Reaches deep into a 6L80 case to compress and pull the large internal clutch drum snap rings without gouging the housing bore.
Anyone who has tried to pull the deep retaining rings out of a GM 6L80 case with an ordinary pair of snap ring pliers knows how it goes: the handles bottom out on the case flange before the tips reach the ring, or the tips reach but there is no leverage left to close a heavy ring. These 26 inch internal pliers are built for that job on GM's rear-drive automatics, the 6L80 and 6L90 in Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade, Camaro and Corvette, the lighter 6L50, and the five-speed 5L40-E and 5L50-E found in the early Cadillac CTS and several BMW models.
The 6L80 is a long, narrow case. Its two stationary clutches, the 2-6 and the low and reverse clutch, are stacked inside the case itself and held by large internal retaining rings, and the rotating drums and the clutch housing carry heavy rings of their own. With the case standing on end, those grooves are a long way down from the bellhousing face. Long handles put your hands above the case while the tips sit in the ring eyes, and the length multiplies your grip so a stiff ring closes without a fight. The tips are 0.120 inch straight pins held with screws, so a tip that bends or flares can be replaced instead of retiring the whole tool. The jaws are heat-treated high-carbon steel with a black oxide finish.
Most of these units come apart for clutch wear in the 3-5-R and 4-5-6 packs, cracked clutch housings, or burnt frictions after a pressure or valve body problem. GM addressed cracked 1-2-3-4/3-5-R housings in a long-running service bulletin, and Sonnax lists cracked 3-5-R drum welds among the causes of no Reverse. Before you pull the case apart, confirm the diagnosis with our 6L80 common problems and fixes guide, and use the 6L80 Corvette shift problems guide if you are chasing a shift complaint that might be a valve body or TEHCM issue rather than hard parts.
The pliers are listed for GM 5L40-E, 5L50-E, 6L50, 6L80 and 6L90 transmissions. Internal snap ring pliers are not model-locked, so they will also handle large internal rings in other units if the ring eyes accept a 0.120 inch tip and the depth suits a 26 inch tool. They will not open external rings. If you want to check them against a specific ring, send us the transmission and the year and VIN of the vehicle. Parts for the unit you are rebuilding are on our 6L80 transmission parts page.
Stand the case on a bench or fixture so it cannot rock. Seat both tips fully in the ring eyes, keep the handles square to the ring, and close it just enough to clear the groove before lifting. Cocking the handles is what pops a tip out under load. Wear eye protection; a heavy ring stores a lot of energy. On reassembly, confirm every ring is fully seated around its whole circumference, then check clutch pack clearance before moving on. When the 1-2-3-4/3-5-R housing comes out, the reverse drum removal and installation tool makes the job safer, and a 6L80E master rebuild kit with filter supplies the frictions and seals. Refill with Dexron VI and reset transmission adapts when the unit is back in.
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The deep internal rings that retain the stationary clutch packs in the case and the large rings in the clutch housings. Ordinary 8 to 12 inch pliers cannot reach them with the case standing upright.
Yes. The 0.120 inch straight tips are screw-secured, so a bent or mushroomed tip can be swapped without replacing the pliers.
Yes, the pliers are listed for the 5L40-E, 5L50-E, 6L50, 6L80 and 6L90. They also work on large internal rings in other transmissions if the ring eyes fit a 0.120 inch tip.
No. These are internal pliers, so squeezing the handles closes the tips. External rings need pliers that open when squeezed.
Air check each clutch circuit, inspect the 1-2-3-4/3-5-R housing for cracks at the welds, check snap ring grooves for damage and set clutch clearances before reassembly with Dexron VI.
