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has anyone changed from auto to 5 spd.

Well, as a minimum you'd need everthing from the rear of the crank to the transfer case(ie: pilot bearing flywheel, clutch, transmission, etc). Add in a clutch pedal assembly and punching a hole in the floor for the shifter.

If the shifter is hydraulic, you're looking to throw in some lines and a master cylinder. If it's mechanical, you're looking at rigging up some linkages.

If the trans lengths are different, you may be looking at new driveshafts. Of course, if you go with a gewar vendor, new shafts are a given anyways.

1997 might need the PCM reflashed to turn off all the 4l60/80E error codes too. I know when I flash a PCM it needs to have the right trans files in it or error codes are numerous....don't ask how I know......:rolleyes5:

I would suggest buying an entire donor truck if you plan on switching.

Since you are also considering a gear vendor overdrive, I'm guessing you're after MPG?

If so, consider the price of the unit and how much diesel that money will buy........
 
there is a member that has been around for a while that did a auto to 5 speed swap. i think it was 625fireman but i may be wrong

as long as the lengthes are the same the hardest part would be hanging the pedal. if i where you id get a pre 97 bellhousing that uses the external slave they are alot easier to bleed and if they go bad you dont have to take the tranny down to replace. im pretty sure that all NV4500's are the same the only difference was the style of slave cylinder. But a dodge one will not work since they have different numbers of splines on the input and output shafts.
 
Yep Josh you are right. I did one & I am working on the second one. 97 will need the ECM reflashed or swapped out all together. Its not really that bad of a job. A few things to watch for. If you can find a donor truck that would be the best for sure, but you can piece it together. I had $2500 in the first one just cuz the nv4500 I bought was a basket case, and it was pieced from many sources some new, some used. I Can get into more details if needed. Just let me know.
 
I did one years ago with a donor. No wiring to worry about back then. Having the donor made everything very easy.

I don't care how careful you are to get everything, if junkyarding you're always going to have to make another trip.
 
It all depends what results you are after. I would rather shift my own gears espcially towing. Snowplowing is different with a stick but I like it. Ultimatly my ideal setup would be a NV5600 with gear venders overdrive. However they do not make one that will go between the trans a transfer case. I am sure with the right money and some fabrication skills you can put one in between escpecialy with a divorced t-case. The ones they make go behind the t-case and there is some wiring and switches to contend with so that you don't tear anything apart. Due to the rear axle being in overdrive and the front being in "factory". My truck runs @ 2200 RPM's in 5th gear and running 65 with 4.10 and 255/85 R16 tires. I am getting around 12-13 MPH. The truck is a homemade 1/4" diamondplate steel flatbed reg cab, so the weight is higher than a reg cab pickup.
 
I've heard of a company that makes a replacement transfer case with a built in 2 speed.

Our crewcab K3500 Single rear wheel with 410 gears & 5 speed gets 17 - 18 mpg
 
625fireman said:
It all depends what results you are after. I would rather shift my own gears espcially towing. Snowplowing is different with a stick but I like it. Ultimatly my ideal setup would be a NV5600 with gear venders overdrive. However they do not make one that will go between the trans a transfer case. I am sure with the right money and some fabrication skills you can put one in between escpecialy with a divorced t-case. The ones they make go behind the t-case and there is some wiring and switches to contend with so that you don't tear anything apart. Due to the rear axle being in overdrive and the front being in "factory". My truck runs @ 2200 RPM's in 5th gear and running 65 with 4.10 and 255/85 R16 tires. I am getting around 12-13 MPH. The truck is a homemade 1/4" diamondplate steel flatbed reg cab, so the weight is higher than a reg cab pickup.
Click to expand...


Thats the same RPM as my AUTO w/4.10 and 235/85 tires. IN fact its the exact same Mileage I get also on average. Direct highway would be more. I weight an average of 9500lbs.
 
great white said:
I wish.

My k2500 (8600 lb) ECLB with 4:10's and 4l80e averages 13 mpg empty...
Click to expand...

Is that actual weight or Capable weight? I average 12.X being a dually weighing almost 10k lbs.

Perhaps the 6.5 doesn't care too much about a few thousand lbs of weight as far as mileage goes. That is a main reason I like diesels to begin with. Gassers drop fast with weight.
 
Matt Bachand said:
Is that actual weight or Capable weight? I average 12.X being a dually weighing almost 10k lbs.

Perhaps the 6.5 doesn't care too much about a few thousand lbs of weight as far as mileage goes. That is a main reason I like diesels to begin with. Gassers drop fast with weight.
Click to expand...

That's the gvwr, not actual.

Only thing my truck carries over base weight is me, fuel and a 2-300 lb truck cap....when not pulling my 35 footer that is.

:)
 
jrsavoie said:
I've heard of a company that makes a replacement transfer case with a built in 2 speed.

Our crewcab K3500 Single rear wheel with 410 gears & 5 speed gets 17 - 18 mpg
Click to expand...

I'd like to hear more about this TC with 2 speed if anybody knows anything. I have a 94 K2500 heavy duty, 4.10 and 4L80E and the best I've ever seen was about 15.5 MPG (summer). My last check was about 13 MPG (winter).

Don
 
I was very close to swapping from my 225k 4L80E to a NV4500. I met another member here a while back who was parting out his whole truck and wanted to sell me the complete conversion to swap to the NV4500 for 1k. Looking back now i should have taken it and sat on it. (didnt have time to swap an engine and tranny last year) I also plow, sometimes the automatic is nice, but other times i want a standard. I might still do it in the future...
 
jrsavoie said:
I've heard of a company that makes a replacement transfer case with a built in 2 speed.

Our crewcab K3500 Single rear wheel with 410 gears & 5 speed gets 17 - 18 mpg
Click to expand...

Not being a smartass but every transfer case I have seen is a 2 speed..........high and low. Which translates as direct and underdrive.
 
sorry to go a little OT, but 88GMC, I was wondering if you researched switching the 700R4 to a 5LM60 (predecessor to the NV3500) before you decided upon switching to an NV4500? The reason I ask is I have wondered about a NV4500 swap in my 91 gas with the 5LM60 it seems a little wore and would like to be prepared if and when it goes out.
 
700R4 / 4L60E / 5LM60 / NV3500 / NV4500 are all within 1/4" of eachother in length. As far as swapping from a 5LM60, it should be entirely bolt it as long as you get a nv4500 that has the external slave cylinder like your current transmission.
 
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