2wd NV4500 Swap Questions

[Kolton5543]

I have a 89 GMC Sierra c1500. Extended cab short bed. It was my granddad's truck that he gave me. I use it as a daily driver and a work truck. It's beat up and ugly but is super reliable even with 220k.

So far I've done a 6 lug conversion, nbs master cylinder and installed a locker. I use it for towing often and it kinda lacks power on the freeway. It pulls good but holding 75 through the canyons with a 3k trailer is doable but a little more difficult than I'd like. I feel it could use just a little more power and the all original 700r4 could use a break.

I have a 95 LT1 I'm getting swap ready and a NV4500 that I was originally going to put in my 55 Studebaker crawler. I decided that much power and that nice of a trans is unnecessary for something that drives at only 3mph. Decided to install my sm465 and the tbi350 from the GMC into it and put the LT1 and NV4500 into the truck.

My question is, has anybody done the NV4500 swap? I've been googling all week and can't find a single one for 2wd. I've found plenty of dodges and plenty of 4wds but none in 2wd. My main concern is the drive shaft. I can easily figure out everything else bit the drive shaft has me stumped. I'd like to know if this configuration (2wd extended cab short bed) was ever used out the factory or if somebody has the info needed to make the right shaft the first time. I'd like to get everything together before the swap so I can just knock it out in a weekend. I don't want to get it all done first, measure for the shaft and then have my truck down for a week waiting for a shaft to get built.

I hate having to make threads asking questions but sometimes it's the only available option. Hopefully somebody here knows.
Posted via Mobile Device

[mongocanfly]

my 2cents...get it installed and then measure for your driveshaft..don't try to rush it...a good driveshaft shop usually will have a backlog of work and be a couple weeks behind anyway..I did a nv4500 swap in my truck and love it...what rear gears and how tall of a rear tire are you running...my truck has 4.10s and 30" rears...cruises 85mph with ease..I wouldn't go any higher on gears..I pull a 9500lb loaded trailer frequently. .

[Kolton5543]

I know they take some time for a shop to build. Thats why I would like to get everything together before jumping in. I dont consider it a rush if I plan the whole thing out over 2 months and get every thing together firrst and it goes all smooth on a weekend. Just well planned.

The truck currently has 30" tires and 3.48 gears in it right now and does good. I would like a some lower gears though. It chugs a little in overdrive if I try to maintain a hill. If I'm doing free way speeds its not too bad. Thats one reason I would like the LT1. It came out of my Caprice with 2.93 gears. That car weighs close to the same and it was fast. Held about 1700 rpm at 75 and it didn't matter how steep a hill was. It held it with ease.

[franken]

With 2WD things are simpler--you may need a shorter driveshaft and new slipyoke since your auto is 27 spline and the 4500 32. I'd measure (or google) the length of a 700R4, and the same for the manual and BH.
You will need to work out the bellhousing and clutch setup, and new pedals.
No NV4500s were put in half ton trucks by GM as far as I know.

[mongocanfly]

I'm thinking your not gonna like the nv with a 3.48 gear and 30" tire...at 65 your only gonna be turning 1849rpm..

[Kolton5543]

Originally Posted by franken

With 2WD things are simpler--you may need a shorter driveshaft and new slipyoke since your auto is 27 spline and the 4500 32. I'd measure (or google) the length of a 700R4, and the same for the manual and BH.
You will need to work out the bellhousing and clutch setup, and new pedals.
No NV4500s were put in half ton trucks by GM as far as I know.

This trans has a fixed yoke using u-bolts to hold the joint. I don't think gmt400s came with a slip yoke 4500 but I may be wrong. Any ways I know for sure this one is shorter than a 700 so I will for sure need a longer shaft. I'll probably wait end up getting some exact measurements of the two and figure out the difference.

Pretty sure your right about not being available in half tons but I think they were in extend cab short bed 3/4's which is the configuration I have. Again I could be wrong. The manual wasn't a very popular option them days.

I've got the clutch setup figured out. LT1s normally come with a 153 tooth flywheel/flex plate. A normal 168 tooth flywheel/flex plate frome an 87 and newer fits just fine. Use the corresponding starter of course. Or a mini starter which is what I'm doing. The clutch pedal I just need to find a donor truck for and it should bolt in and use the factory master and slave cylinder.

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

I'm thinking your not gonna like the nv with a 3.48 gear and 30" tire...at 65 your only gonna be turning 1849rpm..

It can't be worse than what I've got. Right now with the 700 it runs 1774. In other words it'll actually get a little bit better plus I'll have more power form the LT1 to handle it. The car the LT1 came from weighed close the same as the truck but had 2.93 gears. It ran 1500rpm at 65 and it handled it way better than the truck currently does. If anything the gears will be changed again in the future. Since I use this truck for a work horse I'd like to swap in a 6lug 14bolt with 4.10s some day. I'm basically making it a light duty 3/4.

For the LT1 swap, I've got that pretty much figured out except for the A/C. I hear the frame has to be notched to make it fit. Ive also heard that even a delete pulley requires it too. What kind of notch are we talking about? If the pulley requires just a few good whacks with a hammer then that's what I'll go with. If I gotta notch a big chunk then I may as well go all the way and retain A/C. Also from.what I see there's a big pulley and a small pulley. which fits better and what belt am I looking at?

[carwasher]

I found a complete nv4500 with bellhousing but it has a fixed u-bolts for the driveshaft not a spline to slip a drive shaft into. Can this be changed or what is the fix for a 2wd c10

[SunSoaked]

I'm swapping a 4500 into my 85 4wd longbed.
I would NOT measure for a driveshaft until everything was bolted in. Too many variables that can screw up your measurements. Driveshaft work isn't cheap, especially when you screw up.
The 4500 is much shorter than an auto (your 700 and my 400). I am not able to use a 1-piece shaft because I need one right at 64 inches. A one piece shaft that long will cost you dearly! Therefore, you may need a two piece shaft (and x-member and carrier bearing). It's a snowball effect. Once everything is in place you need to account for and adjust pinion angles accordingly or expect vibration.

Embrace the fixed yoke. A slip yoke is a waste of money and a step backwards.

[carwasher]

thanks SunSoaked, I will be staying with the fixed yoke