Another NV4500 to NP205

[Orange Crate]

Originally Posted by Wide Open

I see your transmission doesn’t have the damper on the tail shaft. Is there any benefit to using one or can it be removed to save rotating mass without negative effect? Both of mine have the damper.
Yours is going behind your 406 correct?
Are you modifying the tailhousing adapter to accommodate the original shifter or going with twin sticks? It may have been mentioned earlier in the thread but I’m not seeing it using my phone. ����

Wide Open,
I have not looked at that issue. The spacer on my trans, in place of the damper, is the way I bought it. It was from a K3500 with a pile of miles on it, close to 300K. It was rebuilt at least once already as I can see some damage on the main shaft around the rear bearing (nothing I am too concerned about). This trans was well used and lived without the damper. Yes, it will go behind my 406. I have already fabbed up a twin stick set up using two original shifters. Pictures of it are in post #2. I decided to use the AA bell housing just to save some grief looking for parts. AA has it all laid out on their site. I have a clutch pedal that needs to be looked at and installed. I'll go with the hydraulic clutch set up AA recommends. I just need to save a little more to buy the AA BH. It took a while to put enough aside for the NV rebuild. I do my own work as a way to keep this on some kind of a budget build. (It hasn't worked!). There is a saying that goes "A sailboat is a hole in the ocean you pour money into" I say this truck is a "pothole in the road I pour money into" but I wouldn't have it any other way cuz, ya gotta live, right?

[Orange Crate]

Not a whole lot of progress but some. I fabbed up a couple of links from 3/8" rod to try to get an idea of where my shift levers will end up relative to my bench seat when they are in 2 H, 4 H & L for each axle (front wheel drive only, rear wheel drive ect). The picture shows both axles in 4 H, so I think I want the links a little shorter to place the levers farther forward. I'll measure the links when I feel they are in the right place and then build the final linkage out of proper 3/8" rod ends. It's not completely visible but I have two original shifter levers together for my twin stink set up. You have to look closely but they are there. Alrighty then.....

[franken]

I like the stock lever twin stick setup. I was thinking of doing the same but while I have 4 205 shifters, all are different. Two are shaped very similarly, but one is forged and the other is make of parts and welded. All are GM. Both of yours look like the forged ones.

Did you fab a bracket and bolt to place them in that spot? It seems a bit far back to me, but I could be wrong.

More close pics of the twin stick linkage and mounting would be nice.

[Orange Crate]

Originally Posted by franken

I like the stock lever twin stick setup. I was thinking of doing the same but while I have 4 205 shifters, all are different. Two are shaped very similarly, but one is forged and the other is make of parts and welded. All are GM. Both of yours look like the forged ones.

Did you fab a bracket and bolt to place them in that spot? It seems a bit far back to me, but I could be wrong.

More close pics of the twin stick linkage and mounting would be nice.

Yes my levers are the forged ones. I did fab a bracket for the pivot bolt. If you right click on the image you can save it to your confuser and then zoom in on it. The bracket is crude right now as I am just making sure that pivot location will work. I can create another bracket if there is something that won't line up or move it around for whatever reason. The linkage is just temporary also just to test function and clearance.

[sweetk30]

i dont know the spacing on a 67-72 truck but on a 80's k5 blazer i am doing it has a offroad design twin stick setup on a nv4500 with the 1-5/8 advanced adapter spacer kit .

the ord twin stick spacer is only 1-1/4" thick for the shifter bolt mount unlike your looong one you made .

hope this info helps if not your combo looks good . i did one for a guy a few years ago with 2 stock levers and it worked real good .

[Orange Crate]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

i dont know the spacing on a 67-72 truck but on a 80's k5 blazer i am doing it has a offroad design twin stick setup on a nv4500 with the 1-5/8 advanced adapter spacer kit .

the ord twin stick spacer is only 1-1/4" thick for the shifter bolt mount unlike your looong one you made .

hope this info helps if not your combo looks good . i did one for a guy a few years ago with 2 stock levers and it worked real good .

I am not using a spacer on my set up. It is an NV4500 bolted to a 6 bolt round pattern NP205. You might be thinking that the tail housing is a spacer, but it is not. Under the tail housing is 5th gear and the shift fork for that. Take a look at post #47, it clearly shows what is under the tail housing. This is the shortest NV to NP conversion possible. I tried to put the shift lever pivot point in the same location as stock. I have in my truck an NP205 mated to a TH350 right now, so I just took measurements off of that.

[sweetk30]

then you swapped in a short input gear on your round 205 then .

i know what a nv4500 205 combo is .

the spacer is used when someone dosnt want to swap the gear or keep the drive lines the same length from a th400 swap or 465 round 6 205 swap .

i just noticed your long custom spacer for the 2 stick lever combo was long compared to the ord kit one i put in my buddys truck thats hanging on the 2 post lift in my shop now .

nice build tho keep it up .

[Orange Crate]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

then you swapped in a short input gear on your round 205 then.

Yes, that swap is clearly shown in post #1. I measured the twin stick pivot point again last night and it is in the same place as a stock single lever pivot point. I measured 2 3/4" from the front face of the NP205 or the split line between the NP & NV tail housing.

[sweetk30]

must be your 67-72 stuff has different hole position for the levers than my 73-87 stuff like i said .

cool build up . you will like the better 4500 and the o.d. will be super for cruising . i know my buddy went 3200-3300 @ 70-72mph with 4.56 gear and 38" tires with old sm465 and now he dropped around 1k rpm and its much better at highway speed and less screaming .

[Orange Crate]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

and less screaming .

Ha ha, that's the point! (Not that putting all this together is fun or anything like that )

[BDC1]

How about an update?

[57NAPCO]

I like these guys, cause I don’t know transmissions lol

http://nv-4500.com/

[Campbel45]

Hey Orange Crate,

Hope all is well. How is your swap coming along?

Thanks,
Campbell

[Orange Crate]

Originally Posted by Campbel45

Hey Orange Crate,

Hope all is well. How is your swap coming along?

Thanks,
Campbell

Sorry about that, I was focused on getting stuff done on my truck and forgot about this thread. The good news is it's done and in the truck. I posted a pick in the "What have you done to your truck lately" or something like that. I did end up ordering the AA bell housing. It is super easy to assemble that way, just like a real factory Chevy set up. I had to wait 3 months for the housing, I guess supply chain issues hit that casting process too. I fabed up a new rear trans cross member and got lucky because I didn't have to move it. I ended up moving my engine forward 3 1/8", but like I said I got lucky that it all sits just about in the right spot. I even have about 2" from my fan to my radiator, so just about perfect. Because of the fan clearance I couldn't go any farther forward so my twin sticks are where they are. It is very comfortable to shift them, just a slight reach. The twin shifters are shown in 4 hi so that is as far back as will ever need to go, plus the NV is shown in 2nd gear so it is also as far back as will need to be. I machined my linkage on a Bridgeport mill I picked up. Sorry for the crap pic of the linkage. Here it is in the truck....

[Campbel45]

Great update and good work!

If I remember right, you have your nv4500 / np205 in the shortest configuration possible right? (no adapters).

I have the same (short config) and also plan to keep my bench seat. I'm debating whether to move my engine forward or notch the seat for the shifter.

It seems like others have been able to keep the engine in the stock location with just the shifter just kissing the seat. Does your twin shift move the shifters back at all?

Did you make your rear crossmember to lower the NP205? I used some spacers to drop my stock crossmember as the np205 housing was hitting the floor a bit. Do you have any worries about front driveshaft angle?


Sorry for all the questions!! Your one of the few that seems to be going down the same path as me. Great minds think alike!

[Orange Crate]

Originally Posted by Campbel45

Great update and good work!

If I remember right, you have your nv4500 / np205 in the shortest configuration possible right? (no adapters).

I have the same (short config) and also plan to keep my bench seat. I'm debating whether to move my engine forward or notch the seat for the shifter.

It seems like others have been able to keep the engine in the stock location with just the shifter just kissing the seat. Does your twin shift move the shifters back at all?

Did you make your rear crossmember to lower the NP205? I used some spacers to drop my stock crossmember as the np205 housing was hitting the floor a bit. Do you have any worries about front driveshaft angle?


Sorry for all the questions!! Your one of the few that seems to be going down the same path as me. Great minds think alike!

I do not have an adapter, only the AA bell housing.

I kept the transfer case shifters in the same location as stock due to the bench seat. But I did have to move my engine forward for this.

My trans cross member is stock, in the stock location. I only needed to make a pedestal type adapter for my NV tail housing to bolt to and that bolts on to the stock rubber trans mount. I did not lower the transfer case, it sits about 1/2" below the cab floor. (it might be slightly higher by 1/4" or so, maybe).

My front and rear driveshaft angles should be really close to stock. I will need to measure for length to make sure as I have a D60 in front now (should be a shorter driveshaft)

Clutch master cyl and slave cyl install are next....Here are a couple more of the linkage I milled up.