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Transmission Guide

4L60E

The 4L60E was first introduced in 1993 for trucks and 1994 for cars which took the place of the 700r4 and 4L60 (Non-E). In factory application, 1994 and '95 are interchangable, '95 is a one off year, then 1996 and up are compatible electronically with the Gen 3 LS systems. 1999 and newer is the ideal years to start looking as these will be direct bolt on to the Gen 3 LS/Vortec engines. 1996-98 utilized different length input shafts which would require additional parts to use with an LS engine, typically a dished flexplate (4.8/5.3 engines) and crankshaft spacer. You can also purchase flexplates that are made for pre 1998 transmissions (200r4, 700r4, TH350, TH400, 4L60, etc) that have the correct torque converter pattern and crankshaft spacing. 

1996-2006 4L60Es have a 13 pin transmission connector. This is located on the passenger side of the trans with a vertical connection (trans connector goes down into the plug), as well as a single 2 wire vehicle speed sensor (VSS). 2007-2008 has a 15 pin connector in the same location. The extra 2 pins are for the input speed sensor signal. 2009 and newer 4L60Es have a 17 pin transmission connector. 

2007 and newer transmissions (15 & 17 pins) are the ideal transmission to use on 58x Gen IV applications, however 13 pin transmissions can be used with a custom operating system and tune. All transmissions do vary from vehicle to vehicle. Year spans for certain transmission are not hard dates. You could find a 2006 vehicle that has a 15 pin connector for example. It is always worth confirming the electronic compatibility by counting the pins.

4L60e, 4L65e, 4L70e, and 4L75e are all electronically identical based on their year or pin count on the transmission connector. 4L65/70/75s have higher torque ratings for heavier duty trucks, vans, and some LS1 and LS2 powered cars. 

13 Pin Configuration

1996-2006

15 Pin Configuration

2007-2008

17 Pin Configuration

2009+

4L80E 1991+

The 4L80E was introduced in 1991 for use in heavy duty and 2500 series trucks. In 1994 (possibly 1993 depending on vehicle model) GM updated the internal wiring harness and trans connector. The 1994 and newer is what all PSI 4L80E swap harnesses are based off of. This includes both Gen III and Gen IV LS harnesses. The 1994+ 4L80Es can also be used with our custom Gen V LT 4L80E harness and controller. 

You can identify the 4L80E a few ways, most notably being the location of the main transmission connector. It will be located on the driver side of the vehicle as a horizontal style plug facing out towards the driver side of the vehicle. 

The 4L80E is a great all-around transmission choice for most swaps and a great upgrade for TH400 vehicles with the addition of the overdrive gear. The 4L80E handles notably more power and torque than its 4L60E partner in stock configuration, and is a great choice for high horsepower builds with modification and aftermarket availability. 

6L80E & 6L90E

The 6L80E was introduced around 2006 and is still in use in some vehicles in the 2020s. The 6L80E is a similarly capable transmission to the 4L80E, with the addition of 2 extra gears, making for much tighter individual gear ratios, better fuel economy, better towing capacity, and better acceleration. Although the 6L80E has 2 extra gears over the 4L80E, it's actually about 3 inches shorter coming in at about 29 inches vs 32 inches of a 4L80E. The 6L80E might be slightly shorter in length, but it is quite beefy, averaging around 195 lbs compared to the 4L80E at 175 lbs. 

It can be easily identified like any other GM electronic automatic by the location and style of the transmission connector. The 6L80s will have 1 large twist lock connector on the passenger side, rear of the transmission. It will be facing front to back. This one large plug includes the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) in it. 

Both these transmissions can handle similar power levels, the biggest difference with the 6L80E is the wiring and computer system. The 6L80E is GM's only transmission with an internal TCM (transmission control module). 6L80E tuning is very important to the life and longevity of the 6L80E. Any computer/tuning service from PSI will come with GM's stock transmissions calibration. Although this is adequate for most stock swaps, we always recommend a custom, performance tune to optimize both the engine and transmission for your specific vehicle. 

6L80s can only be used in Gen IV 58x and Gen V 58x applications (when using stock controllers). A factory Gen 3 LS PCM will not control a 6L80E, however PSI does offer a standalone 6L80E controller to control the 6 speed behind any engine you may have. Using either factory GM controllers or an aftermarket controller, sport shift/tap shift mode is fully functional using a PSI Conversion harness. We also sell a floor tap shifter as well as a paddle shifter kit which includes these functions. 

6L80E and 6L90E are identical as far as electronics go. The 6L90s came in heavy duty 2500 series trucks and vans as well as the ZL1 Camaro and CTS-Vs. Although the 6L90 uses about 75% of the same parts as a 6L80, it is slightly longer, has different output spline count options, and has a different transmission case. 

8L90E 2014+

The 8L90E was introduced in 2014 with the Gen 5 LT engine platform. They were used in a wide variety of vehicles including GM trucks, Corvettes, Camaros, and Cadillac models. 

The 8L90s can be easily identified by a casting printed on the case on the driver side that reads 8L90E. It can also be identified by the transmission plug connector which features 2 vertical alignment keys which is specific to the 8L90E. The model year of the transmission can be identified by the TUN number (transmission unique number). This can be compared to a vin number specific to the transmission. The TUN number is the bottom most number on the white tag on the passenger side. The third and fourth digits of this number is the model year of the transmission (this can differ from the model year of the vehicle). As seen in the photo below, the model year of that transmission is 2017. 

These transmissions can be controlled by a few different Gen 5 transmission controllers based on the model year. 4 wire fuel rail pressure sensor engines (pre 2017) require a T87 TCM (transmission control module). 3 wire fuel rail pressure sensor engines (post 2017) require a T87A TCM. The gen 2 8 speeds (2019+) are currently not compatible.

10L90E 2017+

GM's 10 speed automatic, the 10L90E, was introduced in 2017 in the ZL1 Camaro. These transmission require a T87A for 2017-2018 model years, and T93s for 2019 and newer model years. The TUN number (transmission unique number) can be used to identify the year model of the transmission. This can differ from the year of the vehicle. The 3rd and 4th digits of the TUN number identifies the model year, as seen below is an example of a 2019 model year. The 10 speeds can be found in 2017+ Camaros, trucks, and Cadillac models. 2022+ Gen 2 10 speed transmissions with the electronic transmission range select (ETRS) are not compatible. These ETRS transmissions will only have a "park" and "out of park" position on the external shift lever on the driver side of the transmission.