4T65E fluid change and Shift kit install detailed.

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ls1mike

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Hope this helps some folks with the 4T65E

First I collected all the materials.
Transgo 4T65E shift kit
9 quarts of Valvoline Dexron VI
1 Genuine GM transmission filter
2 cans of brake clean.
The other stuff is for a cooler I installed on the same car.
IMG_2974.jpg

IMG_2986.jpg


Tools
Ratchet
3 inch extension
6 inch extension
8mm socket
10 mm socket
2 jack stands
1 jack

Jack up the car.
Place on jack stands.

Get a bucket or drain pan that will hold at least 8 eight quarts.
(The 4T65E holds about 12, this procedure will drain about 8)

Remove the 20 10mm fasteners that hold the pan on.
Go slow, undo the back and leave the fronts in a bit, this allows the fluid to drain out of the back side.

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Once the drain slows to a trickle completely remove the 20 10mm fasteners.
Carefully remove the pan as there will be about 1 to 2 quarts left in the bottom.

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Clean the pan, the gasket is reusable. Clean that up and set it aside.

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Remove the filter. It presses into a collar that seals it, wiggle it a bit and pull straight down to get it out.
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Now on to the shift kit install.

Remove the accumulator. These are 8mm fasteners. Only the four circled in the photo below will need to be removed. The rest will be removed later to access the pistons.

NOTE: loosen the remaining fasteners but don’t remove them. It makes it easier to remove them while on the bench.

IMG_2980.jpg


There are three tubes going into the accumulator they are just pushed in, they wiggle a little. just pull the accumulator down and carefully remove them . Two of them will hang down the third one will stay in place.

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Finish disassembly of the accumulator on the bench. Use the scotch brite to slightly rough up the bores of the accumulator.

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Follow the Transgo instructions for install in the kit.

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You will use all the spacers, and when you are done you should have a yellow and red spring left.

This is the order the springs will be installed onto the pistons in the accumulator.

IMG_2975.jpg


Make sure to lube the o-rings on the pistons with system fluid before reassembly.

I bought a new accumulator gasket because I have the OCD, but they can be reused.

Reassemble the accumulator.

Reinstall the accumulator in the transmission, be sure to get the tubes in the correct spot. The two complete metals ones are next to each other the one with the rubber joint is on the end.

Install the new filter. Push straight up and wiggle a bit. If it doesn't stay in on it's own replace the collar with the new one supplied. TAKE YOUR TIME, getting the old one out sucks. You have to use an appropriate sized socket and small hammer to put the new one in. Put the socket on the lip of the collar and use the hammer to get it flush with he body of the transmission.

Reinstall pan, fill and enjoy.

Makes a huge difference on the how the car shifts. Worth the 39 bucks it cost me to get the kit.
 
Nice write up I am sure it will help others.How many parts where left over from the kit?It looks like it only has a shim on the top of the 1-2 spring correct?
 
There was bunch of stuff that fixes other things with the earlier units. I didn't need any of it. The other stuff was there if you were doing an overhaul.
 
Thanks for this. I have an 05 GP GXP. Next time I change the filter I should probably install that kit. I have an Autozone filter on mine, made in Taiwan. I am planning on changing that to GM next fluid change.
 
Would the 4T60E be the same? I have been thinking about doing this on the wife's '97 Monte Carlo. It's been throwing the 1870 code, where the torque converter has a shudder when locked up. I've heard this might help?
 
I don't know if the kit is the same, the transmissions are similar but I don't know much about them. Trav may chime in.
 
Question for you ls1mike:

Do you think a shift kit is a worthwhile investment on all 4T65E's?

The trans. in my GF's 2011 Impala shifts great, very healthy, but curious if this is a good idea for longevity/reliability sake. Perhaps the old "don't fix it if it isn't broken" adage applies here?
 
I would say mine didn't need it. 57,000 miles ran great, but it really made the shifts crisp and quick. Will help the clutches last longer. If you are going in there I don't think it hurts. I think it makes it shifts how it should have coming out of the factory.
 
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How do you keep the pan gasket from leaking ?

I have the same exact gasket you have. If I run my finger along the edge of the gasket, I get fluid.

I followed the instructions to the letter. A criss cross torque pattern in three stages using a torque wrench.

I'm thinking about going with Permatex Right Stuff if I can't get the OEM gasket to seal.

The crazy thing is, it never leaked a single drop until I decided to change the trans fluid one day.
 
Unless it or the pan was damaged, I've never had an OEM GM pan gasket leak. I don't even use a torque wrench either. Just snug them down until they feel tight.
 
Originally Posted By: The_Eric
Unless it or the pan was damaged, I've never had an OEM GM pan gasket leak. I don't even use a torque wrench either. Just snug them down until they feel tight.


I do the same thing.

The only one I have ever had leak was one I that I didn't get some dirt off of.
 
Originally Posted By: womcat
Would the 4T60E be the same? I have been thinking about doing this on the wife's '97 Monte Carlo. It's been throwing the 1870 code, where the torque converter has a shudder when locked up. I've heard this might help?


The 4T60E accumulator looks the same but the internals are different. There is a kit that goes in the valve body but this work is best left to a professional.
This is the kit..

http://www.northernautoparts.com/part/to...CFWEV7AodwisAmw
 
Nice write up Mike!
Your right if your going in there to change the filter this is not a bad bit of preventive maintenance on any 4T65E and worth every penny.
 
Here is a follow up. I just finished with the car, following the pictorial and instructions to the letter. Filled it back up with 2 gallons of Dex 3, new filter and put on the battery negative cable. AND, it still acts the same. Shifts are same as before and the car still cuts out momentarily when driving in OD on a flat highway? The shift kit instructions said to replace the pressure control solenoid (which you have to tear apart the driver side and lower sub frame) which I didn't do. The old trans. fluid looked darker but not bad and there was little buildup on the magnet. Should I disconnect the battery cable for a longer period of time, like a few days? I'm a little bummed but it was worth a shot. I've now got near $500 in to this car recently for what I thought was a bad fuel pump since the conditions replicated my Silverado which went bad, a new TPS sensor because I read this was a common complaint and now a trans. shift kit with new fluid. Maybe the transmission is done, but I'm not sure what to do except drive the 296,000 mile 23 year old Camry from now on until I figure out what to do. It took 3 hours total not rushing, but it was a nice day to spend outside working with my dog near me. ls1 mike did a great write up and I thank him. I'll have to look into trans shops near me for quotes, but the dealership is out of the question. Maybe pick up a newer Camry and go from there?
 
Did you see any of my posts concerning the 4T65E in my 2005 Buick? I did the shift kit install, made little difference. I then decided to install a new Pressure control solenoid, no difference. I had the car scanned twice, no codes. I talked to Dave at Triple edge, He said I need a new/reman transmission. Be sure it has all the updated/upgraded parts.
Currently I am driving the car gingerly while I order a new/reman transmission.
 
Unfortunately the shift kit will not "fix" all units especially when there is a problem that is not accumulator pressure related.
It is a good preventive maintenance mod and does work on some units that are having long shift time errors.

IMHO its a cheap place to start before going deeper into the unit and one of the few things the average DIY can do at home.
Generally if it doesn't work its going to be something serious and beyond most DIY.
 
How many miles on your transmission Tzu? It just maybe time. May not be worth it though. Drive this thing until it stops or is no longer safe.
 
Mine started acting up at around 70,000 miles. I wish it had just imploded one morning. Then I could have installed a new/upgraded transmission along time ago.
 
It has 228,000 miles on it right now. I used it all winter and no issues. I thought it was engine related because if I am at a drive thru waiting in drive with my foot on the brake, the car will sometimes stumble for a second and then catch itself. On the highway with everything warmed up doing 55 in OD, the car will seem like I turned off the ignition switch and then turned it back on again in 1/2 second. I would think the trans. is in it's high gear with no more pressure shifts? This morning I started it up cold in park, ran 30 seconds still in park and stumbled like it was about to stall, but then idled fine afterwards until 10 minutes into the drive where it would surge again about 4 times. Would a defective MAF sensor cause engine/trans. shifting to be erratic? That is a $150 part to gamble on again. Average gas mileage went from 25mpg to now 23mpg.
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
How many miles on your transmission Tzu? It just maybe time. May not be worth it though. Drive this thing until it stops or is no longer safe.
 
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