8L45 Clutch Module 2016-22, new and ready to install. Fits the 8L45. Ships fast from the USA.
This 8L45 clutch module is a plate kit: new friction discs and new steel plates for the GM 8L45 (also written 8L45E) eight-speed automatic built from 2016 through 2022. It is the part you want when the teardown shows burnt frictions and heat-checked or blued steels, not just a seal leak. Owners usually land here after a Camaro, Colorado, Canyon or Cadillac sedan started slipping on one or two shifts, flaring the engine between gears, or throwing a gear ratio code that keeps coming back after an adaptive relearn.
The 8L45 makes eight forward gears and reverse with five multi-plate clutches and no bands. Every gear holds two or three of those clutches applied, and every shift is a clutch-to-clutch handoff: one pack applies while another releases, timed by the control module. GM bulletin 16-NA-019 shows the 3-4 shift, for example, as the 4-5-6-7-8-Reverse clutch (C5) applying while the 1-3-5-6-7 clutch releases. Because each clutch works in several gears, one glazed pack shows up across a group of ratios rather than in a single gear. The friction discs carry the lining that grips; the steels are the mating surface and the heat sink. Replacing only one half of that pair is how a fresh rebuild ends up shuddering a few thousand miles later, which is why this kit includes both.
Not every 8L45 slip is a burned clutch. A swapped S8 and S9 solenoid connector, worn clutch control valve bores and high line pressure from valve body wear can all fake a clutch failure, and none of them are fixed by plates. Our 3-4 clutch failure guide walks through those checks, and the 8L90 and 8L45 common problems guide covers the pressure and fluid issues. Pull the pan first. Clean fluid with no lining debris points to hydraulics or electrical; black fluid with paper on the magnet means the packs are done and this kit belongs in the rebuild.
The listing covers the 8L45 and 8L45E from 2016 to 2022. It is not an 8L90 kit; the 8L90 uses larger clutches with different plate counts. Inside that span GM changed the 4-5-6-7-8-Reverse friction design for 2019, moving from radial grooves to a spiral groove pattern with a calibration change, and GEARS Magazine notes the late discs were not meant for earlier units. Lay each new plate next to the one you removed, match tooth count, outside diameter and groove pattern pack by pack, and if anything does not line up stop and send us your year and VIN. The full lineup for this transmission family is on the 8L90 and 8L45 collection page.
| Fits | 8L45 2016-22 |
| Part type | Clutch Module |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | GM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Yes. The listing describes it as a friction and steel clutch plate kit for the 8L45, so both halves of each clutch pack are covered. Seals, gaskets and the filter are separate.
No. It is listed for the 8L45 and 8L45E from 2016 to 2022. The 8L90 uses larger clutch packs with different plate counts and sizes, so it needs its own module.
It does. GM changed the 4-5-6-7-8-Reverse clutch discs to a spiral groove design in 2019 along with a calibration change. Compare the new C5 discs to the ones you remove and send us your VIN if they differ.
DEXRON HP. GM lists a 7.4 quart service fill for the 8L45, but a unit rebuilt dry takes more, so fill, run it and check the level hot through the check plug.
Yes. Clear the adaptive values and run the service fast learn with a scan tool, then drive through every shift so the module can learn the new clutch fill times.
