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Thread: 2008 e38 truck ecm to manual transmission

  1. #1
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    2008 e38 truck ecm to manual transmission

    So heres what i have.

    - 2008 escalade chassis with ecm, bcm ,column with key, instrument cluster, fuseboxs. swapped with an old car body

    i've driven this car a few miles as it sits but nothing longer due to other factors with the body etc.
    i dont have to but eventually i'd like to swap it to a manual transmission if i could.
    i've read a few things about the vss 158 mph issue and tweaks there and jumping the tcm can wires if the 6l80 isnt there anymore.
    my question is what do i need to keep in order for the vehicle to start and read speedo signal and other than the vss 158 mph guidelines is there anything in the tune i would need to mess with so it would run ok?
    i've read people doing g8 manual swaps but those came factory manual in the us from other tunes. i know that 08 up silverado 3500s in mexico came factory with manual transmissions but i havent had much luck finding any tune info from them. if it didnt have bcm and factory cluster etc i could probably just stand alone everything but id like to keep all of those things so i have correct fuel level and alot of oem parts if i need to replace anything down the line. if you need any more information let me know.
    Thanks for your time

  2. #2
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    still curious about this. been gathering parts for a manual swap. from what i understand my 4485 transfer case has a speed sensor, transmission i want to use does not it is a nv3500.
    my concerns are as follows again:
    read speed from the factory cluster (can)
    be able to start it
    be able to know its not in neutral for proper air/fuel table usage.

    my thoughts are i might just unplug the 6l80e transmission while its in the car and see if i can get anywhere but i was hoping for some guidance on someone smarter than me on this which is probably most lol. Thanks

  3. #3
    Tuning Addict blindsquirrel's Avatar
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    Only a manual trans ECM calibration is able to read a VSS directly, and the only data it will recognize as VSS has to be originated in a TCM. Some other module on the bus can't be disguised as a TCM or send data that should have originated in a different module. If the power company calls me and asks me a question about my car insurance, I'm hanging up because something ain't right.

  4. #4
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    So what if I left the Tcm there to read the transfer case vss to translate to the pcm the speed which then goes to the cluster ?

  5. #5
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    I have an e38 from a 2010 pickup I want to put in a circle track car with a Saginaw 3 speed. Can I use the automatic ECM and modify it to work or do I need to reprogram the ECM with a Corvette bin file?
    If that is the case, where do I find this been file? I have a VX nano and SPS I can flash the ECM if I need to. But I will need the VIN number from a Corvette in order to get that file correct?

  6. #6
    Tuning Addict blindsquirrel's Avatar
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    Plenty of stock files you can harvest VINs from in the repository.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by blindsquirrel View Post
    Plenty of stock files you can harvest VINs from in the repository.
    Thank you I guess that should have been obvious.
    Has anyone cloned a GMPP or an E-ROD for circle track?

  8. #8
    Tuning Addict blindsquirrel's Avatar
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    How would you do that? Trying to use HP Tuners, you'd end up with only 6 of the 8 segments that live in the Gen4 ECM. HPT doesn't read or write the ETC segments. There are GMPP/CPP files in the repository already but you can't flash those files to anything because of the missing segments issue, all you can do is use them for a reference.

    AFAIK there's no way to reflash the special no-VIN GMPP/CPP calibrations even with SPS. Maybe if you had a buddy inside GM who could give you a VCI number... yet another reason I'd never have anything to do with those weird quasi-unsupported systems.

  9. #9
    Senior Tuner TheMechanic's Avatar
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    Use this 1G1YY25W595113617
    with a 12625455 ECM

  10. #10
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    THANK YOU so much. It will give me good place to start!

  11. #11
    Tuning Addict blindsquirrel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheMechanic View Post
    Use this 1G1YY25W595113617
    with a 12625455 ECM
    Uh... GM lookup for that VIN calls out a 12612384. 12612384 is '08-'09 (& 63lb IFR limit), 12625455 is '09-'10 (127lb IFR).

    edit: MOAR CONFUSION: 1G1YY36W295100795 is from a repository file, 2009 Corvette LS3 manual trans, file absolutely has the 127lb limit... but GM says it also takes 12612384 which I always thought could not interchange with anything using a late-E38 127lb calibration. What's going on?
    Last edited by blindsquirrel; 05-14-2023 at 07:50 AM.

  12. #12
    Senior Tuner TheMechanic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blindsquirrel View Post
    Uh... GM lookup for that VIN calls out a 12612384. 12612384 is '08-'09 (& 63lb IFR limit), 12625455 is '09-'10 (127lb IFR).

    edit: MOAR CONFUSION: 1G1YY36W295100795 is from a repository file, 2009 Corvette LS3 manual trans, file absolutely has the 127lb limit... but GM says it also takes 12612384 which I always thought could not interchange with anything using a late-E38 127lb calibration. What's going on?
    I picked that one as I am doing a manual trans from a E1500 late model Gen 4 with a 6L90 and an E78 into a manual trans C10. Had to do a little research on it to find the right combo. That was a convertible non-ZO6 manual trans 2009. I am using that specific VIN also based on my favorite site Shows the 455 ECM.
    https://parts-catalog.acdelco.com/acesCat.php?
    GREAT parts finder for GM.
    This was the thread that made the decision for me.
    https://forum.hptuners.com/showthrea...onversion-help

  13. #13
    Tuning Addict blindsquirrel's Avatar
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    Why/how does gmpartsdirect.com show 12612384 for 1G1YY36W295100795?

    (man, that acdelco site, I dunno... since the 'back' button takes you ALL THE WAY back to the start page, and middle-click to open stuff in a new tab isn't allowed because somebody cranked the javascript knob up to 11, I'm afraid to click on anything lest I lose everything... yikes.)

  14. #14
    Senior Tuner TheMechanic's Avatar
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    While navigation is sucky I have found it to be the most accurate on the internet (that I currently know of). I have become so used to it I don't notice the issues.