NV4500 swap is underway

[jonessmc87]

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

[jbclassix]

my .02

the rod is useless.

Did you get your seat yet?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

my .02

the rod is useless.

Did you get your seat yet?

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. 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.

[DirtyLarry]

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)


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



Before (too much chrome for my taste)

[jbclassix]

Very slick!

[Oilbrnr]

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

Plant looks good too BTW.

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

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Oilbrnr

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

Plant looks good too BTW.

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

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.

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.

[DirtyLarry]

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.

[grayharville]

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

[snj8198]

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

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by snj8198

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

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!

[snj8198]

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

My last square

[DirtyLarry]

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

[snj8198]

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.

[DirtyLarry]

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.

[Critter]

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?

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Critter

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?

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.

[Critter]

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

[jbclassix]

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.

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

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.

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

[jbclassix]

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

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by jbclassix

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

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!




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.

[Zoomad75]

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

Looks good!

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

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

Looks good!

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.

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.

[Zoomad75]

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!