manual transmission

[just a number]

I'm starting to consider changing over to a stick because the 4l80e has screwed up again. considering the nv4500, but would like a lower numericly overdrive. and suggestions?

 

[Yachtcare]

Have you diagnosed the problem with the 4L80e? Could be something simple like a bad sensor. Seems a shame to swap out a tranny over a $40.00 part, if thats all it is. Unless you really just want a manual tranny. An NV4500 is a nice one.

AFAIK, All the overdrive trannys have either a .73 or .70 overdrive. Which one is better is really splitting hairs. I believe some of the late eighties Camaro/Firebird had a .68 o/d but those were 700R4 units, unless it was rebuilt really stoutly, wouldnt last long in a one ton truck.

You could look into a Gear Vendors over/under drive unit to use with the NV4500, would likely get you some better o/d numbers, but the cost is breathtaking.

 

[Z79outlaw]

I like my NV4500 only problem is the Chevy version has an internal Slave and if that craps out on you, you gotta drop the trans to replace it, and as of Friday mine started junking out and is getting air in the lines somewhere so I have to drive without a clutch or with barely a clutch, have to pump it 15-25 times usually as I'm coming to a stop sign just so I can get it back into gear:cuss:. But everythings coming out next weekend. But your also in for quite the task of source everything out for you conversion. It wont be cheap either. You'll have to weigh the pro's and con's of this, but the NV4500 isn't numerically high by any means either. But if your truck is 2WD that would make everything in your swap alot easier.

 

[just a number]

I haven't found out what wen't wrong this tie yet. so far in 4 years it's been rebuilt, had one solenoid replaced need a TPS(starting to go) and then whatever has gone wrong this time. my guess is the TCC or the main harness. add that to the fact that I hate electronics is cars and now you know why I thinking of converting. what about something from a 5 ton or so. I know more adjustments, but different gears to play with

 

[beaglehauler]

the older 4500s have a external slave,thats what id look into,my 93 has ext.,heres some prices on this site,drivetrain.com,im getting ready to put a clutch in mine,im sick of my manual tranny

 

[just a number]

well I found my replacement tranny. As much as I would loved the nv4500 the budget says no. However I did managed to get a hold of a sm 465 it good shape for a whole $40 bucks. now comes the next question whose makes a good flywheel and clutch? the cheap tranny saved me some, but I still got a budget to work with.

one more thing. does anybody know where you can find the boots for the mechanical clutch setup. The ones that looks like a CV boot

 

[D.Camilleri]

Do your best to find a bellhousing from a 6.2, if you use a gas bell housing, you will have to clearance it to clear the starter nose. You might try LMC truck for the clutch boot. Manual linkage from a 82-84 would be the easiest to make work. To bad I didn't see this earlier, I think I threw away a complete linkage set up last summer. Clutches have come down a lot in price since everything started being built in china. Last 6.2 clutch set I bought from Napa was only 130.00 for the entire kit. Use a bronze bearing instead of the needle pilot bearing if you want to save yourself some frustration. The needle bearings don't last very long. I ran a center force on my turboed 6.5 and it hooked up good, but the disc wasn't any better than any of the stock replacements that I tried. The discs usually have a problem of wearing out the center torque hub.

 

[just a number]

thanks for the info. I can't say which engine was in front of the transmission. somebody got to it before me. I think i found all the pieces for the clutch. I did run into one stupid problem. the brake pedal hookup for the master is lower and the plate for the brake light switch doesn't fit. is there different ones or it just one of those improvise things??

 

[D.Camilleri]

Any idea what year transmission you have found? I can't remember much in the way of differences in brake pedals and switch brackets can be modified. The pedals were basically the same for a lot of years, but there could be some minor differences that could be corrected by drilling or welding.

 

[just a number]

I know it came out somewhere between 82-84. it was the only years AFAIK that had the manual clutch and that body style. I know for sure that it's still has the cast iron cover on it. I don't have much info on the donor vehicle. it was a wreckers special. I did find out that it still had metal gears for the speedo hookup. I had to check.

 

[D.Camilleri]

did you get the bell crank linkage that goes from the frame to the bellhousing? It uses a ball on both ends. Both are studs, I will have to look around and see if I have any parts left.

 

[just a number]

I think I've got it all. I still have to go and pick up the Z bar and the frame bracket. that's on Thursday. the only parts that I'm hoping to have to buy new are the flywheel and clutch. the only parts I'm having trouble finding are the rubber boot fr the clutch fork. I gotta try some of the transmission shops around here. ya never know

 

[D.Camilleri]

LMC truck can probably supply the boot. They send out free catalogs.

 

[GM Guy]

i know you are not getting it now that you got the big ol 465, but for clarification for everyone else, the GM NV4500 had external slave up through 1995.

 

[just a number]

always good info for the next guy. that's why I love this place:thumbsup:

 

[randomid25]

I'm looking to maybe swap my burb over to stick. Don't like autos. Thinking of doing a sm465 with a ranger splitter. With the splitter and Tcase, it would have 16 forward gears and 4 reverses. Might even try to rig up some kind of air shift for the splitter so that it makes it easier to go through the gears.

 

[83GMCK2500]

I'm looking to maybe swap my burb over to stick. Don't like autos. Thinking of doing a sm465 with a ranger splitter. With the splitter and Tcase, it would have 16 forward gears and 4 reverses. Might even try to rig up some kind of air shift for the splitter so that it makes it easier to go through the gears.

If I were in your position I would like a NV-4500HD or a NV-5600 in there. Probably the 5600 as I think there is a gap in the NV-4500s gears.

What do you use your 'burban for? If you're after more low gears for driving in the mtns or woods I would just put together an NP203/NP205 doubler setup (to go behind the 4500 or 5600) and depending on tire size I would keep highway friendly gears.

The first over/under drive kit I can think of is a Gear Vendors unit, and they're fricken expensive. Also it goes in place of the transfer case tailshaft so you only have the benefit of it in 2 wheel drive.

 

[just a number]

the ranger unit he's talking about goes in between the engine and transmission. you shove the tranny back some to put it in. I was wondering how low of gears are you looking for?

 

[randomid25]

I'm not interested in wheeling my burb hard but i like the option of the 2 different ranges with the ranger box. In a 465, you can split every gear which would be great for towing and off road as well. After i get my turbo and 14bff rear diff in, i would probably want to be able to pull at least an 8000lb trailer with it. 8 forward gears (not counting the low range in the tcase) would really help to keep the motor in a good rpm range with a heavy load behind it. The ranger is rated for GVW of 25000lbs. The nv5600 would be killer but it just costs too much and would require a custom bell housing. The zf Tranny behind a dmax is even more rare and expensive. The 4500 was my first consideration as i really need overdrive and would like a granny gear, but by the time i buy the adaptor for the tcase and locate a hydro clutch assembly, i would be cheaper to find a good used 465 and buy the ranger. Not much cheaper. Maybe 200-300 bucks but thats money i don't have to spend. As for the air shifter idea, i could fab it up using a two way pneumatic piston, a custom bracket and solenoid valves. I already planned on running onboard air so an air shifter makes sense over two shift levers.

 

[just a number]

your right about the price difference. I'm considering going with a 2 speed aux transmission to put behind mine to get a little better mileage.something out of and old dump truck or something. what style of clutch are you going with, mechanical or hydraulic?