Is there an easy way to tell a 4L60E from a 4L80E?

Without disassembling or anything, just by looking at the transmission?

My search has turned up a Turbodiesel Suburban locally but it's a 1500, not the 2500. The latter definitely has the 4L80E trans but I don't know if the 1500 got it when equipped with the 6.5. Is there an easy way to tell?

All diesels had the 4L80E.

Thanks, that's good news indeed.

16vCorey wrote: All diesels had the 4L80E.

I used to think the same thing... Early 1/2 ton 6.5T's had the 700r4.

Easiest way to tell is pan shape.

4L80E is shaped like a rectangle with two corners lopped off and 17 bolts.

700r4/4L60/4L60E is pretty much square with a couple irregularities and 16 bolts.

Aside from the pan difference: If you are familiar at all with what a 700-R4 / 4L60 looks like... you'll know a 4L80 when you see it. It's friggin' HUGE.

It's a 99 so it wouldn't have 700r4, right?

BoxheadTim wrote: It's a 99 so it wouldn't have 700r4, right?

nothing had a 700r4 after about 1992 or so..

Same unit, basically, mostly just a new name. By the time they started messing around with the case, it was long after the name change, and the conversion to electronic control.

novaderrik wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote: It's a 99 so it wouldn't have 700r4, right?

nothing had a 700r4 after about 1992 or so..

Correct. By 99 all of the 700r4/4L60s had become 4L60E's. And by that time, all of the diesels did use the 4L80E with the minor exception of Medium-Duty trucks like step vans and some box trucks which still used the TH400.

If you go back to 93-ish, the diesels used 700r4's or 400's.

Just print this out and take it with you: http://transmissiontechnologies.com/gm-transmission-pan-shapes.aspx

Just know that starting in 2001, any of the HD (3/4 ton and up) trucks... gas or diesel... could have the Allison 1000.