Transmission Limits?

Hi I have 93 chevy lumina, 3.1L, auto and i was wondering how much power the transmission can handle. I know that the car right know makes somewhere around 140HP and 180fp of torque stock. So i have no idea how much the automatic transmission can take.

Thanks!

They had to use the 4T65E in the 3.4 DOHC and 3.8 later models because supposedly the 4T60E didn't hold up to the 210hp 3.4 DOHC too well in early years. This is what memory tells me, you'd have to double check that.

My 4T60E in the '97 with 3.1 is handling 160-170 hp (I forget which), so I'd guess 180-190 before it might be a problem. Just guessing though.

I suppose you have the 4T60(E), you have OD, yes?

I think in your year they came with 3T40 (3spd auto) 4T60 and 4T60E (4 spd auto E denotes electronic controlled)

So if you have a 4T60E you should be able to handle another 30-40hp without a problem...

Actually I did some quick checking and I'm way off here.

I can't find the correct answers, but I know mine aren't right.

The 4T65E can handle 280hp in a 6500 GVWR configuration, and the 4T60E was used with 3.8s, even supercharged ones which put out 225-240 hp, so it could be good for as high as that, depending on which version it is...

Ok well i can tell you exactly what tranny i have but i can norrow it down to 2 tranny's. One being the 3T40 and the 4T60. i can up with these because my car will shift 3 gears under 60kms but if i go over 60 it like slips into an over like drive mod. It really doesnt shift cuz it drops the revs fast and seemless, basicly like the torque converter locks up for me. So 3spd over drive or 4spd?

Ok well i can tell you exactly what tranny i have but i can norrow it down to 2 tranny's. One being the 3T40 and the 4T60. i can up with these because my car will shift 3 gears under 60kms but if i go over 60 it like slips into an over like drive mod. It really doesnt shift cuz it drops the revs fast and seemless, basicly like the torque converter locks up for me. So 3spd over drive or 4spd?

Just look at your selector. you'll either have PRND21 or PRN(OD)D21...

3 SHIFTS would be a 4spd (1-2, 2-3, 3-4) 4T60, 4T60E

A 3 spd only shifts twice (1-2, 2-3) 3T40

A drop of a 200 rpm or so once it's cruising with slight change in motor pitch is TCC lockup.

Well i have on my gear selector PRND21 nothing else... which i guess means i have a 3T40 or the 4T60 but i can only access the 1st and 2nd gear. I dunno. But all i can tell you is my PRND21 is my gear opions. If i new the gear ratios with speeds i could easly tell you what i have but i can seem to find them anywhere. But I can tell you one thing, If i floor it in Drive it will not shift into the next gear around 75kms or close to it. I dont think thats a good thing but all i can tell you about when my car will shift out of 1st while going fast.

Thanks for being persistent on me!!!

It is a 3T40. A 4T60 has P R N D 3 2 1 (or it may say P R N OD D 2 1)

All right now I finally know what tranny I have. But the quetion is how much power can it handle safely?

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/transmission/transtutor.html

Finally...something useful. It takes a few seconds to load the page, but has the info you seek...

Nice find! By looking at that little spreadsheet, it doesn't look like the 4t65e is hardly worth the effort over the 4t60e

Wow! That site is totally awsome!!! Finally! I know how much Torque i can have! thatst Awsome!!

Thank you very very much!!!!