- 12-gauge steel construction is strong, durable, and lasts unlike foam/plastic versions
- Patent pending mock up transmission can be bolted to real or mock up engine block for fabrication purposes
- SoloSwap® 4L80E can be easily lifted into place by hand without using a jack or additional help
- Complete SoloSwap® mock up transmission weighs only 17.5 pounds
- Perfect for confirming exhaust routing, driveshaft length, and shifter location
- Provides transmission mount location for fabrication of crossmember
- Ships and can be stored flat with simple assembly/disassembly steps
- All hardware included for assembly of SoloSwap® transmission
- 2023 PRI Featured Products Showcase Award winner
Confirm Transmission Crossmember Placement, Driveshaft Length, And More
The true spirit of hot rodding is building something that never came off an assembly line. Taking the best of what you can find and afford to build something you're proud of. While this may have been the true definition of a hot rod back in the 1950s, it is still very much true today, though our budgets have simply grown to allow more modern drivetrain parts. Gone are carbureted Flatheads backed by a 3-speed TH350. Instead, today we have LS V8s backed by 4-speed automatic overdrive transmissions. However, it still takes that hod rod spirit and ingenuity to get these newer engines and transmissions configured in your chassis of choice. Using a mock up engines and transmissions are real back savers when the engine or transmission has to come out several times for fabrication of mounts, headers, and more.
Traditionally, building something with a transmission that was never meant to be installed in it would require the actual transmission, a floor jack or transmission jack, and a spotter or two keeping things in check while measurements were taken, parts tack welded, and so forth. It's not an easy or quick process, and it can be dangerous with a 150 pound Chevy automatic transmission being carefully balanced on a floor jack. There is a better, and safer way to mock up a modern Chevy four-speed overdrive in your project, and that is with the Speedway Motors SoloSwap® steel 4L80E mock up transmission case.
Laser Cut Steel Plate for Strength, Simplicity, and Easy Storage
Unless you're a commercial shop doing a lot of transmission swaps, it is time consuming and complicated to disassemble the 4L80E transmission down to a bare case to shave enough weight to make it manageable for fabrication use. Most enthusiasts have a good used transmission or a brand new "crate" transmission for their project and the last thing anyone wants to do is crack it open and mess with the "magic" inside. Using a replica transmission to mock up your transmission swap for your project is much safer and your back will thank you for your efforts.
Past mock up options included a plastic transmission or foam transmission, which, while being light and easy to maneuver, these plastic transmissions often did not hold up well to repeated usage or did not allow physical attachment of a transmission mounted shifter or the driveshaft yoke for measurement of a custom driveshaft. They're also not the best option when localized welding and grinding is happening to fab transmission mounts/brackets either. Plastic blocks can easily be damaged from grinding or welding sparks. This is why we designed our SoloSwap® 4L80E transmission mock up system from laser cut 12-gauge steel with all accessory mounting holes accessible from the back side for simple "nut and bolt" assembly for mock up. No more thread inserts that work their way out of the foam engine block material or even needing the factory hardware during the mock up phase. Just grab yourself any fastener of the proper length and diameter, saving the good installation hardware for final assembly.
Ships Flat, Ready for Assembly and Can Be Stored Flat When Not Needed
Furthermore, our SoloSwap® 4L80E mock up transmission ships unassembled, saving you shipping costs and storage room when not in use. Simply assemble the mock up pieces following the provided instructions with the fasteners included and your mock up transmission is ready to use in minutes. Our steel mock up transmission can also be easily disassembled for storage, unlike some steel mock up offerings that utilize folding tabs. Once those tabs are bent over the piece stays assembled. Store your disassembled mock up transmission wherever it will easily fit, such as under a workbench, on a shelf, or other location that a full size plastic transmission or real transmission wouldn't fit or have the weight capacity to handle.
Our patent pending SoloSwap® steel 4L80E transmission mock up weighs in at just 17.5 pounds, making it easy to handle and position all by yourself safely under your project. This allows the complete mockup of your transmission, right down to your choice of shifter linkage, driveshaft, transmission crossmember, and so forth, to confirm fitment, exhaust clearances, cooler line plumbing, wire routing, floor pan modifications, and so much more easily.
Replicates GM's Standard Passenger Car 4L80E 4-Speed Automatic Overdrive
We did all the homework for you when designing our new steel SoloSwap® 4L80E mock up transmission assembly. We have provided all mounting holes to replicate the transmission pan, sensor locations, driveshaft yoke placement, and more. The bellhousing pattern is standard GM pattern that will allow our mock up transmission to bolt to any small block, big block, or LS V8 engine, or to one of our SoloSwap® mock up blocks for the ultimate light weight mock up engines and transmissions mock up system.
Now you can quickly and easily confirm you have enough clearance for exhaust routing, under floor brake master cylinder and/or brake booster, column or floor shift linkage, transmission wire harness length/routing, and other items commonly associated with your transmission. So, whether you plan for a sole 4L80E transmission swap in your home garage, or your hot rod shop is looking for an easier way to make 4L80E transmission swaps happen in your customer's cars, our SoloSwap® bolt together steel mock up 4L80E transmission will help you get the job done safely and quickly.
