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phbarnhart · 07-28-2014, 12:28 PM

Looks like the 8L90, originally designed for the Corvette, is making it's way into all GM's 6.2 V8 pickups and SUVs. No word yet as to when the 5.3 will see it but I imagine it won't be more than a year (like they did with the 6 speed introduction).

8-Speed Automatic Confirmed For GM Full Size Trucks | GM Authority

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Al - K4GLU · 07-28-2014, 12:49 PM

How many guaranteed recalls will you get if you buy one?

gandttimes · 07-28-2014, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al - K4GLU

How many guaranteed recalls will you get if you buy one?

My 2008 HD performed flawlessly for 115000k so far with no recalls and only rear brake pads changed at 90k, and having towed for 70k of that.
I will expect any new GMC 1500 will perform as well.

George

phbarnhart · 07-28-2014, 01:12 PM

GM's transmissions have, GENERALLY SPEAKING, been trouble free. I know they've had issues with some other vehicle elements. Also, every car maker ends up issuing recalls, it's the nature of the beast. I don't think I've owned a single car that hasn't had at least some minor little recall. Now, if GM we're announcing a new ignition switch...

I'm thinking hath at this'll be a great set up for people who want to tow some and drive solo some. Lower first gear for starting under load and higher top gear for cruising solo... plus all the speeds in the middle to find the sweet spot.

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BoldAdventure · 07-29-2014, 07:02 AM

Every car has a recall on it, but only the media is currently focusing on it's attention on GM's every single recall.

subfan1 · 07-29-2014, 08:03 AM

The Escalade and Denali will be the first of the SUVs to get the new 8 Speeds and then the 5.3l as was noted earlier will have the new trans installed.
I wonder what the updated EPA ratings are going to be and if GM will revise the tow ratings.

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Bauxter · 07-29-2014, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmeikle

My 2008 HD performed flawlessly for 115000k so far with no recalls and only rear brake pads changed at 90k, and having towed for 70k of that.
I will expect any new GMC 1500 will perform as well.

George

I have been told that the HD truck (assuming you mean 2500) components were "Bullet Proof", and the half-tons were not so much. I have a 1500 with a 5.3 and a 3.73 rear, and steered away from the 6 speed/3.43 rear, even though my version had less towing capacity. My less than educated opinion at the time was "Less moving parts is a good thing"
Curious if the 8 speed will be in a HD truck

subfan1 · 07-29-2014, 08:13 AM

GM used to make a 1500 (1/2 ton) HD. It had a 6l engine with the 4l85 transmission with 8 lugs at the wheels.
I don't know if this is what he meant?

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gandttimes · 07-29-2014, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by subfan1

GM used to make a 1500 (1/2 ton) HD. It had a 6l engine with the 4l85 transmission with 8 lugs at the wheels.
I don't know if this is what he meant?

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Sorry, when I looked at my post I realized that I had stopped at HD when I meant HD 1500 ( 7200lb GVW)
The old HD was in fact a rebadged 8600lb GVW 3/4 in an attempt to get people who didn't want a 3/4 to buy into the 1/2 ton. It worked!
GM had 2 3/4 tons of 92, and 9600 lb GVW's necessitated by the heavier Duramax which if put in the 8600 would have yielded not much payload.

George

gandttimes · 07-29-2014, 12:18 PM

Oh, and I forgot. The 8L90 will be in the 1500's with the 6.2L as per the GM release

George

phbarnhart · 07-29-2014, 02:50 PM

I'm very likely going to replace my 3/4 ton GMT 900 Suburban with a Yukon XL Denali when the 8 speed is available... especially if GM revises the towing numbers upwards. Apparently the new transmission is actually 8 pounds lighter than the outgoing 6L80 and will have a lower first gear so I imagine the ratings could go up.

For those with technical knowledge/interest, here's a detailed discussion of the new transmission: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/201...-transmission/

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subfan1 · 07-29-2014, 11:14 PM

Can't wait to see your new Denali with your 30ft AS Phbarnhart. Should be a nice combination.
Just a few more months till the end of the year!

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phbarnhart · 07-29-2014, 11:54 PM

It'll be worth the wait. I'm also waiting for the onstar LTE wifi system. I keep looking around for details as to when they'll be available but I haven't found a concrete answer. I bet GM's still doing EPA ratings tests but that shouldn't take them too long. I'm guessing Q4?

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phbarnhart · 10-19-2014, 09:51 AM

Well my Yukon has been built (it's at 3800 status for you GM order buffs) and I have the VIN. Maybe another 3-4 weeks should see it in my driveway.

subfan1 · 10-19-2014, 09:58 AM

Congratulations
My experience when ordering my cars was that at this point it'll be only a few days on the lot then on to a rail car on its way to your dealership within about 10 days or so. You'll get it sooner than you think!

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phbarnhart · 10-19-2014, 09:59 AM

That's what I'm hoping but I'm trying to set my expectations so I won't be disappointed.

Isuzusweet · 10-19-2014, 10:22 AM

Not wanting to be a troll and rain on peoples GM parade, but based on what I'm seeing with other brands transmissions these days, will parts for it be made available to transmission shops for repairs; or will GM follow the trend these days and only offer new complete transmissions for replacement. GM isn't the only brand I'm worried about, Chrysler too has a 8 speeds in certain products.

The reason I'm concerned is because of the experience of a Mini buyer up here. She had just over 100,000 kms (60,000 miles) when her tranny went south. She took it to a transmission shop who told her BMW wasn't providing any parts. BMW was willing to sell her a new transmission at $7,500.00 + $4,000 in installation and taxes.

The more cogs, gears and belts, the more to go wrong and based on my experience with my 96 Bonnevilles transmission (which was only a 4 sp), it will.

Again, I'm just saying this as towing does put more stress on a tranny and towing could be, and has been considered abuse by a manufacturer trying to get out of a warranty claim.

Cheers
Tony

phbarnhart · 10-19-2014, 10:34 AM

I have no idea what GM is going to do regarding transmission parts to 3rd parties. I will say that a lot of other companies buy transmissions from ZF and may not have access to individual parts because of it. I think that may be the case with BMW and Chrysler. This new GM 8 speed was designed and is built in-house. Presumably they have access to all the parts one might need to fix it.

Also, it comes with a 5 year, 100,000 mile power train warranty.

As for GM trying to get out of a warranty repair because I use my SUV for towing, I think as long as one stays within the manufacturer's weight limits one should be fine.

dznf0g · 10-19-2014, 02:52 PM

Typically, during the first 6 months of a new trans (or engine), dealers are allowed to only put in NEW assemblies. This is so engineering can get "virgin" failed units to study. Once a tech goes inside that failure analysis data is corrupted commonly and accurate failure analysis is difficult. Parts are opened up after completion of that time period.

Replace vs. repair is done on a cost analysis basis, and is balanced on a couple of factors:

Labor rate to rebuild vs. a SRTA (service replacement Trans assembly)...and more importantly "fix it right the first time" philosophy. It is much more accurate to rebuild accurately and completely in a re-manufacturing facility with consistent QC in place than try and control quality in 3600 dealerships.

Bottom line....OE parts will be available after the first 6 months (typically). Remans available through AC delco after enough time passes to have any cores available for reman.

Aftermarket companies start engineering and making parts as soon as they can lay their hands on a new vehicle to tear down.

In a perfect world you wouldn't need any parts anyway....but with a 5/100,000 warranty, unless you are one of the hardest core users, why does it matter? Even if you drive 50K/year, there will be plenty of parts options, should you need them.

phbarnhart · 02-06-2015, 03:27 PM

The Fast Lane Truck folks have done an interesting review/comparison of the GMC Yukon Denali 6.2 w/8 speed and the Lincoln Navigator 3.5EB w/6 speed. Watching both videos will set you back about 25 minutes but it seems like the take home is that both pulled the 7000lbs trailer up to the Eisenhower Tunnel with ease. The Lincoln maintained the speed limit the whole time and the GMC would have had it not had to slow down for traffic. It was able to speed back up to the limit after traffic cleared. There are some pretty amusing comments at the end of the article that make even our most heated arguments look downright civil.

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