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NV4500 LS swap

Some real world experience here is that it’s pretty rare for me to use 5th gear unless I’m really hauling on the highway at 70mph+, or I just want to drop the noise level a bit. 37” tires will really need 4.88 or deeper gears cause even with a big block, it struggles to maintain power down below 2500rpm. Maybe the 5.3 can wind a bit higher to overcome that though.
 
? ? ? How is it that newer fuel injected vehicles are designed to almost lug, and still have adequate torque and pulling power, while running at slower speeds and consuming less fuel.

Fuel injection has it's virtues and advantages of being able to turn lower rpms at highway speeds a carbureted engine wouldn't be able to operate at.
 
I’m a ways out for any real life experience with my sm465 to nv4500 swap with my “LS” 6.0l. But with 5.13 gears and 40” radials and the stockish 6.0 I can tell my personal truck is ready for 5th gear above 60mph.

That said, the sm465 is a great transmission. And me swapping it out is far from necessary. And I want to add a ORD magnum and the synchronized 1st/rev.

I just maxed out my 80mph speedometer the other day just to see on the Highway how it felt and I was running super high rpm and wouldn’t want to maintain that speed in my rig. But I can tell my engine will be ok with the gearing and tire size pulling the OD ratio. Any type of hill and back to 4th or 3rd I’ll go I’m sure.

I think it was fastereddie or someone who called the sm465 shifting a bowl of mashed potatoes. Now I only the view the sm465 as mashed potatoes. Especially when that bitch doesn’t want to shift into 1st or reverse.


Also my truck is light weight for what it is and the engine feels healthy.
 
A 4500 is light years better shifting than a dump truck 465. It’s better than the zf 6-speed units they put in the gmt800 trucks with a dirtymax or 8.1. Those are notchy units.
 
As someone who had a 465 for a long time before swapping for a NV4500, I can tell you it's a much smoother driving experience. The only downside is cost of entry and not really gaining anything as far as gear spacing as the gear splits are basically the same. I'd definitely do it again.
 
As someone who had a 465 for a long time before swapping for a NV4500, I can tell you it's a much smoother driving experience. The only downside is cost of entry and not really gaining anything as far as gear spacing as the gear splits are basically the same. I'd definitely do it again.
To be honest the gear spacing is fine for me on the 465 I would just enjoy less mashed potatoes and an extra gear for those 70 mph cruises
 
I saw a new tremec box on power tour that is supposed to bolt in place of the 465. IIRC, it retailed for about $3k. Always options out there especially when yer stirring mashed taters.
 
I saw a new tremec box on power tour that is supposed to bolt in place of the 465. IIRC, it retailed for about $3k. Always options out there especially when yer stirring mashed taters.
The Tremec TR4050 actually sells for about $6k when it’s all said and done, it was supposed to be a bolt in replacement for the old 4 speeds since the 4500s are drying up, but the price of entry is absurd imo….also imo when you’re driving a 40 year old truck shifting like a dump truck doesnt seem like that big of a deal. I agree with Rob about the ZF6, it’s very notchy, it’s almost like they lock into each gear
 
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