Thread: L322 TORQUE CONVERTER

Originally Posted by donrover0

......
I never thought to look at possibility to fit one of those behind the TD6!

There's been a couple of discussions on the uk sites about this, problems you will encounter with installing a 5 speed ZF is electronics, firstly there is no suitable shift mapping available (custom code required) for a diesel - the GM ecu won’t run the ZF. An interesting point that came up is in many peoples opinion the 5 speed ZF fitted to the early L322 (BMW) V8 is not as nice as a healthy GM box, and they are have their issues as well, just not as many.

Several of us here have been talking off line about the feasibility of sneaking the 6 speed ZF in, I can bore you with heaps of details but in short it’s not cost feasible, like the 5 speed it is possible but not feasible – and it all comes down to electronics.

So - no pressure Don, this is the first example I know of where someone has bitten the bullet and tried another solution besides the rebuild option mentioned in another thread (thanks Laurie/Gav). End of the day, this is what is needed, if your 5L50E will run off the existing ECU its game over. Shift point mapping can have mild tweaks for reasonable $, it gets expensive when you start from scratch.

Originally Posted by donrover0

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Now getting back to "What speed should the TC lock up? "
Sounds like it varies from car to car, condition of tranny, etc. I doubt we'd see such variation if it was a ZF?
....

Not sure I totally agree, I’m a big fan of ZF, but these anomalies are also a result of the software of the day - which the ZF shares the main functional logic. We are seeing a variety of problems from poor fluid / worn valves resulting in low pressure, worn / disintegrating clutch packs ect ect, and the software is trying to adapt to conditions that were never considered by the developers. These were the first truly adaptable shift map systems in a 4x4 and they are trying to adapt to situations that they shouldn’t be – the mechanical box failure is amplified by what the ECU is trying to do, and the software is the first of its type – far from perfect. It’s the Adaptive functionality that throws a lot of the variations; reset your adaptive values and your shift & lock-up points (behavior) change.

Disco2 ‘Adaptive’ or learning is limited to interactions with the engine ECU, the trans learns how to make the shift smoother through timing and variation of the Torque Reduction Request – that’s it - there's no change to shift or lock up points. Whole different ball game to what the early X5 was doing and unfortunately improvements to software have not been made available (X5 got them). But take a D3 for a drive; the software for the 6speed is a huge improvement.

Hi all,

I will be keeping a keen eye on this post as I have been through 2 GM5L40E gearboxes on my 04 TD6 so am keen to know how it all goes.
Good luck.

Damien

Originally Posted by harlie

There's been a couple of discussions on the uk sites about this, problems you will encounter with installing a 5 speed ZF is electronics, firstly there is no suitable shift mapping available (custom code required) for a diesel - the GM ecu won’t run the ZF. An interesting point that came up is in many peoples opinion the 5 speed ZF fitted to the early L322 (BMW) V8 is not as nice as a healthy GM box, and they are have their issues as well, just not as many.

Several of us here have been talking off line about the feasibility of sneaking the 6 speed ZF in, I can bore you with heaps of details but in short it’s not cost feasible, like the 5 speed it is possible but not feasible – and it all comes down to electronics.

So - no pressure Don, this is the first example I know of where someone has bitten the bullet and tried another solution besides the rebuild option mentioned in another thread (thanks Laurie/Gav). End of the day, this is what is needed, if your 5L50E will run off the existing ECU its game over. Shift point mapping can have mild tweaks for reasonable $, it gets expensive when you start from scratch.



Not sure I totally agree, I’m a big fan of ZF, but these anomalies are also a result of the software of the day - which the ZF shares the main functional logic. We are seeing a variety of problems from poor fluid / worn valves resulting in low pressure, worn / disintegrating clutch packs ect ect, and the software is trying to adapt to conditions that were never considered by the developers. These were the first truly adaptable shift map systems in a 4x4 and they are trying to adapt to situations that they shouldn’t be – the mechanical box failure is amplified by what the ECU is trying to do, and the software is the first of its type – far from perfect. It’s the Adaptive functionality that throws a lot of the variations; reset your adaptive values and your shift & lock-up points (behavior) change.

Disco2 ‘Adaptive’ or learning is limited to interactions with the engine ECU, the trans learns how to make the shift smoother through timing and variation of the Torque Reduction Request – that’s it - there's no change to shift or lock up points. Whole different ball game to what the early X5 was doing and unfortunately improvements to software have not been made available (X5 got them). But take a D3 for a drive; the software for the 6speed is a huge improvement.

my word it is!

jc

Shipper tells me that the GM 5L50E will arrive Brisbane 6th January, so hopefully I will not be whisked off to work (overseas for another 3 months) in January!
If so it'll just have to wait.
Have a few other things to fix, in order to re-register this car, eg front tailshaft mod; few oil leaks, all brake discs/pads replacement.

Hi Jimbo, I have read on previous posts or other forums that the TC locks up at 56 kmph. I can not exactly remember where the source was, but try searching for 56 kmph and l322 transmission.

I have had a similar issue with my L322, when most of my driving was through this range, it led to the transmission fluid burning, turned black, and mean a complete new transmission, then TC ,then oils cooler, and radiator before the issue disappeared. Still having the same slippage when driving in the hills or high country at slow speeds.