NV4500 5 speed in an early CJ5?

Folks, I have a smokin' deal presenting itself to me on a '92 Chevy NV4500.
That means the good 6.34:1 first AND the awesome 0.73:1 O/D.
It just doesn't get any better than that.
BUT we all know how HUGE the NV4500 is.

Has anyone done that swap here?
Problems with:
T-Case shifters?
Front driveshaft?
Floor pan?
Trans. shifter placement?

If you have a link to a "how to" website or page, feel free to e-mail it and any other info to me: whwklw@earthlink.net

Thanks a bunch for any and all help!
Bill

 

There was an article in JP a while back when Christan put one behind a :v6: in his CJ6. Not sure if there is a link around here but I know it was discused about quite a bit.

 

Yep, I put NV4500 into the search and came up with nothing.
I saw a LOT of posts about putting overdrives into the CJ's but most seem to be NV3550's or T-5's and such.

I'll see if I can dig up that JP article.

Thanks!

 

Why not sm465 and an external od? That's my plan, but I'm running a v6

 

Because with the NV4500 I'm getting the mega-low first of the SM465AND the overdrive gear of the Warn in one neat package.
Besides, if you knew what this guy wants for this NV4500 you'd be all over it, too.
I can't buy 1/2 of a USED Warn overdrive for what he wants for it!!!

If I can get enough positive input on it, I'll put a 4.3 V6 in immediately.....Oh...did I mention that it includes the GM bellhousing and flywheel?

 

If your putting in a 4.3 in it shouldnt be much of a prob., just see if Novak or AA offers an adapter and go from there.

 

If you go that route, I've got a 4.3 you could have for free. Too bad you're a few states away.

 

Thanks for the offer!

I'm more concerned about the girth of the tranny and how it'll affect my t-case shifter and linkage, the front driveshaft and such.

 

I thought they were too long for an ECJ5? Maybe not.

 

Is the clutch release on the correct side or is it on the wrong side, I looked at doing this swap also but i think it is a little long with the tcase adapter for my 73 with a v-8.

 

The clutch release is on the passenger (wrong) side but I do have another GM bellhousing/clutch fork available.
I assume that'll work?
It's long alright but I would be using a 4.3 V6 so that affords me a little more length flexibility.

Thanks!

 

Couple of comments -

Christian used a NV3500 IIRC, not an NV4500. The 3500 came in the late XJ.

Likely waaay too long for a CJ.

 

Yep likely way too long. But if you are getting that kind of deal on it I would grab it and store it somewhere. Might be one of those things you trade with at a later time.

 

go for it, tell us how it works.

 

good luck.

I think you'd need a cj6 to do this.

the cj5 has an ~14 inch drive shaft with the T-98 four speed.

The NV4500 is yet even longer.

Your best bet would be to buy the 4500, sell it for what you can get for it, and stick with something else that fits.

Besides, that gear ratio gap from second to third is a real disadvantage to the 4500.

 

I used an NV3550. The 3550 came in the Jeep XJ and Wranglers and has a removable bellhousing. The NV3500 came in the Dodge light trucks and has an integral bellhousing that can't be removed.

The NV3550 shares the same tranny-to-bellhousing bolt pattern as Toyota mini truck trannies. My conversion used Advance Adapter's Buick V6-to-Toyota bellhousing which does have the clutch fork on the pass. side. I rigged up a hanging clutch pedal and used a hydraulic master cyl. and slave. It cleared the front shaft in my CJ-6 with no lift.

The NV4500 requires Advance PN 712550 to adapt it to a Dodge transmission. Then you'll need to use Advance's Buick 5.125-inch bellhousing, PN 712582. Gor the GM tranny you'll need the bellhousing PN 712577 ('93-'95 tranny) or PN 712576 ('95-up) plus a BOPC-Chevy adapter plate (usually 3/8-inch thick).

It'll be tight in a CJ-5 and there's pretty much no way you'll be able to run much of a suspension lift, but it's doable.

 

I ended up building a CJ-6 with one instead of putting it in my '5 due to lack of space. It's do-able, if you want to run about a 10" rear drive shaft. That means very little lift unless you want to push the engine forward and the rear axle back and cut the wheel wells. The early NV-4500 uses a different bolt pattern on the front. AA sells a bellhousing with the throwout on the driver's side. That's what I used. A regular GM bellhousing "may" be able to work with some machine work, don't know, haven't tried it. I know stock the earlier bolt pattern is definitely wrong and I think the bearing retainer is a bigger diameter, could be the same as the truck bellhousing though. Going from memory on that part. Nickmil

 

I tend to agree with Madizill on this one. You could use this tranny if you were willing to cut out the rear fenders and move the rear axle back to get more wheel base. And shift the engine foreward. And use a higher hp motor. And this would probably end up requiring a stronger frame, etc. etc. etc.. Wouldn't really be an Early CJ5 anymore after all of that but if that's the kind of rig you want to build I say go for it. Otherwise look to the sm465 or sm420 or t18 4 speeds.