put everything back to stock setup and reset and code hasn't come back.
 
#22 ·
Cool stuff! I own a '04 XC90 T6 in Asia, I was planning to get the rebuilt kit and all listed parts from Dave for my local transmission rebuilder to work on mine.

Just like to check if there is anything which Dave needs to work on specificially, like any work on the valve body, etc?

Bernard
 
#23 ·
Re: (bernardbay)

Quote, originally posted by bernardbay »

Just like to check if there is anything which Dave needs to work on specificially, like any work on the valve body, etc?

Bernard

The main benefit with Dave, is that he knows the 4t65e inside and out and has rebuilt so many of these that he could probably rebuild one with his eyes closed. If your local rebuilder has similar experience then you shouldn't need Dave to do anything - your rebuilder may even be able to get a similar rebuild kit from a different source...

However, I can attest that Dave knows his stuff and IMO he is worth every penny he charged.

Update: Reset the transmission service light which allowed me to drive with the transmission in winter mode and normal boost levels. Unfortunately, the light has reappeared. I've since learned that the CPU uses the flywheel as a sensor too, and it's throwing a code because the the higher stall allows the flywheel to spins faster than what the CPU expects. Since this isn't affecting drivability I'm going to live with it until I get a custom tune.

Modified by osineo at 7:36 PM 2-10-2010
 
#25 ·
Quote, originally posted by bernardbay »

Just like to check if there is anything which Dave needs to work on specificially, like any work on the valve body, etc?

Bernard

The main benefit with Dave, is that he knows the 4t65e inside and out and has rebuilt so many of these that he could probably rebuild one with his eyes closed. If your local rebuilder has similar experience then you shouldn't need Dave to do anything - your rebuilder may even be able to get a similar rebuild kit from a different source...

However, I can attest that Dave knows his stuff and IMO he is worth every penny he charged.

Update: Reset the transmission service light which allowed me to drive with the transmission in winter mode and normal boost levels. Unfortunately, the light has reappeared. I've since learned that the CPU uses the flywheel as a sensor too, and it's throwing a code because the the higher stall allows the flywheel to spins faster than what the CPU expects. Since this isn't affecting drivability I'm going to live with it until I get a custom tune.

Modified by osineo at 7:36 PM 2-10-2010
Hi,

Did you managed to get the 'Transmission Service Required' message fixed? I've got similar items from Dave and got my trans rebuilt by a local rebilder.

However, am getting the same error message. Had some email exchanges with Dave and he feels it might be due to different ratios of the new sprockets, I presume his referring to the 7/8 single chain upgrade.

If you did get your warning light warnings fixed, I would love to know what was done. :)

Bernard
 
#24 ·
I was exploring the option to send Dave my transmission. But the 1 way freight cost is equivalent to a complete rebuild plus everything else I can specify on his website.

So I'll have to look at getting a rebuilder in my area to do it. None of them have any experience on the 4T65 as the Volvo T6 are the only vehicles running this transmission in my area.

Thanks for your inputs.
 
#26 ·
Hey Bernard. Glad to hear that you finally pulled the trigger on getting the trans rebuilt and I'm sure Dave will help you pinpoint the problem.

As for me, in the interest of full disclosure, I've got good news and so-so news to report: Yes, I did get the service transmission light issue resolved. The problem causing it was that during the reinstallation, the speed sensor wasn't plugged in. I plugged it in, and the light went away almost immediately. The trans work complimented the other mods really well, and other than the slight increase in rpms when moving from a stop due to the new convertor, the car drove normally. However, in August the transmission began to make a whine. I called Dave, and he told me to bring it in - any repair work needed was covered under his warranty. :cool: :D Upon inspection, he found that a plastic washer had broken and plugged the valve body. He said that everything looked great, except for the 3-4 clutch, which was showing signs of over heating. Since I'm running the car at the dragstrip so often, he felt that we should increase the line pressure to alleviate the 3-4 clutch slippage. The are several software tools available which can be used to reprogram the TCM in GMs with the 4T65E, but none will work with volvo's TCM. We both looked high and low for something to read/reprogram the Volvo's TCM parameters. (He even called and spoke with IPD to see what, if anything, their tune does to modify the TCM.) He eventually used mechanical means to raise the line pressure.

Now, on to your problems.... what parts did you get from Dave? I didn't change any of the sprockets affecting the gear ratio because that would have required reprogramming the TCM. I don't think that the 7/8 chain upgrade would cause any codes as long as the new chain was installed onto the same sprockets. Can you pull the codes and post them?
 
#27 ·
The rebuilder only managed to pull the following:-

TCM O Tranmission, wrong type of transmission

I don't think its a Volvo DTC, believe I'll probably have to send it to the dealer to get te actual Volvo DTC.

BTW, I got the following from Dave:-
1) Input Shaft
2) 7/8 Single Chain Upgrade
3) Custom 3rd Clutch
Dave also provided some information to open up some orifice on the valve spacer plate.

Bernard
 
#28 · (Edited)
Was the transmission working before the rebuild, or had it died? If it died, did your mechanic pull the codes before hand? If he did, are these the same codes as before the rebuild or are they different codes now?
I ask because none of that hardware should throw a code if it has been properly installed. Either you or your builder may want to consider getting a used PPC code reader that Crito referred to several posts ago.
Without knowing the exact Volvo code it'll be hard to troubleshoot. You also might want to have your guy speak directly to Dave. Let me know how it goes.
 
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