4 speed manual overdrive?????

[Hogback Fabrication]

great info man. I have changed from an auto to manual ('79 malibu t350 to super t-10) But i have never done a 4x4.
Also, im in Colorado, i bought my blazer about a month ago, then moved to colorado literally that same week. I will be flying to get it soon, So i cant exactly go look at it right now. (1986 blazer)

So, my k5 is passenger side drop, right? without a doubt i will need to get a new transfer case? is a "241 adapter" a stock part?

please excuse my ignorance, i have never owned a 4x4 before, and dont know too much about transfer cases, and the like..
thanks man

If your truck is stock and an auto, it will have a TH700R4 transmission and an NP208 transfer case. Yes, all K5's use passenger drop front axles.

If you want to swap an NV4500 into your truck, find one from a 4WD Chevy (basically a 90's 3500 4WD Chevy with a 5 speed). It will have a 32 spline output and would have had a driver's drop 241 behind it. The adapter behind the 4500 should work with either driver or passenger drop cases. Then you need to find a passenger drop NP208 or NP241 with a 32 spline input or buy a new input shaft for your t-case (its 27 spline).

 

[Hossbaby50]

When I spit off 5th gear it cost under $200 to fix. $80 for the updated nut setup from Dodge, $50 for fluid, brake cleaner, gasket maker, ...

The only thing is you need a special wrench thing that is available from Dodge or Quad4x4. I got lucky and a buddy with a Dodge with NV4500 had it so I borrowed it and his 10mm 12pt socket. You must have the wrench and the 10mm 12pt socket. Total time was about 4hrs in my driveway.

The updated nut is not a cure all. The design is flawed but if you install the update nut and are not way overusing (big power, lots of weight) the trans it should last a very long time. Some people actually weld the nut on which is ok unless you fark something else in the trans up which can make it a PITA to try and fix.

Quad 4x4 has a great writeup on the 5th gear problem with all the fixes and it is REALLY in depth.

Harley

 

[dyeager535]

Not really addressed, but how much do you drive it?

If it's not very often, and the engine isn't turning unhealthy RPM's, then you might just consider forgetting a swap to another transmission.

The NV4500 is the go-to for overdrive, but if you don't drive that much on the freeway, you are wasting your money, because every other gear (assuming the low 1st gear version) is exactly the same as the 465.

I was going to do the swap, but for the few hundred or thousand miles I drive a year on the freeway (compared to offroad where OD is meaningless for me) the cost and effort of the swap is pointless.

 

[bp71k5]

but if you don't drive that much on the freeway, you are wasting your money

I'd agree. It depends on the axle gearing and tire size, but now that I've been able to drive mine, I can only use 5th gear when I'm traveling above 60mph. If I'm any slower than that the rpm is below 2000rpm and the motor seems to want to be closer to 2200rpm. I spend a lot of time in 4th on the freeway, but I've got 35's and 4.10's. If you have deeper gears 5th might be more useful.

But I plan to spend a lot of my time on the freeway so I should be able to use 5th quite a bit at 65-70 mph.

 

[cabledawg]

I'm just looking at the tow rig right now. The 4x4 doesnt see much highway use, and I'll settle for slower speeds when it does. The tow rig however is seeing alot of highway use and even more next year. It would be nice to save some wear-n-tear on the engine.

 

[dyeager535]

Yeah, that is the key. If freeway RPM's are high enough that you feel fuel consumption and engine wear would appreciably decline with OD based on your driving, it makes sense. I don't like listening to my engine "scream", but when looking at what my calculated RPM's are (2263 @ 65MPH) I'm really not out there on the RPM's, and fuel consumption wouldn't be dramatic enough (at least given the amount of freeway miles driven) to make much of a difference even in the long term.

 

[cabledawg]

I'm sitting at roughly 2700 to keep from getting run over on the highway, so I need to drop a few. It's in the power band, so milage isnt too bad, but I would like it a little lower.

 

[bp71k5]

What kind of gearing is in the rear? When I shift into 5th at 2700 rpm, the rpm's drop to about 1800 (kinda low). If you have 4.56+ gears you might get it a little higher though.

 

[cabledawg]

In 3rd, its 1:1 on the trans and 3.73's in the rear axle. Stock sized tires (kinda small, but they ride well). I need to get it on the dyno to see exactly where the sweet spot is, but I'm feeling it at around 2200 up to 3000. The engine has enough torque to pull the trailer in the low 1000's, but I dont want it cruising that low, especially on a hill. I was looking at just regearing the axle, but its a big jump between 2nd and 3rd.

 

[sandypants]

when i drive my 89 (with the 465 4.10's and 35's) i am getting about 3000 at 70.

i just want to be able to drive it to the places and not have a trailer queen if you know what i mean. i think that last gear would be perfect.

so sounds like i need that 4500? so how do i find the one with the low first gear so its all the same as the 465 just with the 5th?