So I've got a 2004 Yukon that I've owned since new, it has 150K on it and it's really served me well. a workhorse that I depend on! now the trans is slipping and over revving, it almost feels like there's no third gear. sometimes it's OK and drives fine then it will slip and rev to 5k then back down. Is this repairable or is it going to require a used/rebuilt replacement? the truck owes me nothing, but I get so much out of it in utility I dont mind fixing just want to know the best route or is this a lost cause? it's 4wd with 3-speed auto. thx!
Transmission slipping!
- Thread starter yellowkid
- Start date
Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.
What you will find is no shop will be interested in repairing a transmission of that vintage. Too much wear, and too much probability of a comeback because if they replace one part, another may subsequently fail and they get blamed. They’ll just want to sell you on a rebuild.
So your options are limited. Unless you have a connection to someone who will go above and beyond. In order of increasing cost, there’s a junkyard swap, local rebuild or exchange, some of the better known names, and a GM reman. I took the last option because I had more faith in their QC and in the 3 year / 100k warranty.
Read the warranty fine print if you shop remanufactured. Some of them basically have no warranty because all the terms give you no rights and you are dependent on their goodwill if it fails.
So your options are limited. Unless you have a connection to someone who will go above and beyond. In order of increasing cost, there’s a junkyard swap, local rebuild or exchange, some of the better known names, and a GM reman. I took the last option because I had more faith in their QC and in the 3 year / 100k warranty.
Read the warranty fine print if you shop remanufactured. Some of them basically have no warranty because all the terms give you no rights and you are dependent on their goodwill if it fails.
Last edited:
Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
It may, but don't hold your breath. If you do, don't do a flush, just replace whatever drains out when you drop the pan.
How mechanically inclined are you? If you can remove and reinstall the trans yourself you can save quite a lot of money towards the rebuild. If its driving that bad (unless low on fluid) its my experience its done and needs rebuilt. However, I wouldn't sink a dime into rebuilding a 4L60e transmission. They just aren't strong enough IMO, especially if you work the truck like it sounds like you do. A 4L80e can be swapped in relatively easily as long as you do your homework first and if you are comfortable doing your own work. You can find a used one and have it rebuilt and even just a basic rebuild of one will be stronger and last longer than a 60e will.
If you aren't comfortable doing your own work however, then a local shop rebuilding your 60e is the best route to take as a conversion like above will be much more expensive to have a shop do it.
If you aren't comfortable doing your own work however, then a local shop rebuilding your 60e is the best route to take as a conversion like above will be much more expensive to have a shop do it.
this is great insight thank you. I'm actually pretty good -- I've rebuilt/swapped motors before so it's a possibility -- I'll do a little homework based on your comments and check my appetite for the job -- but again great perspective.
No problem. There are several threads on here as well as performancetrucks.net that will walk you through the swap. Its all in all a pretty simple swap all things considered especially because of how much stronger the 80e is as well as the better 1-2 gear spacing.
rockola1971
Full Access Member
You are likely wasting your time going the used tranny route. The newer models likely wont be compatible with your generation of transmission. (check). Getting a transmission from a vehicle that is compatible with yours is a huge gamble and likely just throwing money down the toilet. Now if this year was 2006 or 2007 and you got a used tranny for your 2004 then I would say heck yes, do that if the used one is cheap enough and you can handle the R&R of it. Typically there is not just go in and fix whats wrong on a transmission because of how far its got to be torn down to get to the bad parts and the root cause. Not to mention all that slipping has caused clutch material and possibly metal to be ran through the tranny which can and usually does cause more seal damage which ultimately causes catastrophic failure. Sure if the tranny had a valve body failure or even maybe a pump fail or front seal leak then sure a remove and fix could be in order. Otherwise....complete rebuild with a warranty if you plan to keep the Yukon. These transmissions typically last about 125K plus or minus so it was your transmissions time. Luckily many of the upgrades of internal parts cost the same or less than OEM parts and the tranny will last much longer than when original. Unfortunately there are alot of shady individuals in the tranny rebuild shops. Do your homework and get atleast 4 quotes and specify you want the following upgrades liste below. Dont be afraid to take the Yukon to the next county over or even an hour away to a big city. But do your homework.
All valve body updates (there are many)
Kevlar 2-4 Band
Beast Sunshell
Rebuild the pump (Fully with new parts)
Corvette Servo upgrade
Upgrade the Planetary
Fully molded Piston seals
Quality Torque Converter
Alto Clutch Packs and Steels (always replace the steels too no matter what they say)
Full system flush. Possibly replace or install if not equipped a tranny cooler.
If ANY shop tells you that you dont need any of the above....RUN! They dont know what they are doing.
If ANY shop acts like they dont know of these upgrades..>RUN! They dont know what they are doing.
If any shop suggests any other upgrades run them by here before getting your wallet out.
My 99 Sierra that had a tranny die around 125K was rebuilt by me on a Saturday with all the above upgrades is still going strong today for its new owner with almost 300k on the clock and I pulled a 5400lb 32ft Camper with it.
All valve body updates (there are many)
Kevlar 2-4 Band
Beast Sunshell
Rebuild the pump (Fully with new parts)
Corvette Servo upgrade
Upgrade the Planetary
Fully molded Piston seals
Quality Torque Converter
Alto Clutch Packs and Steels (always replace the steels too no matter what they say)
Full system flush. Possibly replace or install if not equipped a tranny cooler.
If ANY shop tells you that you dont need any of the above....RUN! They dont know what they are doing.
If ANY shop acts like they dont know of these upgrades..>RUN! They dont know what they are doing.
If any shop suggests any other upgrades run them by here before getting your wallet out.
My 99 Sierra that had a tranny die around 125K was rebuilt by me on a Saturday with all the above upgrades is still going strong today for its new owner with almost 300k on the clock and I pulled a 5400lb 32ft Camper with it.
FYI a 4l60e can be built to take 1000 HP. https://www.performabuilt.com/product/black-edition-4l60e/
The issue is the "rebuilders" who do lousy work. But @yellowkid I wouldn't recommend you buy their Black Edition, it's way more than you need but they do build a 4L60 Heavy Hauler that would be great for you. https://www.performabuilt.com/product/heavy-hauler-4l60e/
But realistically you would probably be fine with a GM reman with the 3 year warranty but just be advised the warranty isn't all you need to consider, it's the labor and time the vehicle is down waiting for the warranty work to be done you need to consider too. As far as swapping a 4l80, it's not as easy as some would like to tell you, especially if there's a transfer case involved. Stick with a good 4l60.
I have a 2004 tahoe z71 i was fighting a bad transmission for a couple years. It would do some weird shifts for a while then clear up. On and on more and more issues. The 4l60e go about 120-150k in my experience. I had a 99 tahoe i swapped out from a pickup transmission It had a different size torque converter and was a little longer than the one in it but it worked and its still going strong. It did shift earlier in the rpm than the original and i prefered my original trans but it was free. I would take it to a trans shop and let them diagnose what is wrong. Might be a solenoid which will only cost a few hundred to repair. On my 2004 i just paid for a remanufactures one. Cost me $3400 which is about half of the cost of the vehicle value. This is a step above a rebuild where they only replace the worn items. On a remanufacture they replace the parts that can wear out not just inspect and replace if they seem bad. This will generally give you a longer lasting replacement due to not being able to detect if a part is about to fail. Its more expensive depending on how much you value your tahoe and its worth to you. I can afford to buy a new tahoe but i chose to pay to keep fixing my old one because i like an older vehicle.
