8L45 Overhaul Kit 2016, new and ready to install. Fits the 8L45. Ships fast from the USA.
This new overhaul kit is the seal and gasket set for a 2016 GM 8L45, the lighter-duty eight-speed that GM put behind the 2.0L turbo four and the 3.6L V6. For 2016 the application list for this kit names the Cadillac ATS, CTS and CT6 and the Chevrolet Camaro. It is built for a rebuilder who already has the case apart, or an owner whose 8L45 is leaking, slow to engage, or losing pressure and slipping after high mileage. It is a no-pistons kit: you reuse your own clutch pistons, so the price stays well below a master kit.
The 8L45 uses the same layout as the 8L90, with five clutches, two of them stationary brakes, and an off-axis chain-driven pump feeding a valve body full of variable force solenoids. Each clutch piston is sealed in its housing, each rotating shaft carries sealing rings that pass oil from the case to the spinning drums, and the pump, case and valve body are closed off with gaskets and O-rings. Once those seals take a set, the oil meant for a clutch leaks back to the sump. GM's control module tries to make up for it with more pressure and longer fill times, so the first sign is often a shift that feels late or soft rather than an outright failure. An overhaul kit renews every one of those sealing points in a single pass.
Rule out the cheaper causes first. GM bulletin 20-NA-187 covers a delayed or harsh engagement after the vehicle sits with the engine off and gives a 3-second engagement test, and GEARS Magazine reports that early 8L45 units could delay or drop out of gear at a stop because air was trapped in the C5 clutch feed. GM fixed that with an updated stator support that adds a check ball and purge passage, a part this kit does not replace. A no-move or no-pressure condition on a 2016 unit can also come from the pump, which our 8L90 and 8L45 pump guide covers. If the unit holds pressure on a gauge but still slips, the frictions are the issue, and our 3-4 clutch failure guide walks through it.
This listing covers 8L45 transmissions for 2016. The kit is catalogued as 2016 and later, but a 2016 unit is an early-design 8L45. GEARS reports that in 2018 GM redesigned the 2-3-4-6-8 clutch piston, dam and seal grooves to stop cracking, and the early and late seals are different sizes. Because this kit has no pistons, your old pistons go back in, so the seals must match the early grooves on a 2016 unit. Compare each D-ring against the one you remove before assembly, and check the pistons for cracks while you are there. The 8L45 kit does not fit the 8L90. Send us your year and VIN to confirm, or browse the 8L90 and 8L45 collection. For a later 8L45, see the 8L45 master overhaul kit for 2016-2022, which also carries frictions.
| Fits | 8L45 2016 |
| Part type | Overhaul Kit |
| Condition | New |
| 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.
The 2016 applications listed for this kit are the Cadillac ATS, CTS and CT6 and the Chevrolet Camaro with the 2.0L turbo or 3.6L V6. The Colorado and Canyon picked up the 8L45 in later model years. Confirm with your VIN or the RPO code on the glovebox label.
Most 8L45 pistons are reusable, so a no-pistons kit renews the seals and gaskets at a lower price. Check your pistons for cracks, especially the 2-3-4-6-8 piston that GM redesigned in 2018 because of cracking.
Only if the seals match your pistons. GM changed the 2-3-4-6-8 seal dimensions in 2018, and early and late seals do not interchange. Measure the D-rings against your old ones, or send us the VIN.
Not always. GM bulletin 20-NA-187 and an updated stator support address air in the C5 clutch circuit on early units. Run the 3-second engagement test and check for that update before rebuilding.
Use DEXRON HP licensed fluid. GM lists 7.0 liters, about 7.4 quarts, for a fluid change; a dry rebuilt unit takes more. Set the level hot with the engine running on a level surface.
