TCM Tuning 6L80E

Charleshugh03 · 2026-07-13T17:00:14Z

I just got this truck and talked to a buddy about getting a chip to prolong the life of the transmission. The truck has 50,000 miles right now and I know that transmission problems are "popular" with these trucks.

I guess I'm just looking for some guidance on this matter. My last truck was an 88' Blazer, so I'm unfamiliar with modern day after market parts/ accessories.

Any recommendations/ insight would help me a lot, what experience have you guys had with TCM tuners before?

rav3 · 2026-07-13T19:13:56Z

You didn't say what year it is. I have a '17 5.3 6l80e & used the Range AFM delete for a while to stay in V8 mode. Then I got a local tuner to preform a HPTune on my 6l80e & love it. He did a AFM delete, torque matching between engine & transmission, removed converter slip and mild engine tune that helps the transmission. Gears shift better, at specific speeds, no hunting for gear, no 2 gear down shifts, no spark plug miss feel. Drives like a different truck. I highly recommend it.

mikeyk101 · 2026-07-14T01:06:58Z

One thing that comes up over and over is that the torque converters are the weak link. Many of the failed transmissions have the same thing in common. The torque converter grenades and then metal torque converter shards end up destroying the transmission. One of the best things you can do is if your transmission is still fully functional, change out to one of the aftermarket billet torque converters. There are several good choices mentioned in different threads here to make your choice. After that, then you can decide about trans tuning. My trans failed at around 95,000 miles. It got replaced under the GM protection plan. The remanufactured trans comes with a 100,000 mile /3 year warranty. I still have just under 1 year left. So far, so good. As long as it's still working good next year, an aftermarket torque converter is going to get installed early spring. If the trans and OEM torque converter fail by then, I will get it replaced under warranty and immediately have an aftermarket torque converter installed. A warranty replacement trans of a replacement trans will no longer have the warranty so I will bulletproof it from the get go.