Removes and installs the large internal case snap ring on GM 6L80, 6L90, 6L50, 5L40 and 5L50 units; the 26-inch handles give the leverage that ring needs.
If you have a GM 6L80 or 6L90 on the bench and the next step in the teardown is a large internal retaining ring sitting deep in the case bore, a standard snap ring plier will not get it done. This is the 1489-style 26-inch internal retaining ring plier, a dedicated tool for removing and installing the oversized internal rings in GM 5L40, 5L50, 6L50, 6L80 and 6L90 transmission cases. It is the tool rebuilders reach for when a Silverado, Tahoe, Sierra, Yukon, Escalade, Camaro or Corvette six-speed is coming apart for clutch packs, an input drum or a full overhaul.
The GM rear-drive six-speeds hold their internal assemblies in the case with retaining rings that are much larger in diameter and much stiffer than the rings you meet in a valve body or a clutch drum. Compressing one of those rings far enough to clear its groove takes real force, and it has to be applied evenly through the two ring eyes or the ring twists, the tips slip, and the ring either springs out of the case or gouges the groove on the way. The 26-inch handles are the point of the tool: the long lever arm multiplies hand force so you can hold the ring fully compressed with one controlled squeeze instead of fighting it with screwdrivers. The straight tips are .120 inch in diameter, sized to seat in the ring eyes, and the plier weighs about 3.9 lb, so it is a bench tool, not a toolbox plier.
A plier is only worth buying if the unit is actually coming apart. Before committing to a teardown, rule out the failures that do not need one: adapt resets, a TEHCM or pressure switch problem, a sticking actuator feed limit valve, or a bad input speed sensor. Our 6L80 common problems and fixes guide separates those from true internal clutch failure, and our 6L80 pump failure symptoms guide covers the low-pressure symptoms that usually end in a full overhaul.
This plier is listed for GM 5L40, 5L50, 6L50, 6L80 and 6L90 transmission cases. Those units cover most 2006 and later GM rear-drive trucks, SUVs and cars, including Silverado and Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban and Yukon, Escalade, Camaro and Corvette. Because it is a tool rather than a fitted part, there is no year or VIN match to worry about, but always check that the tip diameter suits the ring in front of you; the straight .120 inch tips are made for the large GM case rings, not small snap rings. Browse everything we carry for this transmission on the 6L80 parts page.
Most people buying this plier are already in for a full overhaul. A 6L80E master rebuild kit with frictions and filter covers the soft parts, and a 6L80 bushing driver installer set handles the bushings you will be replacing while the case is empty. When it goes back together, fill with Dexron VI and check the level by the GM procedure with the fluid at temperature, since these units have no conventional dipstick.
| Overall length | 26 in |
| Tip style | Straight, .120 in diameter |
| Material | Carbon steel |
| Weight | 3.9 lb |
| Fitment | GM 5L40, 5L50, 6L50, 6L80, 6L90 transmissions |
| Origin | Made in USA |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
It is listed for GM 5L40, 5L50, 6L50, 6L80 and 6L90 transmission cases, the large internal retaining rings those units use to hold their internal assemblies in the case.
The large case rings in these GM six-speeds are too big and too stiff for a standard plier. A short plier flexes and the tips slip out of the ring eyes, which can launch the ring or damage the groove. The 26-inch handles give enough leverage to compress the ring under control.
The tips are straight and .120 inch in diameter, sized for the ring eyes on the large GM case rings.
Yes, if they are abused. The long handles create a lot of force at the tip, so keep the tips fully seated in the ring eyes and keep them clear of the case wall. A tip that catches the case while you squeeze can snap.
A master rebuild kit with frictions, seals and filter, a bushing driver set, and fresh Dexron VI fluid. If diagnosis points to clutch drum or input drum damage, replace those hard parts while the unit is apart.
