Heavy-duty 4L60E overhaul kit with frictions, steels, 2-4 band, filters, seals and a 3-4 clutch PowerPack for 1997-2003 GM trucks and SUVs.
If your 1997-2003 Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Express, S10 or Camaro lost 3rd and 4th gear, or flares badly on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts while towing, the 3-4 clutch pack has almost certainly burned. This stage 3 overhaul kit is built around that failure. Along with gaskets, oil seals, O-rings, frictions, steels, a 2-4 band and deep pan filters, it adds a 3-4 clutch PowerPack so the drum can hold more plates than the factory stack. It is the kit to choose when the truck works hard, not just a reseal for a commuter.
The 3-4 clutch sits in the input housing and applies for 3rd and stays on in 4th, so it carries engine torque for most highway miles. GM sized it for a stock engine and light duty, and it is the first pack to give up under a trailer, bigger tires or added power. A PowerPack uses thinner plates and a matching backing plate so more friction surfaces fit in the same drum, which raises how much torque the pack can hold once it is applied. Sonnax points out the trade: more friction means less steel, and steel is what soaks up shift heat, so a packed drum depends on good line pressure and a quick, firm apply. That is why this kit belongs in a build where the pump, pressure regulator and 3-4 apply circuit are also healthy.
Be careful with one look-alike: a stripped sun shell also leaves the truck without 3rd and 4th, and no clutch kit fixes that. Check the shell splines as soon as the unit is apart.
Pull the pan first. Friction material and fine black sludge confirm a burned pack. With a scan tool, compare input and output speed in each gear; slip limited to 3rd and 4th points to the 3-4 clutch, while slip in 2nd and 4th points to the band. Before tearing the unit down, rule out a weak EPC solenoid or valve body bore wear, both of which starve clutches of apply pressure and will kill the new pack too. The 4L60E common problems guide covers this sorting step, and the valve body walkthrough shows what worn bores look like.
This kit is listed for the GM 4L60E and 4L65E from 1997-2003: Silverado and Sierra 1500, C1500, Tahoe, Suburban 1500, Express and Savana 1500, Astro and Safari, S10, Sonoma, Blazer and Jimmy, the 2002-2003 Trailblazer and Envoy, the 1999-2003 Escalade, and the 1997-2002 Camaro and Firebird. GM revised internal parts during these years, so read the ID tag on the side of the case and match your old parts on the bench, or send us the year and VIN and we will check it. Earlier 1993-1996 units need the matching earlier kit. See every part we carry for this transmission on the 4L60E collection page.
Sun shell, drums, planets, bushings and pump hardware are not included. The bench tools guide lists the gauges and compressors that make this kit go in right.
| Type | Stage 3 heavy-duty overhaul rebuild kit |
| Fits | GM 4L60E, 4L65E |
| Years | 1997-2003 GM trucks, SUVs and vans; 1997-2002 Camaro and Firebird |
| Includes | Gaskets, oil seals, O-rings, friction plates, steel plates, 2-4 band, deep pan filters, 3-4 clutch PowerPack |
| Weight | 10.2 lb |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
On a light-duty truck that never tows, a standard kit is usually enough. If the truck tows, runs larger tires, has engine modifications, or has already burned a 3-4 pack once, the extra holding capacity of the PowerPack is the reason to buy this kit.
It is listed for both the 4L60E and 4L65E in the 1997-2003 range. Confirm with the ID tag on your case, since internal parts were revised during those years.
Most builders add a 2-4 servo upgrade, a shift kit, and new drum bushings. Inspect the sun shell, planets and pump while the case is empty, and service the torque converter and cooler so old debris does not reach the new clutches.
Clearance depends on the plate stack and the instructions supplied with the PowerPack, so measure it after the apply ring and backing plate are installed and set it to that spec. Do not guess, because the extra plates leave little margin.
Fill with Dexron VI ATF and check the level hot. Clear codes, reset adapts with a scan tool if you can, and give it several easy drives through all four gears before heavy towing.
