4L80E and Dual Gate
 

Has anybody come out with a conversion kit for the 4L80 and the Dual Gate yet? Shiftworks http://www.shiftworks.com/gto-67-68.htm still only lists the 4L60. I fired off an email to them this evening to see if they have one or plan on developing one. I've been searching with no luck. Is there an aftermarket shifter that works with the 4L80 and will fit into the 67 GTO console? I'm also cross posting this into the 67 GTO/Lemans section in case some of those folks don't frequent this section.

Thanks for any help you can provide.
Marshal

I look forward to reading the responses here. I too am going to be running a 4L80e and looked into shifters very briefly a year back. As I recall some people mentioned that the B&M Megashifter would work with the 4L80e with some slight modification.

You could always use paddle shifters. :)

It is a bit of work to modify your stock shifter, but it could be done. If you take the factory shifter apart, you will se it has a simple stamped out plate with steps on it to limit the travel of the shifter every time you change gears. I would either modify the factory plate or have one made up with the correct number of "steps". You still have the factory appearance. See the "steps" in the photo. This plate is in the dual gate shifter as well as the his & hers shifter. With the his & her shifter, you don't have the plate on top of the console like the dual gate shifter. Instead you just push the shifter to the right as you change gears.

I modified a stock Firebird shifter to work in my race car. I pull the shifter back to upshift as the transmission has a reverse manual valve body. I just ground off the second gear step to shift quickly from low to second, then push the button to pull it back one more step to high gear. Works perfectly and was A LOT cheaper than some of those aftermarket "racing" shifters. :D

Thought about the paddle shifter thing, but the boss put the ixnay on that as she "doesn't understand them" same with manual reverse valve body. So I'm stuck with traditional His and Hers Dual Gate. Just hoping someone makes a conversion kit to keep the stock look, but correct gear indicator.
No reply from Shiftworks today BTW.

Are you positive the 4l60 indents are not the same?

ShiftWorks has one that works with the dual gate, but the shift pattern is the one thing that isn't very 'user friendly. It puts the OD position in the N position, and doubles up on N & R, which at times can be confusing.

IMO what they should have done is made D & OD the same position, like have it shift directly from 2 - OD. That kind of makes more sense to me, but guess some that tow might have an issue with that. (Like we all tow with a dual gate shifted car!)

I did some homework on this not too long ago, since I will be doing a 4L80E in the clone W-30. Called and talk to tech for a considerable amount of time. I think the root of the problem is the length of the shift gate, and getting the secondary gate to work. (which you wouldn't get OD until you drop back to the primary gate and go to the original N position).

Still a better option than not having an OD all together, just need to get used to the pattern/shifting it.

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By the way, there are a number of aftermarket shifters that work with the 4 speed autos. Not sure, but there may even be ones that's a dual gate that works in some cars' console.

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Well, after some more research I found in the Ames and OPGI catalogs they offer kits for all of the OD transmissions. The 4L60 and the 4L80 use the same kit. So it sounds like the Shiftworks kit should work. The kit itself is pretty cheap. The GM cable that's required is pretty expensive tho. I'm not thrilled with the position of OD being in the neutral detent, but as long as there are positive stops in the detents it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I'm not ready for it yet, but will call and get my questions answered prior to ordering.

Thanks for all the input.

....How about a HURST Comp Plus on a 4L80? Think I got it.

Any chance of the comp plus fitting the stock console?

Well, my 68 GTO was/is console-free: Chrome Oval & Boot.

So, proper bracket mounting to the 4L80 Tail-area enables correct location. Then you got to tilt & clock the Shifter body, then reset the Shift-stop bolts ( mine has shift stop bolts ) to protect the (your) Throw Arm.

I mounted switches to Shift electrically : 1st 3rd & 4th. They easily excite the A-B solenoids.

Clutch pedal got a spring & a Cruise control switch for "locking/unlocking the Converter" WITH a TOGGLE OVERRIDE for full Converter action (going to Cruise Control Turn-signal lever with locking switch added from a LED Flashlight switch)

Vacuum Modulator added to 4L80 for best variable Line-pressure vs engine vacuum.

Comp plus is a manual trans shifter.

i know these things.

Hey half, at least you kept it a "four speed" ! I will probably use a B&M pro rachet shifter in my 68 his hers/dual gate console. Its compatible with the 4 speed od auto 4l80. I'm going to weld a hurst stick that looks like the dual gate one (from an old junk hurst auto shifter). I'll set the height up so its the same as the original shifter once mounted. Was going to get the conversion but didn't like it for a manual vb set up. It should look stock at least, but no his/her action lol.

That ability to use the Dual-Gate is excellent, & expedient.

Since someone bought my Spare Dual-Gate, & my Stick 68 car never had a Console, there was great motivation to try the Comp Plus Shifter on me Switch-Pitch TH400 (with Column-Shift too); so with that success, then the move to 4L80 with same Comp Plus concept has been a challenge, but do-able.

I tried and it does NOT work with the 4L80. The provided 4L60 shift arm down on the trans is the wrong length and when putting it into park it goes "over center"..

I am now running an aftermarket sifter with the optional shift lever for the 4L80.

Are you running it in a factory console? if so what year? Which shifter?
Based on that tidbit of knowledge I'm now resigned to the fact I'll no longer be able to run the His/hers shifter In my 67 Console.

What's a guy to do?

Add a column shift: provides PARK, Reverse Neutral & Drive (well 2nd gear if ya did nothing more)

Then add your Magnificent Dual-Gate with Electrical connections ONLY. You must add a switch for 1st gear position, 3rd and 4th. Probably get the original switch to provide some value but not sure.

I used 5amp micro-switches on the Hurst Comp-Plus. would be a world easier to mount them switches to the dual-Gate.

Wire coupling to the 4L80 trans harness is pretty straight fwd.