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2005 TB Transmission question... No go cold?

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Jencam 
#1 ·
I have a couple questions regarding these 4l60E Trans

My 05 has 190K and runs and drives perfect... we have owned it for 2 years. in the summer I can start and go.... in cold weather.. below 30 degrees. If we start and go there is nothing or it moves a few feet and goes to neutral... Let it warm up for 5 mins and its perfect.It did this last winter then was fine all summer and now again. We are in NH. Your thoughts on cause? When this finally goes... What years will interchange? Can I do an 03 or 04 ?

Next... I was just given a 02 4.2 with 225K ... Runs perfect... no 3rd or 4th gear. What are my replacement options? I have found an 03 TB with a fairly new trans and a bad frame. Will the 03 be plug and play? What about a 4l60E from a 99 GMC truck? The GMC is a 1500 with a 5.3?

There are a tons of these arounf NH with rotted frames... so lots of parts rigs available. Spending 1500-2500 to rebuild a trans is not an option. But Swapping in used is.
 
#2 ·
My '03 has done that in Reverse in the winter for ten-plus years. The colder it is, the slower it is going into reverse. Mine will go forward without problem no matter how cold it is.

I was told that the aluminum valve body warps, and the fluid pressure leaks until it "warms up". I don't know how accurate this is. You could talk to a local trans shop, and see if they can fix the valve body without doing a total trans overhaul.

Since the trans works fine otherwise, and the fluid level and color is good (I changed the fluid 'n' filter a few years ago, although it's probably due again this spring) I'm just allowing an extra minute or two for the trans to warm enough to engage reverse. When I park it, I have it facing out so reverse isn't needed; but my wife is incapable of doing that.

No idea about interchange among years and between 4.2L and 5.3L. Knowing GM in these more-modern vehicles, the odds are probably not good.
 
#3 ·
Im actually ok with the 5 min warm up.... I was just wondering what the cause was. Today I drove it 50 miles with an empty trailer and 50 miles home with a 03 Trailblazer on it.... Picked it up cheap... owner thought the frame was rotted... turned out both upper control arms were broke in back... 140K on the clock.... New Daily driver for my with.... Ill take over the "wait for 5 mins" Rig.

Still searching for a good parts rig LOL
 
#7 ·
A lot of good comments / technical discussion so far. To the OP, try one more simple test. If neither forward or reverse function happens when cold, double double check the fluid level. The OEM dipstick is a bit tricky. Make sure that the outer tube is properly located/retained. Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) expands much more than typical lubricants when warm. Just for grins, put in an extra pint or two and see if the symptoms change. You can drive a few miles at low speeds without too much foaming, if overfilled, but you'll have to suck the excess out after the test. I can not say for sure on the 4L60e, but the usual HOT fluid level is at the aluminum case-to-steel oil pan split line. You can drop the pan and eyeball where the dipstick marks show up. OK, this is just a left-field possibility, but certainly a cheap fix if it helps. Remember that trans fluid levels are checked HOT, parked level, idling, and after shifting into every gear selector position for several seconds, then back to park.
 
#8 ·
I have an 04 Trailblazer EXT 4.2l, an 03 Envoy 5.7l, a 99 Yukon SLE, and an 02 Blazer. All 4 have the 4l60E. I’ve spent a lot of quality time underneath all 4, including replacing 2 and swapping one more of these transmissions. They’re all the same. The only difference I saw between my 4 SUV’s was how much room I had under, over, and around the transmission. Based on my experience, I’d say the 4l60E was GM’s standard for most of their trucks and SUV’s for several years.
 
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