2006 Chevy M30 Automatic

Hello All,

I purchased a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado 4x4 this summer with the 5.3 liter V8. The RPO codes show that I have an M30 transmission. This truck being a Z71 is a 1500 series light duty truck. What automatic transmission does this truck have? I assume it's related to the 4L60-E that my 99' Silverado had.

Also what I'm really writing about is does this transmission have a lock up converter? My old truck I could feel the transmission shift four times and then feel the converter lock, causing the RPM's to drop a little. My new truck I can feel the transmission shift four times but don't feel the converter lock. Does this truck have a lock up converter?

Thanks, Brian

Reply to
diablo
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I wish someone would answer Brian. I too have a 2006 Silverado Z71 with the M30 transmission. Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks, Karl

Reply to
Skylark

Karl,

The M30 transmission in the 2006 is a 4L60E.

Brian

Reply to
diablo

Brian,

I did a google search on the 4l60e and read an article that said Chevy designed the 4l60e transmission well but to save money it has mediocre parts from the factory. Several companies sell beefed up models. I guess we'll see how long it lasts.

Karl

Reply to
Skylark

On Sat, 11 Nov 2006 21:16:16 GMT, Skylark wrote:

A little bit of knowledge is dangerous. The 4L60e is nothing more than a electronically controlled 700R4. Nothing cheap about the design. Where is gets a bad reputatation is from people lifting them (the trucks) and/or installing oversized tires on them without proper axle ratios and this overworks the tranny and keeps it on converter stall a lot which makes a lot of extra heat and heat is any automatic trannies worst enemy. If your 4L60 is properly geared for its loads, properly cooled and service regulalrly with a fluid change and filter(not at GM's long recomemand intervals) it will have a long service life. The after market kits/rebuilds spoken of can beef a 700R4/4L60 to handle more than 700HP. One of the biggest mistakes people make is shift kits in stock trannies because the intermediate sprags are not that strong (they will last fine with stock shifting) and a hard shift kit hammer the sprags into a early grave. You are not saving anything with shift kits regardless of claims otherwise. In late 2005 GM upgraded the sprags in the 4L60. I have 700R4 (which the 4L60 is based on and share all parts with except valve body) in a 89 4x4 burb that has over 180K miles on it and tranny still works flawlessly. It has had regular fluid changes and a small aux cooler since day one. (even though it had a HD factory tow package) GM has worked to make 4L60 shift even smoother particulailty the converter clutch so it is no surprize that you may not feel it especailly if you have a stock 3.21 or 3.42 axle ratio which is really to tall to begin with in a heavy 4x4 with factory 31 inch tires too.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

Snoman,

Thanks for the info, make me feel better about the tranny after what I read on the Internet. My Silverado has 3.42 gears and I plan on keeping it stock. I will be pulling a 6 x 12 covered trailer from time to time and other than that will try to keep it clean and out of the ditch.

Karl

Reply to
Skylark

Do not try to tow in OD with that axle ratio and do install a aux external tranny cooler if you do not have one. No need to go overboard with cooler size as many do and plumb it so fluid goes through tank cooler first and then aux cooler and then back to tranny. Something around 5 x 12 inches or so would work nicely for your usage. You do not want to over cool the fluid.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

My 2000 Silverado 1500 4x4 must have been a Friday truck then. I have

69K on it now. I bought the truck @ 20k and from this group learned that the trans is the weak link. I immediately got a hayden cooler for it and ran it in series with the radiator. I go from trans to radiator to cooler back to trans. Maybe I did it backwards? Anyways, I have had 2 valve body issues (P1870 IIRC) and luckily they were both fixed under warranty. I am now getting a hard 1-2 shift again (no code yet) but since the truck is out of warranty, I am going to replace the trans with a beefier unit. Btw, my truck is bone stock, I never tow and it's fairly well babied. Other than the trans and the slip yoke bump-klunk I have had no problems.

Derek

SnoMan wrote:

Reply to
genius

The 4L60E is a KNOWN problem trans. They are known for valve body problems (valve body wears and it sets a code) They are known to lose the sun shell carrier (driving along and you hear a buzzsaw noise followed by the loss of second, OD and reverse). Both VERY common in bone stock vehicles, no lift kits and no big tires. Personal experience.

2000 S series that the servo went on, 2002 Blazer that the sun shell went bad on, 2 different Silverados that lost the sun shell. one Astro that had 3 different valve bodies until I sleeved it.
Reply to
Steve W.

They problem you have is in the valvebody design not the tranny core. There is a few sleeves that flow pcontroll pistons or slides ride in there that are know to wear out earliy smetimes and tall gear with frequent upshifts and downshifts required by tall gears do not help. What does seem to help is frequent fluid changes because the filter does not catch the fine grit that bulds up in oil and only fluid changes can remove that. The 700R4 has a non electronic valve body and did not suffer from this problem.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

Steve,

Can you tell me more about the sleeve? I heard it was made by Sonnax or something like that. Did you DIY or have it done, what's involved and what did it cost? I have also heard people have these sleeved and the problem resurfaces but takes longer. I hate to spend the money to prolong the problem. I'd rather just get it fixed right the first time.

Thanks again,

Derek

Steve W. wrote:

Reply to
genius

THere has been a few issues that you have said (I am not defending GM) and I have seen the parts in question on a bench after failure, Tranny was beefed up in 05 to fix sun gear/cage problems. Yes they can fail without a lift or kit but they are more likely to with them, The tall

3.23 alxe ratios they put in some of the trucks does not help matters either because tranny has to handle a lot higher average torque level with them. Valvebody sleeve issue is well known as I have said before and frequent fluid changes helos extend its life because filter will not remove fine grit in fluid.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

So this statement

"If your 4L60 is properly geared for its loads, properly cooled and service regulalrly with a fluid change and filter(not at GM's long recomemand intervals) it will have a long service life."

is no longer valid???

SnoMan wrote:

Reply to
genius

snipped-for-privacy@socal.rr.com wrote: Steve,

Can you tell me more about the sleeve? I heard it was made by Sonnax or something like that. Did you DIY or have it done, what's involved and what did it cost? I have also heard people have these sleeved and the problem resurfaces but takes longer. I hate to spend the money to prolong the problem. I'd rather just get it fixed right the first time.

Thanks again,

Derek

DIY. The kit comes with the steel sleeve and the reamer bit and instructions.

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a neat video showing the procedure. They also sell the kit. These guys have the heavy duty sun shell carrier and the other parts as well.
formatting link

Reply to
Steve W.

NO I would not say that at all. I still think it is a good tranny. Myself I have never lost a tauto matic tranny in nearly 40 years of driving them and I started out with 2 speed powerglides. Many people never change the fluid in trannies and tall gears and big heavy trucks put a lot of strain on them. Late 2005 and later 4Ll60's have been beefed up to address some problem areas Like I said early, I have a

700R4 on which the 4L60 is based and after 180K miles and 17 years it still works flawlessly. Also one should note that starting in 2008 the the 6L90 series 6 speed auto matic will replace the 4L60 and the unique thing about the 6L90 is that it has no direct drive in it (no 1 to 1 ratio) so it will be interesting how that one pans out in the feild.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

Reply to
Frank S.

Outstanding. Thanks for the info. Other than fluid/filter changes I avoid ATs like the plague. Will be interesting to try this.

Thanks again,

Derek

Steve W. wrote:

Reply to
genius

Reply to
genius

I have heard of my people selving the valvebody and some with good results.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

Reply to
genius

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