Running a 4L85E without a computer

[Hydratech®]

Check this out... I have a full Holley Dominator port fuel injection system with the trans controller heading towards my 442. Due to my recent severe injuries, I haven't been able to install this Holley system yet. Wanting to drive my car badly, I have temporarily back pedaled to a simple carburetor and standard vacuum advance HEI distributor to get it running for now. But what to do about the Chevrolet Performance 4L85E??? I had almost headed for the EFI conversion thinking it was going to be the only way I could get my car rolling down the road when I stumbled across this little gem:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/31425042422...Cclp%3A2047675

Ebay Item # 314250424223 4L80e standalone controller full manual shift street/strip transbrake Ebay seller ID: ncr277

I was a bit hesitant, as I've got 5k into the trans, and almost 2k into the Bowler triple disc custom torque converter. I spoke in detail with the Canadian gentleman that builds these, and gained the confidence to try this standalone electronics package a go. WOW! It works! It runs like a full manual valve body, shifting HARD as the electronic pressure control solenoid is at max - just like a good ol' Turbo 400 with a full manual valve body. I can also lock the converter up any time I want to manually with the switch in any gear above 1st gear. The 2-3 and the 3-4 shifts with the converter locked up are a bit outrageous though, so I tested the "auto mode" only applying the TCC in 4th gear = works well. Or? You can set the supplied TCC switch to the center "off" position and roll without any converter clutch engagement if preferred. The "sloppy trans brake" is also a helluva toy, applying two gears at the same time to load up the torque converter without having to stand on the brakes. It doesn't release quite as lightning fast as a true trans brake, but the little I played with it so far at part throttle seems to be predictable and rather quick. NOT releasing lightning fast would actually shock the driveline less, likely benefitting in not just blowing the tires off as violently as a true trans brake does. Once I get a few hundred miles of easy break in on the driveline, I will start applying heavier amounts of throttle to it. After the thousand mile mark, I look forward to hitting the trans brake up against full throttle and see what craziness comes to pass (lol!).

Sooooo.... if anybody out there has been thinking about putting a 4L60E or a 4L80E into their ride, but are trapped by all of the $$$ electronics needed to run one of these, this "X Brake" package along with his other versions will properly run one of these electronic trannies without a computer cheap, quick, fast, and easy. Yes, you will have to treat it as if it has a full manual valve body performing each an every shift manually, but if you have a proper shifter this is actually fun. My Hurst Lightning Rods shifter was acting up like they are prone to, so I meticulously rebuilt it and re-engineered it to run a VASTLY better B&M stout shifter cable, which makes it really fun to move through the gears. It has no qualms about its operations - it just provides whatever gear you have selected whenever and however you choose. It runs like you have a full shift kit / manual valve body installed, chirping the tires when you lean into it, though not to bad when you are just rolling down the road.

Summary? If you are on the fence, this package works! Since it is running the trans at full line pressure all the time, make sure you have some good synthetic fluid in the trans and have a good cooler, especially if you run the trans brake - it's fun (the trans brake) but builds heat fast! Temperatures observed just initially rolling around didn't seem to be anything more than usual.