Overhaul kit for the 1997-2003 GM 4L60E with heavy duty frictions, steels, gaskets and seals for a full teardown rebuild on the bench.
Towing with a 1997-2003 Silverado or Sierra, running a Tahoe or Suburban past 150,000 miles, or nursing an S-10 or Astro that has started to slip between gears? When the 4L60E is coming out anyway, the clutches are what decide whether the rebuild lasts. This overhaul kit pairs heavy duty friction plates and matching steels with the gasket set, rubber and Teflon sealing rings, metal clad seals and O-rings needed to close the case after a full teardown. It is aimed at the owner or shop that wants more holding power than a stock-paper kit without moving to a full performance build.
Every gear in a 4L60E is made by clamping a stack of friction and steel plates with oil pressure. The 3-4 pack is the weak link: it is applied in both third and fourth, it lives in a tight input housing, and the stock backing plate can flex under apply so heat builds unevenly through the stack. Once a friction glazes it can no longer grip, the clutch slips, and the slip makes more heat. The heavy duty material in this kit is a denser friction paper than the factory plate, which helps it hold under the heat of towing and long highway pulls. The steels in the kit give each friction a fresh, flat mating surface, which matters because heat-spotted old steels will glaze new frictions quickly.
This kit targets the 1997-2003 units: the 300mm input shaft, PWM converter lockup generation found behind the 4.3L V6 and the 5.0L, 5.3L and 5.7L V8s.
Sonnax points out that most 3-4 slipping traces back to low line pressure or leaks in the third gear oil circuit, which is tied into the forward clutch, second gear and 3rd accumulator circuits. That means a burned pack is often the result, not the cause. Scan for codes first: P0748 points at the pressure control solenoid, and a P0741 converter slip code usually means valve body or converter work rather than clutches. Our guide to diagnosing a failed 4L60E 3-4 clutch pack covers the road test, and the 3-4 friction count and upgrade guide explains how plate counts and backing plates change pack capacity.
Built for the GM 4L60E from 1997 through 2003 as used in the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Tahoe, Suburban, Blazer, S-10, Astro and Express and the GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon and their siblings. The 4L60E changed input housings and clutch counts across its run, so count the 3-4 plates on teardown and compare them with the kit before assembly. Not sure? Send us your year and VIN. You will find the rest of our parts for this unit on the 4L60E transmission page.
The kit weighs about 10.5 lb boxed. Finish with Dexron VI, check the level hot, and keep the first few hundred miles light.
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Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
A standard overhaul kit is gaskets and seals only. This one adds heavy duty friction plates and matching steels, so you can replace the clutches at the same time you reseal the transmission.
No. It includes frictions, steels, gaskets, sealing rings, metal clad seals and O-rings. Pistons, the 2-4 band, filter, pump, valve body, solenoids and converter are bought separately.
The 1999 Tahoe with the 5.7 uses the 1997-2003 4L60E this kit is listed for. Count the 3-4 plates on teardown to confirm, or send us the year and VIN.
The usual causes are low line pressure, leaks in the third gear circuit, a cracked 3-4 piston or a flexing backing plate. Find and fix the cause during the rebuild or the new frictions will burn too.
Dexron VI. Soak the frictions for at least 30 minutes before assembly, then refill and check the level with the transmission hot.
