1997-2003 GM 4L60E overhaul kit with high friction clutch pack, 2.280 in. flex band, bonded pistons, pump bushing, deep pan screen and gaskets.
This kit is for the 1997-2003 4L60E that came out of a Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon or S-10 with a slipping 3-4 shift or a burned 2-4 band, but whose steel plates still clean up flat. It packs six pieces, about 7.7 lb shipped, under part number RK4L60E1-PISTON: a high friction clutch pack, a 2.280 in. wide pro-series flex band, a bonded piston kit, the pump body bushing, a deep-pan filter screen and the 1997-2003 overhaul gasket and seal set. Leaving the steels out keeps the price down for a builder who measures and reuses good plates.
Most 4L60E failures start with lost apply pressure, not with the frictions themselves. The factory pistons use loose rubber lip seals that harden with heat and miles. Once the 3-4 or forward piston starts to leak, the pack applies late and soft, slips, and cooks its own linings. Bonded pistons have the rubber molded to the piston, so there is no separate lip to roll during assembly and the seal holds pressure. The high friction pack then adds holding capacity on top of that, and the new 2-4 band and pump bushing take care of the two wear items that ride along with a 3-4 failure: the band that holds 2nd and 4th, and the bushing that keeps the pump gear centered and the converter hub sealed.
Pull the pan first. Clutch lining in the filter and a hot-smelling fluid point to a pack failure; clean fluid with a shift complaint points to the valve body or solenoids instead. If you lose engine braking in low ranges, read our overrun clutch guide, because a worn overrun pack has its own checks before you commit to a full rebuild. On teardown, check the steels on a flat surface. Blued, warped or polished-smooth steels mean you need a steel set too, or the 1997-2003 kit with steels and pistons instead of this one.
The gasket and seal set is for 1997-2003 4L60E units. The band and pump bushing fit the wider 1982-up 700R4/4L60 family pattern, but the gasket kit sets the year range for this box, so a 2004-up unit needs a different kit. The deep-pan screen assumes a deep pan; measure yours before relying on it, or step up to the aluminum deep pan if you want the extra capacity for towing. Read the ID tag on the case and send us your year and VIN if you are unsure. More parts for the same unit are in the 4L60E collection.
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Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
No. It has high friction clutches, a 2.280 in. flex band, bonded pistons, a pump bushing, a deep-pan screen and the gasket set. Reuse your steels only if they are flat, not blued and not polished smooth.
The gasket and seal set covers 1997-2003 4L60E units, so a 2003 Tahoe with a 4L60E is in range. Confirm with the ID tag on the case before ordering.
A bonded piston has its rubber seal molded to the piston instead of a loose lip seal. It holds apply pressure better as it ages and cannot roll a lip during installation.
Only if your old band was the same width. If the new band is wider than the one you removed, replace the drum, because a used drum carries a dish from the old band that makes a wider band slip.
Soak the frictions in Dexron VI before assembly, fill with Dexron VI, and check level hot at idle in Park. Drive gently for the first few hundred miles while the new linings bed in.
