6L80 Clutch Drum 2006, remanufactured and ready to install. Fits the 6L80. Ships fast from the USA.
A 2006 6L80 is a first-year transmission, and that matters when you buy its clutch drum. This is a remanufactured OEM drum listed for 2006, shown in our photo on its input shaft with the slotted 1-2-3-4/3-5-R housing at the front. In 2006 the 6L80 went behind the Corvette and the Cadillac STS-V and XLR-V, and the complaints that lead owners here are the classic ones: no reverse, a slow reverse engagement, a bang on the 2-3 shift, or slip in fifth with a check engine light.
The 6L80 has five clutches and no bands. Engine torque comes in on the input shaft, and this housing carries two of the rotating clutch packs: 1-2-3-4, applied in the first four gears, and 3-5-R, applied in third, fifth and reverse. The steel plates lock into the slots you can see in the photo, and apply oil reaches each piston through sealing rings on the pump cover. The housing is welded, and GM documented that weld cracking on these early units. A crack bleeds the apply oil, the pack slips, and the transmission control module logs a clutch pressure or ratio code.
GM bulletin 09-07-30-004J lists 2006-2009 Corvette and STS-V among the vehicles affected by a cracked 1-2-3-4/3-5-R housing. The check is simple: soap on the weld seam, cover the bleed passage, blow air into the 3-5-R feed hole and look for bubbles. Bubbles mean the housing is scrap. The same bulletin flags a second, cheaper cause of a harsh 2-3 on 2006-2008 units, leaking 1-piece sealing rings on the pump cover, so inspect those rings before blaming the drum. Our 3-5-R clutch failure guide separates these from a sticking regulator valve, and the 6L80 Corvette problems guide covers the C6-specific complaints. A drum leak tester makes the air test repeatable.
This drum is listed for 2006 6L80 transmissions. GM changed the 1-2-3-4 piston, the 1-2-3-4 piston housing and the 3-5-R piston for the 2008 model year, and warns that a 2008 complete housing in a 2007 or older 6L80 can cause a 2-3 flare or 3-5-R distress. That is why a 2006 unit should get a 2006-style drum, and why this one should not go into a 2008 or later transmission. Compare the shaft length, spline count and slot pattern with your old part and our photo, or send us your year and VIN to confirm. For other years see the 6L80 clutch drum, and everything else for the unit is in the 6L80 collection.
| Fits | 6L80 2006 |
| Part type | Clutch Drum |
| Condition | Remanufactured |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
It is listed for 2006. GM changed the 1-2-3-4 and 3-5-R pistons and housing for 2008, so a later transmission should get a drum matched to its own year. Send us your VIN if you are unsure.
GM's bulletin lists 2006 6L80 coverage on the Corvette and the Cadillac STS-V and XLR-V. The full-size trucks and SUVs appear from 2007.
Apply soap to the weld seam, cover the air bleed passage, and blow compressed air into the 3-5-R feed hole. Bubbles at the weld mean the housing must be replaced.
Yes. On 2006-2008 units GM also traced harsh 2-3 shifts to leaking 1-piece sealing rings on the pump cover, and a sticking 3-5-R regulator valve in the valve body causes similar complaints.
New frictions, steels, piston seals and pump cover sealing rings, plus any worn bushings. On an early unit, make sure all three inner seals are installed.
