Putting things back

Another of the big tasks was to put the transmission controller (TCM) with it's new identity, back into the transmission itself. Seemed like ages ago when I took it out and sent off to the States - only a few months in reality.

With the car back up on stands and higher than ever before to give me lots of room it was time to head underneath. If you remember from previous the 6L80E transmission has it's own computer which takes a couple of signals from the Engine Control Module (ECM) like RPM, calculated torque and maybe a couple more - and then makes it's own decisions on gear changes  based on the table parameters in its tuning.

Now it has a new identity of a 2011 Corvette as opposed to 2012 Camaro it should be simpler in operation, no longer requiring incoming signals from a Body Control Module.

The tap shift / flappy paddle gear change runs on the CANBus (internal computer network for cars) which SpearTech have hooked their box of tricks into - effectively a set of resistors which when engaged by the switch, inform the TCM to change up or down a gear when in Sport Mode which in turn is selected by the gear lever selector.

Above shows the TCM unit itself bolted back onto the valve body which in turn is bolted back into the bottom of the transmission. All the Torx plus bolts are torqued to 8Nm.

 

Lots of room and light this time and even one handed socket wrench action shots possible.

Happily inserting this in is alot easier than when I got it out as I actually know what shape it is and what it needs to locate into.

Firstly importantly the rubber grommet seal has to go back into the bottom of the transmission where the four holes are located in the middle of the below picture. I think I must have been a magpie in a prior life - I just love looking at shiny metal!

 You can see some of the clutch packs that contribute to the smooth gear changes, normally these are all sloshing about in transmission fluid.

Seal back in place so now it's time to insert the valve body TCM combination.

Another action shot below, I think my other hand is holding it in place. The glasses whilst not necessarily attractive do make doing this stuff alot easier!

The trickiest bit of all this was actually to get the 3 parts of the control switches all back together as one. Just a bit of jiggling and wiggling best done before torquing the valve body bolts back up as I found out below.

All done and filter back on too. Given the no mileage of this engine and how clean the filter was I opted to replace the original. I will see how this gets on with the option of replacing with one with a larger aperture which the drag racers in the US use for higher flow.

All done. Apart from over torquing one of the sump bolts and shearing it.... luckily after a couple of days of head scratching I got it out, the actual thread on the transmission was ok so locating a replacement and all ok.