• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

b230 to modern autotragic chevy transmission 6l50 preferably

jjona5

Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Location
Houston
Does anyone have any experience with a modern computer controlled transmission behind a b230? I just need a torque converter adapter and transmission adapter plate. I'm not worried about the electronics. My wife loves driving our volvo and I've decided I want to keep it an auto. I want something modern that will help the performance though.
 
The transmission controller will be the tricky part. You may need to add a sensor or two but I think the easiest way IMO would be to run a 4l60 and use a microsquirt to control it. Hell you may be able to run the 6l50 with it but I think you would be past the in/out limit of the microsquirt. Might be worth looking into though.
 
The 6Lxx transmissions use an internal transmission controller, and quite a bit more intelligent (and complicated) shifting logic than the older 4 speed units. While I'd love to run one as well, they're extremely difficult to get to behave if you don't also have a GM ECU that came with one of those transmissions from the factory. The transmission controller relies on receiving throttle position, engine RPM, temperatures, sport/tow haul mode, etc. from the engine computer over CAN. Unless that data can be faked by another ECU, the transmission isn't going to be usable.
 
bolt pattern should work with the redblock -> gm adapter. not sure on the torque converter, if it's anything like the other gm converters, you can just use roger dee's plate
 
The transmission controller will be the tricky part. You may need to add a sensor or two but I think the easiest way IMO would be to run a 4l60 and use a microsquirt to control it. Hell you may be able to run the 6l50 with it but I think you would be past the in/out limit of the microsquirt. Might be worth looking into though.


5l40 is supported by microsquirt though. 6l isnt.
 
bolt pattern should work with the redblock -> gm adapter. not sure on the torque converter, if it's anything like the other gm converters, you can just use roger dee's plate

Nope, it uses the smaller v6 pattern, not the chevy small/big block pattern like on the 4l60, 4l80, and 6l80.
 
Nope, it uses the smaller v6 pattern, not the chevy small/big block pattern like on the 4l60, 4l80, and 6l80.

Didn't know that. They came in the v8 cadillac SUVs as well as the diesel colorados and v6 cars, trucks, and suvs. I'm not much of a chevy guy. I just want a stronger auto with more gears. We put an allison in our 77 Argosy motorhome. 3 to 5 gears was an eye opener.
 
Guess I should just look to use a 6l80 then. They should bolt up the same as a 4l. Probably end up with a new transmission tunnel with those beasts though.
 
Guess I should just look to use a 6l80 then. They should bolt up the same as a 4l. Probably end up with a new transmission tunnel with those beasts though.

Stay with the smallest format possible to avoid tunnel beatings. The 4L60E would be a good choice for ease of swap.
 
6l80 vs 4l60 mostly just a difference in the back

622926d1501363910-4l60e-4l65e-4l70e-6l80e-6l90e-65-90comparo.jpg


622927d1501363910-4l60e-4l65e-4l70e-6l80e-6l90e-65-90comparo-top.jpg
 
depending on what car it's going in, the primary zone of beating will be up at the bellhousing end of things. with the 4L80, I needed to whoop it a bit where the trans cooler lines came out the side of the case, and where the electronics plug in. It was a little snug at the back but I don't recall having to beat on it much back there.

bellhousing area on the 400 install was around the same amount of violence and effort.
 
Didn't know that. They came in the v8 cadillac SUVs as well as the diesel colorados and v6 cars, trucks, and suvs. I'm not much of a chevy guy. I just want a stronger auto with more gears. We put an allison in our 77 Argosy motorhome. 3 to 5 gears was an eye opener.

They came behind the v8 Caddy SUVs, but those used a Northstar, not an SBC derivative. The Northstar uses the "GM Metric" bellhousing pattern that's also used on the v6 stuff.
 
For what its worth. I'm not worried about it fitting or the electronics. I have used the air chisel with a hammer insert to move firewalls and tunnels and we have also just cut tunnels out of other cars/trucks and just grafted them into the swap car(we have a brake, anvils, and welding machines). Getting it mounted to the engine both bell housing and torque converter are about the only issues that concern me.

Having a working shifter might also be an issue but I doubt it. I just don't want to have a one off bell housing/torque converter made. With the electronics being on hand and the transmissions only running 200-600 bucks where I live, it could be a great reasonable upgrade. I'm looking to upgrade the transmission and have it working properly before I go turbo.
 
200r4 dual pattern bellhousing easy to upgrade no electronics and there small size makes them easy to fit to smaller chassis's lock up convert and a fourth great are nice.... and for the price of the electronics you can fix the shortcomings of the 200r4
 
Well crap.

fyi, depending on what you were going to spend on this, you can make a 4L80 a 6 speed with PCS stuff.

but it may be cheaper to do the 6L80 swap. if it doesn't take external linkage, it probably won't be that bad to cram in there.
 
They do use linkage but you can run slap shifting/paddle shifting with them. Not that it would help with fitting everything in there. Money wise, I already have the controller and can have a transmission for 250(Main reason I'm interested in this particular transmission...plus its almost 40 lbs lighter than the other version and I'm never going to make 400 ft/lbs of torque so it should hold up fine.
 
Has any progress been made with the 6l50 or 6l80? This thread has me thinking about my wife's car. I'm a little worried about +t with an aw70 that already shifts funny. 6 speeds would make it a lot more comparable to the V70 I tricked her out of.
 
Back
Top