About the 10L80 & Common Problems
GM 10L80 Hydra-Matic History
Developing any new technology will cost an absolute ton of money, which why it’s not unusual for car companies to co-develop things like chassis’ and transmissions. They can then use these unseen components throughout their different product lines and improve their profit margins through the lower shared development costs. The GM 10L80 Hydra-Matic transmission is one such hybrid component that General Motors jointly developed with, wait for it, the Ford Motor Company! That’s right, you can find a variation of this Ford – GM 10-speed automatic transmission in the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1! Although the basic engineering is the same, the GM 10L80 and Ford 10R80 each have proprietary control software, along with a few other differences that are suited for each specific application.
The Ford version is built at their Livonia transmission plant (Ford spent a reported $1.4 billion on retooling to build this transmission), and the GM version is built only a few miles away at their transmission factory in Romulus Michigan (GM spent a comparatively cheap $323 million retooling this factory). But before you have a brand induced meltdown, let’s look at all the things that make the 10L80 transmission so unique.
Replacement 10L80 Transmission Prices:
** Currently 10L80 units are 2017+ so are dealer-only or salvage yard only.
2017+ 10L80 Applications and Compatibility:
| Model |
|---|
| Cadillac Escalade |
| Chevy Camaro |
| Chevy K2500 Suburban |
| Chevy Suburban |
| Chevy Tahoe |
| GMC Suburban |
10L80 Transmission Overview
Efficiency and performance are the two main goals behind the GM 10L80 transmission. By combining a wide 7.39 overall gear ratio spread, with smaller steps between each gear, this GM 10-speed automatic transmission is able to keep the engine in its ideal power band during acceleration. Then it can upshift to one of its three overdrive gears for maximum fuel economy. Thanks to the optimal gear spacing, the engine RPM only drops approximately 20% when the 10L80 changes gear. These tight gear ratios not only allow for lightning fast upshifts and downshifts. But keeping the engine in its ideal RPM range allows the 10L80 transmission to operate with nearly the efficiency of a CVT transmission.
With 10 forward gears to choose from, the 10L80 transmission is able to reduce the fuel consumption of a high horsepower engine. But tall highway gearing aren’t the only way that this transmission maximizes efficiency. Spin losses (i.e. lost energy) are reduced by only having two of the six clutches open at any time. There’s also a unique internal thermal bypass that allows the transmission to warm up faster, reducing fuel consumption on cold starts. Fluid pressure is maintained by an off-axis main pump that can vary the displacement depending on the load. A second electric 10L80 pump maintains fluid pressure when the stop/start function activates.
Even though it has two more gears, creative packaging allows the 10L80 transmission to be no bigger or heavier than an 8L90 or 6L90. With a dry weight of approximately 230 lbs, it’s also very light considering the complexity. In fact, there are absolutely no cast-iron components, including the 10L80 stator support. The 1-piece aluminum case houses a slim 260mm 10L80 torque converter inside the integrated bell housing. And with four gearsets and six clutches (2 brake, 4 rotating), the 10L80 10-speed has just one more clutch than the 8L90 8-speed transmission (this is partly because of a unique triple-clutch assembly mounted near the middle of the case).
10L80 Transmission Specs
General – 10-speed automatic with integral turbine clutch torque converter
Application – RWD & 4WD / AWD
RPO Code – MF6
Production Began – 2017
Case – 1 piece aluminum with integrated bell housing
Torque Converter – 260 mm with Electronic Controlled Capacity Clutch (10L80 ECCC)
Weight – 230+ lbs (weight varies depending on application)
Fluid Type – Mercon ULV ATF
Fluid Capacity – 13 qts
10L80 Transmission Gear Ratios
First – 4.70
Second – 2.99
Third – 2.15
Fourth – 1.80
Fifth – 1.52
Sixth – 1.28
Seventh – 1.00
Eighth – 0.85
Ninth – 0.69
Tenth – 0.64
Reverse – 4.87
10L80 Transmission Problems & Technical Service Bulletins
TSB 18-NA-026 – Transmission fluid leak
Problem – Owners may experience an ATF leak coming from under the vehicle.
Solution – This 10L80 transmission problem could be the result of a failed oil cooler line fitting retaining bolt.
Used 10L80 vs. Rebuilt vs. Remanufactured
If you’re having problems with your 10L80 you’re going to want the most economical solution.
A rebuilt 10L80 will only have a certain number of components that get replaced. So the service life is limited, and the warranty will only last 1-2 years.
A used 10L80 is pulled from a wrecked vehicle, so there’s no telling what may be wrong with it, or how long it will last.
A remanufactured 10L80 on the other hand, is completely remanufactured, and it’s designed to exceed the manufacturer’s original specifications. That way you get a longer service life, along with a 3-year/Unlimited Mile Nationwide Warranty.’
Watch the Remanufacturing Process
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Need recommendation for torque converter for my 2020 gmc 1500 at4 with 10l80 transmission. 6 inch lift. 35 inch tires on 20 inch wheels. Have the pulsar lt inline module. CAI cold air intake. Borla s-type catback exhuast. PPE transmission fluid thermal bypass valve. Looking for fast acceleration, passing power, off roading and little bit of towing.
10l80 4wd convert to 2wd
Hi, i’m doing a swap from Yukon 2019 to 1987 Regal. Need to convert 10L80 rom 4wd to 2wd. Looking for parts number : new shaft, copling et seal and where to find them….
Gm hydro 10 speed. 60 mph with cruise on going down hill and truck will start down shifting
Every transmission does that silly!
That is just the beginning. Mine did it on flat ground only it downshifted four or more gears with a loud bang then jumped back up to tenth with the same bang. Trans temps climbed to 195 and has stayed there ever since. It is now on week number 7 at the dealer for warranty and the GM engineers are running that show only allowing the dealer to replace what they deem necessary. This is the abridged version of my problem.
2018 YUKON DENALI 64K ON THE MILES HAS A CLICKING NOISE AT A IDLE LIKE A CRACKED FLYWHEEL OR SOMETHING BOUNCING IN THE PAN CHEVY PUT NEW EXHAUST ON IT THINKING IT WAS IN THE CONVERTER ALSO PUT A NEW PUMP IN THE TRANS THIS SOUND IS NOT THE SAME EVERY TIME SOUNDS LIKE A BOUNCING BOLT SINCE THE PUMP WAS IN STALLED NOW SEEMS TO OLY MAKE NOISE WHEN WARMED UP MY SON IS A TRANSMISSION MAN HE SAYS IT A SOUND THEY MAKE WHEN THEY ARE SUCKING AIR NOT SURE ON THAT I WAS A MECHANIC FOR MANY MANY YEARS CANT FIGURE THIS OUT NOR CAN GM ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS ?
check the starter bendix and see if its loose and bouncing off the flywheel
Sounds like lifters
Lots of good information I do have one question That no one seems to be able to give a good answer to. What all needs to be done to change it from four-wheel-drive to 2 Wheel Dr? All I can find is that it is sealed from the rear and just needs a new tail housing but some say it’s got to be completely rebuilt from the inside.
2020 10l80 4wd an I one to convert to 2wd