Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

I had a 69 4x4 with a rockwell t-case and it had a factory second x member and look just like Larry's.

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

I am not convinced adding a tcase support will gain anything but add torsional stress to the transmission tail housing when the engine is under load while the tcase is tied down. I suspect that is why GM quite using the tcase support on the passenger’s side on 1973 and later trucks with the aluminum bell housing where older trucks with cast iron bell housings used to bolt the frame.

Now, a rod from the tcase to a bell housing bolt I would do if I could find one. Again, I haven’t ever seen one on a 1973 or later truck with a 205. Later trucks with aluminum tcases….yes.

Here is my stock ’78 K20 wrecker that I inherited when my dad passed away this summer. It doesn’t even have holes drilled into the side of 205 for a side mount or a support rod.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/...9d597bf8_b.jpg

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

Larry,
A little input for you. I had a 1985 (or maybe it was 86) k30 SRW. the drive-train was 6.2 diesel/th400/np205 slip yoke. I never thought there were any 205's put in anything but crew cabs till I had this truck. It was not purchased from a normal dealership but from a medium duty dealership c4500's and up. I did not buy it new but all the documentation was still in the truck when I purchased it used, and the dealership is still in business. It seems that if you ordered a PTO option the np205 t-case is the case that would be put int it. Np208 did not have a pto option. Anyways, this truck with the np205 had the rod similar to the np208 running from the t-case to the bellhousing like you described. I have also heard of this rod referred to on the coloradock5 sight as well, so I am sure they exist for the np205. I bet they are elusive as big foot though.
JLT
PS What a great build, I really enjoy this thread I will be doing a nv4500 on my r30 crew cab soon, thanks for the inspiration!!

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Larry,
here is a link to a place that specializes in the sale of older classic trucks. The picture is of a 86k30 srw just similar to the one I had, if you can zoom it in you can see that it has a rod bolted on the t-case just as I described in my previous post.

http://www.rustfreeclassics.com/imag...olution%5D.jpg

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

All K30’s came with 205’s (and Dana 60 front axles) regardless of engines so that isn’t that odd. The rod is a surprise though as I have not seen one on a 205. If I could find one I would use it…..that is if it would fit. Getting pretty tight under there. Seems these trucks have worked fine for over 30 years without a rod so I am sure they will continue on just fine.

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

i dont want to start show and tell, but my 89 v3500 has the th400/205 and it has the rod from the side of the 205 to bellhousing flange also

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my .02

the rod is useless.

Did you get your seat yet?

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

I am not too sure about that rod myself. Never saw one on a manual trans truck with a 205 but looks like they were used on automatics.

The guy that is doing the seats is a friend of the family so you know how that goes. If I see them before February I’ll be surprised. :lol: It is going to be a while before I’ll be needing them anyway. All that needs to be done is finish up the rust repair, Rhino the floor and bolt the seats in.

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

Blue beast also got a face lift while in the operating room.

My buddies were always complaining the chrome tube grill was a blinding hazard when we are off road in the desert so the big chrome 80’s tube grill got canned in favor of an OEM grill.

First time around I painted the headlight bezels and grill Argent. It just looked too blah. (Crappy Blackberry camera)
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/...8c6473c7_b.jpg

So, I took it back apart and resprayed everything in satin black to spice it up. Looks much better I think.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/...869447de_b.jpg

Before (too much chrome for my taste)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3582/...1b5ab9f9_b.jpg

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Very slick!

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Looks good Larry! Hey, can you find me a nice '77-'78 grill please? ;)

Plant looks good too BTW. :lol:

Hey, what are those switches for mounted under the steering column?

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They’re getting hard to find. My buddies Dad found me this grill several years ago at a garage sale. I took the Silverado trim pieces and bowtie off of the old broken original grill that I have had lying around for years and used them on the grill he found.

Yeah, a couple plants had to come in for the winter and the only place it can get sun is right in front of the truck. It was even blooming a few weeks ago. :lol:

The switches under the column are for the fuel transfer pump. It only has an electric in-tank pump on the LH side and use a diesel transfer pump to pump fuel from the RH to the LH tank. The other switch is for the dual battery isolator and the small button is for the electric windshield washer pump.

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The new face is a throwback the grill I had it in back in the late 90’s. Picture is from 1997 when I first move to Detroit (picture taken in Windsor, ON Canada side of the river). My dad helped me move and is posing in the picture (he passed away this past August). I worked on the 15 floor of that building in the back ground. If you follow the auto industry you should recognize that building.

This grill got broke when I rearended a girl in a Dodge Dynasty with bike rack on the back while I lived there. :lol:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/...962f8b6b_o.jpg

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cool truck, I saw it in the readers rides section of petersons 4 wheel& Off road a while back, congrats.

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That's sharp looking Larry. I like the new grill better. I miss my square body.

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

Thanks Steve. There ain’t nobody like a square body so they say…. Or least should be, there ain’t no rusty body like a square body. Man, I swear they built the squares out of prerusted metal when they were new!

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It wasn't an option, they came from the factory with rust!:lol:

My last square
Attachment 677691

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WOW that is awesome Steve! I bet you miss that one. I always love the Sport package squares. Pretty rare rigs!

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ya it was a Scottsdale sport. tach dash, captain's chairs, neat little sport emblem on hood, and i had a Weiand 177 hiding under the hood too.

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Trans tunnel cover comparisons……

465/205 on the left and TH350/203 modified to NV4500/ORD twin stick 205 on the right. I welded nuts on the bottom side of the tunnel to make installing the bezels and boots easier once it is all complete.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5127/...d4b81c5b_b.jpg

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I've been waiting on the tunnel comparison. Doesn't look like much of a difference to speak of. Refresh my memory, what nv4500 shifter did you decide to use?

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I ended up going with the 1992-1994 C/K NV4500 shifter. New shift knobs are even still available for those shifters, which I was pretty happy about. There is a decent picture of it on post 113.

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Oh yeah, I guess I missed it before. It all looks real nice! That shifter looks right at home in your square body.

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Hey Larry, you have a zf-s650 in your 2001, right? Looking at it do you think it would fit in a 67-72 without modifying the floor too much? I have only driven one behind a power-choke and I liked it, but never really had a chance to compare it to my NV4500.

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

I actually look at that the feasibility of a S6-650 but they are huge! I think an old truck would need a 3” body lift as well as major floor rework to make one fit. The S6-650 is an awkward shifting mess if you ask me. I have never really like mine from the day I drove it off the dealer’s lot in 2001. It is real easy to poke it in reverse when you think you are in 1st. Yeah, I scared a few cars at stop lights before as I launched in reverse instead of 1st :lol:

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

It will be nice to know what someone thinks of a nv4500 vs a s650. Keep us posted...

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

Yeah, I am anxious to drive the 8.1L behind a NV4500 as well. I think for daily use and off-roading the NV4500 will be a better trans behind the 8.1L. If you plan on towing a freight train across town the ZF S6-650 would probably be better suited since it has closer matched gear ratios between shifts that helps keep the engine RPM’s steady and in the torque band. I skip shift my ZF most of the time. Pretty much only use 1st, 3rd, and 6th when cruising around town.

Not many people realize the NV4500’s was available in production trucks with 8.1L engines in the 2001 and 2002 GMT400 3500-HD. This was the old body style 2wd truck with the I-beam front axle. They were pretty rare with 8.1's with a manual trans but they are out there. They were popular in wreckers.

The ZF S6-650 is huge compared to the NV4500!
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5249/...c6fc299d_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/...cc8c52be_o.jpg

As far as the truck……I’ve been busy with work and traveling lately so not much has really gotten done. We finished up the rust repair on the floor this past weekend and prepped the interior for Rhino lining. So now I need to get busy and get the cluster installed and the other electrical doodads hooked up then start it. I about 90% sure the hydrobooster to steering gear hose is going leak so that sucker will probably have to come off and go back to the hydraulic shop. Still no seats but have the Rhino appointment on Friday the 28th regardless if it gets driven or rides on a trailer.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5005/...ecf7f035_b.jpg

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

Just tell me when. I can drive it without seats! Park my tail on the floor hump and it's on!

Looks good!

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Yeah, you could drive it without seats! For those of you that don’t know Rob, he is a manzilla! He has a striking resemblance to RatFink when driving his S10 too. :lol:

Well, the cluster is back in, all switches and wire connections are hooked up, then fired it up this afternoon! To my surprise everything worked without a single issue. Not even a P/S pump whine (hydroboost can be a PITA to bleed sometimes). I figured something would go wrong going back together being it was tore so far apart and for so long.

So far the hydroboost hose I was worried about isn’t leaking yet either but doesn’t mean it won’t once I put some time and miles on it. Ran it up to about 45 MPH through all the gears with the truck up on jack stand with no scary noises or anything coming from the driveline. The hydroboost brakes seem to work great! The tires stop spinning right now when you press the brake.

So far so good! Now all I need are some damn seats! It still has a Rhino date on the 28th seats or no seats. Oh, yeah still need to buy a stereo too. Going to get a some kind of deck with a remote control this time, as pressing the buttons is a PITA in a big bouncy truck. :lol:

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RatFink! That's funny. True, but funny. Make sure you get a deck with at least an aux input or ipod input so you can bring the tunes along. I was using a fm modulator in the K5, which is ok, but one more 12v accessory to run. The Kenwood in the S10 has an aux input that plugs right into my Ipod. Sound is clear and it's not fuzzy from static. The Kenwood has remote too, but this RatFink doesn't have a problem reaching the buttons.

Keep up the Ratfink remarks and you might not ever see that spinflex ratchet of yours again!

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Subscribed. Great photos and detailed explanations. I'm following this closely since I may try the NV4500 myself.

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Is it easier/better to replace the pedal assembly that somehow connect a hydraulic setup to the existing clutch pedal?

I know where an 87 or so truck with a hydraulic clutch setup I can get the pedals and MC from, just wondering if its needed...

My truck is a 72 K10 with a 465 trans BTW.

Re: NV4500 swap is underway
 

I think so… at least on a square body style truck. Half the battle is figuring out exactly where to add the hydraulic clutch master cylinder rod pivot so the working angles come out right. For a square truck it is just easier to grab a set of hydro pedals and call it a day.

On your ’72 it would probably be easier to figure out the working angles on the original pedals than try to retrofit a set of 85-91 square body pedals as I am sure there probably quite a bit different. I bet someone here has done a hydraulic clutch in a '67-'72 that would know.

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I am not 100% on this but I believe swing peddles from 63 to 72 are the same. The 63 had hydro clutch and a member on here captain fab make a adapter to run after market reservoir.

P.S. I keep rereading this thread, really alot of good info.

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Thanks for the responses! I'll have to reread it again myself as well as start researching hydro vs mechanical clutch actuation and the costs.

The truck has an NP208/SM465 setup from an 85 so I'm thinking of using the 208.

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The story goes that the only difference between the 208 an 241 is that the 241 has a oil pump in it as GM was having trouble with the 208 running dry and burning up.

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Just got back home from dropping the truck off at the Rhino shop. Still don’t have seats yet so it rode over on a trailer. I should have it back Saturday afternoon and the seats back from the upholstery shop tomorrow.

It drove on and off the trailer just fine and the brakes work great! Wow, what a noticeable difference going from vacuum to hydroboost. I stabbed the pedal backing down the driveway and it even locked up the tires. That is a first ever for this truck! It may have locked up the tires when it had ½ ton axles but I can’t remember what it drove like then. Heck that was 14 years ago. We’ll see how the brakes work once I get it on the road but I may not need to do a rear disk swap after all.

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It's going to be like an early Christmas for you.

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or late one :lol:

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The Rhino guy called at about 2 PM this afternoon and said the truck won’t be done until late tomorrow if not Monday morning. The upholstery guy only got one seat done and even it isn’t completely done as it is still missing the arm rests. I picked up the seat but have to take the driver’s seat back to him to finish up once I drive the truck back home from the Rhino shop. I swear, relying on other people is for the birds and exactly why I try to do all my own work….because you cannot rely on anybody to do what they promise when they promise it. Errr..

The good news is I sold the old SM465/NP205 today to two really nice guys that responded to my CL add and drove down from Conifer. I enjoyed chatting with them while they were here. That $475 helps offset the cost of the Rhino lining. Tonight I bought a new JVC stereo (with remote…whoo hoo!) and Rockford Fosgate speakers for big blue once she gets back home.

Speaking of the stereo, I almost had to kill and old man tonight in a Ford Stupid Duty coming back from the stereo store as he crossed a solid line as he aborted entry onto the I-25 ramp at Hwy 50 and damn near sideswiped our Tahoe. He had to be an inch way from hitting us! The reason why I got so worked up and was ready to throw chingasos with him it is because some chick driving with her head up her *** rear ended my wife and I in my wife’s new 2010 BMW 335Xi last weekend sending my wife to the hospital in an ambulance. She is fine but came out of it with a kink her neck and a headache that won’t let up. This all is on the heals of another idiot, who also wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing, rear-ended our Pontiac in Oct 2009 which is why we got the BMW in the first place (probably would have gotten another new Poncho had GM not been so stupid to kill Pontiac). I swear people need to put their phones down and DRIVE! :m5: