1986 1 ton 454 Trans swap

[Shorty81]

Keep the 465. It's all part of the ambiance and charm of our beloved Chevy trucks. It is a real truck tranny.....jmo

 

[Shorty81]

Well I’m stuck on what to try but at 65mph my truck is screaming pretty good. I have 410 gears and a 454 the fuel consumption is incredible lol. I would like to change the trans to a smoother shifting setup with more gear options which is why I was interested in the nv4500.

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that is one fine looking Chevy !!!

 

[kickdeez]

I have battled this decision for the entire 5 years I've owned my suburban. I've convinced myself to go all three routes at different points in my life, and I have yet to do any of them. I don't daily drive mine, but I used to tow with it regularly. The 454/465 combo is strong as an ox, and I haven't had any significant issues out of this combo at all. But it leaves a lot to be desired on the highway. From a cost perspective, the Ranger Torque Splitter always appealed to me; however, it seems to be more work to install and likely a little cumbersome to shift. From an ease of use, ease of install, and general cool factor, the Gear Vendor has its obvious perks - but it is PRICEY. As of late, I am of the mindset that the NV4500 would suit me best. I find it to be right in the middle with respect to cost, ease of install, and ease of use/driveability.

 

[rpcraft]

The 465 is a dump truck transmission. Pretty bulletproof overall, but the NV4500 can be just as reliable, and it offers OEM parts replacement and maintenance for the most part. I think if I were looking for OD and simplicity it's still the best route, plus affordable. Also on a SWB (sorry it does look short(ish) truck you are going to start to running into drive angle issues if you run a splitter or GV OD unit, especially if you combine it with a lift and other modiifcations.

 

[CSFJ]

The only drawback to the nv4500, and I only call it a drawback from my point of view, others may not see it as such, is they are particular about the fluid they use. From what I understand, it needs to be either the GM, or Chrysler approved fluids for it to run happily. You can't just dump some 80-90w in like the older transmissions.

 

[bucket]

The only drawback to the nv4500, and I only call it a drawback from my point of view, others may not see it as such, is they are particular about the fluid they use. From what I understand, it needs to be either the GM, or Chrysler approved fluids for it to run happily. You can't just dump some 80-90w in like the older transmissions.

That and everybody seems to think they are made of gold. The price is kind of hard to swallow when they all have a bunch of miles on them and have probably been used hard.

 

[rpcraft]

Your correct. It sure about the dodge variant but I believe in the fm it’s just Dexron 2 or something similar

 

[SquareRoot]

GM and Dodge put out a service order about 6 months ago stating that all dealers service NV4500's with ATF since Castrol I no longer available. That was straight from the parts guys at the dealerships when I was looking for the oil.
Then I went to Summit Racing and bought a case (6qts) of the A/C Delco OEM fluid. I think it's about $23/qt. An oil change should last for a good 50k miles.

 

[CSFJ]

I kept thinking that GM spec'd syncromesh or some such for it. Sounds about right @ $23 a quart. On one hand, I'm surprised that they sent out a bulletin saying to use atf, on the other hand, maybe they just don't care about those units anymore. A little engineered obsolescence. I've seen first hand here at work what the wrong fluid will do to brass syncros during testing. And that was a fluid that the engineers said was supposed to be a direct replacement for the application being validated.