Have a 09 2LT and Trans started grinding and acting very unhappy yesterday just before hitting 192000 miles sounding like a manual shifting itself with no clutch. Very dramatic but all gears still worked with some slipping.

Had it towed home and dropped the pan to confirm a ton of metal bits and black trans fluid but also some coolant which tell me the radiator is allowing the coolant and trans fluid to mix.

So besides needing to get another transmission and a radiator now my question is has anyone here ever done an upgrade like out of an SS or another vehicle like a cruze with the 6speed auto??
I heard that a 6spd auto out of a cruze may work or pulling the auto out of an SS,im finding several options in junkyards with warranties with only a few hundred dollars in difference in price from the stock 4spd but if I can upgrade why im doing this without serious fabrication or serious modifications Im curious to know before I start digging into this and seeing how much this may cost and what my options may be.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Major firmware problems. The ECM and the TCM would need new custom firmware, you would need to find someone to do it.

 

I'm also thinking wiring harness compatibility would be a problem

 

even with the auto out of the same year SS would have those issues or just the cruze 6spd?

 

Is the SS trans of the same year compatible at all or is there also issues with that?

 

SS same year should be direct swap, maybe a code reader required for matching to your car

 

I think the SS auto is the same trans just a different TCM?

 

Don't believe the Cruz 6 speed would work without some new cradle and "frame" mounting points (plus of course the software upgrade, shifter, etc.)

Somebody looked into this a long time ago, and discovered the additional requirements.

 

The TCM looks the same between my 08 LT and 08 SS. I couldn't tell you what firmware they're running until I get home from Montreal(hopefully next Thurs). The SS should be a direct swap, it's the same 4t45e. If I'm not mistaken, the manual trans is different for the SS's

So the TCM is probably the same. As for a Cruise swap, of course anything is possible. Cradle mods, linkage mods, programming mods, the list goes on.

I'd find a donor on C List and go from there. I can pick them up near home for a hundred bucks.

 

I was looking into a 2008-2012 Chevy Malibu, (and other models), 6 speed auto.. I didn't go that way, but I would consider at least looking into it. The Malibu had the same 2.4 engine I think.. not sure about the housing and axle lengths.. that was the issue I was looking into plus the proper TCM and Tune.. etc..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_6T40_transmission