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prefered tranny?

what combo, should i run with a 6.2 tourbo

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darkshadow

darkshadow

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I just secured my diesel for swapping, and i had been planing on a 465/205.

but i was just thinking weather i should just stick with the stock 400/208 i have now.

I like standered, but was wondering if it would be better to just stick with what i got.

of cource the 465 would be nice with the torbo wouldent it?

what do the diesel gods think?
 
Nv4500 is my first choice, then SM465. The manual tranny allows more of the available power to get to the ground. A little more fuel efficient too...

The TH400 is a strong tranny, but it's also a power robbing pig and doesn't have a nice low first gear or an overdrive. With a 6.2 i'd probably take a 700R-4 over a TH400.

Rene
 
I would run either a 465, nv4500 or a 700R4. If the rig was going to be used primarily where it is going to crawl, run the 465/4500, if it is going to be used in alot of mud and sand id go with the 700R4. But that is just me, it really just boils down to personal preference. Both the auto and manual have their advantages and dissadvantages, but its hard to say one is better than the other. Although i think we all can agree that the th400 loves to rob you of power, and quite a bit of it.
 
I'd take a 4spd auto. An auto trans equipped turbo diesel will walk away from a standard version.
 
well I sure would love to have a nv4500 but the price/avalability scares me.


actualy i was reading an interesting artical on old clark trannys that one version that came with an overdrive.

hell some versions had a 8.5 : 1 First!!!
 
darkshadow said:
well I sure would love to have a nv4500 but the price/avalability scares me.


actualy i was reading an interesting artical on old clark trannys that one version that came with an overdrive.

hell some versions had a 8.5 : 1 First!!!
Click to expand...
Also most of them things weight about twice as much as an SM465 and would be hard to fit in your truck... let alone impossible to mount a Tcase behind unless you went divorced.
 
actualy ther are about the same size as a nv4500, and advance now sells an output shaft for them to mate up to a chevy.

the article was writen as an alternative to the nv4500 as the tranny can be had cheaper, down size is parts.

and devorsed wouldent be so bad, i wanted to center the tcase and make my shafts the same
 
Notice I said most of them... because there are far more Clark transmission in the bigger trucks than the smaller ones. I can't imagine them being easier to find than an NV4500 because I know a lot of antique truck enthusiests that have looked. They can be cheaper when and if you find a complete parts truck someone wants hauled off for junk though.

But when it comes to having one rebuilt... your probably gonna be worse off than an NV4500 for parts availabilty and loose all the money you just saved on the initial purchase.
 
yeah they said there were in a lot of 50 and 60's busses and stuff so i could probably find a nv4500 easer
 
I would go for the 465 and 205 because the 208 is too weak and the first gear on the 400 sucks together with the 205.
I don´t know what direction I´m going yet,400 203 205 or 465 205 something needs to be done thats for sure.
 
joez said:
Although i think we all can agree that the th400 loves to rob you of power, and quite a bit of it.
Click to expand...
I disagree. I have never seen any proof of the "400 takes too much power" myth. I do recall seeing back to back tests done years ago that showed minor differences in drag racers when compared to a turbo 350, ie a tenth or so in fast cars. And that difference was attributed to the greater rotating weight of a 400, strong parts are heavy. You'll never see the difference in a typical rig. That said, I would use a 4500 or a 700r4 to get the overdrive.
 
Can someone tell me why the th400 is a power robbing pig? All the trucks i have that are diesel are either 400/208 or 400/205. thx
 
My .02:

I'm a manual tranny guy at heart. I was planning on a NV4500 swap but I just couldn't find one for a reasonable price around here (at least when I was looking). I even managed to drag home an old SM465/Np205 combo, that I thought might be an alternate. Still, I listened here and other forums. My truck is still a DD and I found a few that didn't like the gear spacing of the SM465 with a 6.2 (Rene exempted :wink1: ).

Along comes reality: My tranny (700R) is starting to slip and I'm leaving for an Iraq tour in just a few days ("please don't crap out on me now").
Fast forward a year later: I'm coming back home (to the states) and my poor Jimmy is sitting in the back yard neglected. It's still winter so I need my truck, NOW. No time to start a big project, so I called BowTie Overdrive and ordered up a Stage II. Well another year has lapsed, and ya' know what? This automatic thing is starting to grow on me. A grunt low gear, an OD forth, hell now I've got the turbo mount: turbo's love autos, don't they? :D
Now my this 700 (BTO) shifts the way it should (the previous one was a rebuilt peice of crap). Guess I'm getting old.....:doah:
 
The gear spacing on the SM465 and the NV4500 does leave something to be desired, but I think somewhat deep axle gears help make it tolerable. For towing both have a nasty spot...

With our 21 foot trailer behind my truck and the old 350 with 3.73's there were a few long hills where I could not maintain speed in 4th, yet it was screaming in third at less than 40 mph. So far I've found exactly one hill that does that to my current combo, it's an 11% grade that goes on for 10 miles though...

Rene
 
Having driven both, a th400 is noticeably worse than a 700R4. Granted it was also in a heavier vehicle, but it was significantly worse in both off the line and passing performance. The non-lockup converter is what makes the biggest difference with the 6.2, not the weight of the components.
 
man i see nv4500 are 2000 CAD around here 2 or 4 wheel ones, still looking for 465/205 and money to pay for it.

there is one 2 hours from here with shafts for 500, wish i could spare it..
 
Comparing a TH400 with a 700R4 is like comparing a 2 speed Powerglide with a TH350. The Powerglide is reliable, unlike "complex" TH350, but 2 speeds, what a crock. Buick even put a two "speed" torque converter in the mid '60's Skylark and full size to overcome the stupid 2 speed. I put a TH350 behind a '67 283 in a full size Parisienne way back when. It was like the diference between going uphill, (PG) and going downhill (3 speed TH350). Go with the 700R4. Just make sure you don't go with the cheepie price. You can't skimp, too many patz inside, big R&R. This is a HUGE file, but MANY others, even on eBay... http://transmissionhead.com/. Read it and weap! http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GM-700R4-GODFATHER-TRANSMISSION-FREE-SHIP-Chevy-Truck_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33727QQitemZ8041135704QQrdZ1. Personally, I'm going to have Transmissionhead (or someone... ) build me a 700R4 with the special output shaft to use with a mid 70's full time 203(?) iron tcase + Milemarker part time kit + man hubs... in staight axle Sub...
 
uglytruk said:
Comparing a TH400 with a 700R4 is like comparing a 2 speed Powerglide with a TH350.
Click to expand...
Unfortunatly in a heavy full size truck the 700R4 is a weakling compared to a TH400. I bought a M1028 that someone swapped a 700R4 in place of the TH400 but it didn't hold up. Drove nice for a short while while it worked though.:doah:
 
kennyw said:
Unfortunatly in a heavy full size truck the 700R4 is a weakling compared to a TH400. I bought a M1028 that someone swapped a 700R4 in place of the TH400 but it didn't hold up. Drove nice for a short while while it worked though.:doah:
Click to expand...
700R4's were for the most part the usual GM deal. One's good, ones's bad. My '82 1/2 ton 4x4 wirh unknown (87k, 187k??) miles works great, (never opened) but they're inconsistent. So read my links. They've been around since '81, 25 years, and lots of ambitious folks have figured out all their ills! $1200 gets you a good quality unit. $2000 gets u up to 600(?) HP. Like the stamped rockers, GM just tries to cut TOO MANY corners. I've seen plenty of burned up TH400's. And just from o-heated fluid, regular use, NOT thrashed.
 
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