4l80 to nv4500 swap

[obijuank5]

I came across a very nice nv4500 that I'd like to put in my crew cab.
It is a 91 which has the 4l80 originally equipped which works fine buuuuuuuttttttt it is an auto and at least three of us know thats gay.
I will be standard swapping it eventually with the diesel anyways so might as well get a head start right?

I will have to lengthen the rear shaft and shorten the front almost certainly. Block to tcase measurements:
Nv4500 is 26-3/4" while the 4l80 is 26-1/4" PLUS 4-5/8" the factory adapter.
So with that 1.5" advance adapters spacer it's just close enough to suck.
Or just not use the spacer. The 205 has a short input installed in it now.


Worth the trouble for yall? I'm good with either one I guess but it would be cool to row some gears you know.
Only thing I would have to buy is the spacer, clutch kit, fluid, and rear driveshaft work. Maybe.

 

[toomany]

Not up to speed on what diesel you plan on swapping in, but if this trans won't work with it, you may be better off on waiting. Odds are you will need driveshaft mods again, bell housing or input shaft swap possibly. The money spent on the swap parts could be put toward the diesel.

If you change your mind....shipping to 48611?

 

[Fastereddie]

I came across a very nice nv4500 that I'd like to put in my crew cab.
It is a 91 which has the 4l80 originally equipped which works fine buuuuuuuttttttt it is an auto and at least three of us know thats gay.
I will be standard swapping it eventually with the diesel anyways so might as well get a head start right?

I will have to lengthen the rear shaft and shorten the front almost certainly. Block to tcase measurements:
Nv4500 is 26-3/4" while the 4l80 is 26-1/4" PLUS 4-5/8" the factory adapter.
So with that 1.5" advance adapters spacer it's just close enough to suck.
Or just not use the spacer. The 205 has a short input installed in it now.


Worth the trouble for yall? I'm good with either one I guess but it would be cool to row some gears you know.
Only thing I would have to buy is the spacer, clutch kit, fluid, and rear driveshaft work. Maybe.

View attachment 289549

I read all of that, but all I heard was Manual. Me likey!

 

[obijuank5]

Noe of that shit is gonna work. I'm going 6 speed with the diesel.
Let's get down to it with the fact that a TBI 350 sucks butt with the 4l80. Even with 4.56 and 34" tires.

I feel like the truck would drive better with a manual trans.

 

[Fastereddie]

Noe of that shit is gonna work. I'm going 6 speed with the diesel.
Let's get down to it with the fact that a TBI 350 sucks butt with the 4l80. Even with 4.56 and 34" tires.

I feel like the truck would drive better with a manual trans.

Everything drives better with a manual...Fact.

 

[toomany]

Noe of that shit is gonna work. I'm going 6 speed with the diesel.
Let's get down to it with the fact that a TBI 350 sucks butt with the 4l80. Even with 4.56 and 34" tires.

I feel like the truck would drive better with a manual trans.

If that's the case, then doing the swap would probably make you enjoy the truck more.

Still stand by my shipping comment from before, always looking to pick up an extra.

 

[Tweekls1]

I've been debating the same swap on my K5, in for details. Might put the LSA blower on it first to see if it makes the auto more fun to drive.

 

[shady]

Where's the 4l80 going ?

Manuals are for semis, dump trucks, and hotrods

 

[obijuank5]

Where's the 4l80 going ?

It's going on craigslist lol

 

[shady]

How far are you from iowa

 

[obijuank5]

How far are you from iowa

Only one trip away.

 

[campfire]

I think I'd avoid doing the swap twice, if you're ultimately wanting a 6-speed.

But I'm firmly in the 3rd-pedal club, and I liked my NV4500 almost as much as my NV3500. Almost.

I'd give you the same advice I just gave Rob:

@ZooMad75, a quick check of Rockauto indicates that a '98 NV4500 uses the same clutch slave as a '99 4.8L NV3500 (which is what I have in my suburban). Based on that, if I were in your shoes, I would buy a slave cylinder from a 2005 GTO. Same mount, same bore, same stroke. But it uses a normal M10 bubble flare fitting instead of the awkward click-type connector that most of GM's slaves used in that era. I bought a standard square body M/C, a standard square body clutch hose, and one adapter to connect the stock M12 fitting to the M10 fitting on the slave. Easy-peasy, since you're going the internal slave route.

There are pictures buried in the burb thread (sometime this past spring/summer)

 

[1-ton]

An extra 4L80E would be cool to have for my 1991 Chevy V3500, but the shipping cost alone would be more than the core value of the trans itself. I did a lot of research and work to my 4L80E trans. The first few years of the 4l80E trans had some issues that I fixed on mine. I am sticking with the gasoline small block on my 91 V3500. If I had a mildly built stroker 383 to 400 small block in my crew cab that would make plenty of power that a 4L80E would be capable of handling.

 

[dyeager535]

I wouldn't do the swap.

First, why do the work twice, and why spend money twice? Second, the 4L80E is a good transmission, and I see no reason to swap one out UNTIL or even IF it goes bad.

The 465/NV4500 still have horrible gear splits, not sure which all gears get TCC apply in the 4L80E, but even if only 3rd and 4th, that is *somewhat* like having a 6 speed. You'll never use low on the 4500 driving down the road, so no different than the 4L80E there, and the torque converter compensates at low vehicle speeds (nor will it stall), so no gain on the low end either.

Trust me. Every time I hear someone with automatic transmission problems, I smile to myself.

But having driven a TBI350/4500 combo, the engine is the problem. 4L80E may suck down some more power, but the TBI350 is just not a powerful motor.

 

[1-ton]

This 400 C.I. small block engine with a bored out factory TBI, mild roller cam, custom tuned chip, and a 4L80E would put out enough power to make a crew cab pretty bad ass.

 

[obijuank5]

I put pennies to paper and every configuration I can build this it all comes to about 1000 bucks to swap this in and do a good job. I'm not going to half ass it.
Even though I have alot of the parts to do it, there are still expenses that just wont pay off.

It's this damn tbi350!

 

[dyeager535]

It's this damn tbi350!

Trust me, I don't bag on the LO3(?right?) lightly, as I don't think the TBI350 is a horrible engine. But I drove my buddies '95 K2500, 350/4500, extended cab, long bed, 14SF, I believe 3.73's, unmolested, for about a week and a half a couple years back since I couldn't get the L31 fired up in mine in time for hunting season. My K5, pre/post L31 long block, with TPI, slightly bigger tires, slightly worse gearing, fairly similar weight (within 500lbs given the curb weight of the 1995) will spank that truck in terms of acceleration. As in not even questionable which one has more power. I felt the difference between the two is less at cruise speeds going up steep hills, but that is one reason they make larger engines. Or forced induction. Or diesels. Or both.

 

[1-ton]

I put pennies to paper and every configuration I can build this it all comes to about 1000 bucks to swap this in and do a good job. I'm not going to half ass it.
Even though I have alot of the parts to do it, there are still expenses that just wont pay off.

It's this damn tbi350!

I say if you have your heart set on the drivetrain combo you want...then go for it. You will never be happy with your rig if you settle for what others think you should do.

 

[1-ton]

Trust me, I don't bag on the LO3(?right?) lightly

I have an LO3 350 TBI engine in my 1991 Chevy V3500. I bought a brand new GM Goodwrench 350 TBI crate engine for my crew cab. I took the factory stock camshaft out, and replaced it with a COMP Cam Computer Controlled cam that increased the duration by roughly 30-degrees, and increased the lift by roughly 20-thousands of an inch. I also had my original TBI bored out 1/8" and modified by Vic Morse with an adjustable fuel pressure regulator (set at 13 PSI) . I also got EP377 AC/DELCO fuel pumps as well (max 30 PSI pressure). Between the cam, TBI, and custom exhaust system on my truck I would say that I have about 30 more Horse Power in my LO3 engine. It may not be the most powerful engine in the world, but it gets up and goes a little compared to a worn out high mileage engine.

 

[nvrenuf]

I'll play devils advocate....

I really hate to see you swap all this out of the crew cab. In addition to being the last year, there are certain things that make that 91 V3500 different from just any other blue crew cab, the 4l80e/205 being the main one.