SM465 Love?? Hate??

[K5Nate]

By far the most stout manual I know of for what we do. Have had it in 2 trucks and wouldn't give it up. Love the engine braking ability for steep descents. Plus if your box is sloppy it is still gonna work, very dependable.

Get a hydro version or convert, my buddy had problems with linkage binding under extreme flex,but he also had bad body mounts and rusty panels, wonder if that had anything to do with it.

 

[Randy92782]

Manual valve body automatic... just as much control.

It's what I got now. I need to re-gear as soon a possible though

Oh and I have 3 465's. 1 actually working in a truck but making a horrible noise. Gonna switch it out for one of the others. I personally love them but on my '80 opted to keep the th350 as it was easier. Kinda regret it but gonna like the auto more I think

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

The mechanical clutch part doesn't bug me at all since I like the simplicity of the setup but my wife complains about how hard it is to push in the clutch pedal whenever she drives it.

The hydro setup doesn't really reduce any of the pedal effort. Most of the reduced pedal effort comes from the diaphragm style clutch rather than the 3 prong clutch. The hydro clutch setup doesn't use any kind of vacuum or power assist like the brakes.

Manual valve body automatic... just as much control.

So you can bump start an auto? Or start it in gear? And it will compression brake like a manual?

I can run Hell's revenge in second gear without touching the brake pedal, let me know how that works out with an auto.

Now, I'm not telling you there aren't performance advantages because there are (and I've considered switching to an auto) but each is different.

 

[four_by_ken]

So you can bump start an auto? Or start it in gear? And it will compression brake like a manual?

I can run Hell's revenge in second gear without touching the brake pedal, let me know how that works out with an auto.

Now, I'm not telling you there aren't performance advantages because there are (and I've considered switching to an auto) but each is different.

OK, so close to as much control.

Bump start, no. But, I can start it in gear.

 

[rwright07]

i love my sm465, you double your low range, and install an indestructable trans. i blew up a 700r4, then put in a th400. th400 case cracked. installed a built th400 that worked perfect. got tired of the auto later and sold the built tranny for 1400bucks. the sm465 swap was done for <$400. surf craigslist to find a sm465 np205 combo for cheap (i got mine from a friend of a friend for $50) get a flywheel from car-part.com and a pedal assembly & linkage from a junk yard. easy as pie. took a weekend, and i did mine with hyrdo, meaning i had to cut the firewall and everything.
tl;dr just do it, you will have a cheap trans that will never break, and 2x the lowrange

 

[sandypants]

I would say i love them but i base it only on the FACT that they kick ass. also drove it on the streets. worked great until highway but a nv4500 would take care of that. 4 11 gears with 35 is soo low i didnt need to regear.

 

[b454rat]

My 84 was the first real stick truck that I've had. I loved it. Low range 1st gear with no breaks down a steep ass hill got me, no more riding the brakes all the way down. 1st gear rode driving was about useless, in less you needed to go real slow, or real steep hill.

With the 454, 35s and 4.10s, didn't need first, and it wasn't too bad on the highway, good still cruise at 70 if yah wanted to. IMO needed and O/D. My crew is gonna have a 4500, so that should be bout perfect.

Oh quicky about the pedal feel with the diaphram vs. fork. I first had the fork style in the truck with the hydro, then swapped it out cause the pressure plate was hitting the clutch fork, swapped for a diaphram, and there was no difference in pedal feel, was just as easy. I thought the plate was bad or something cause it was super easy, leg didn't get sore holding the clutch in at redlight....

 

[hotrodbill]

I have a hydro clutch 465 and love it.

As mentioned above a lever style "Long" pressure plate will NOT work in a hydro clutch bellhousing. The Long plate will hit the clutch fork. You have to use a diaphram plate.

 

[b454rat]

My buddy runs that in his truck right now, and the past 3-4 trucks that he's had. No problems hitting anything.

 

[FastMaxx]

I would love to have one!! I have been looking for one for a while. I would even trade my pefectly shifting 700r4 right out my truck.

 

[b454rat]

Come my way, take a whole truck load with yah.

 

[COCHEV]

i go back and forth on this a lot. i've had th350s, sm465s and currently have th400s in both my rigs. there are tons of cheap 4 speeds on craigs list these days, but i can't seem to muster up motivation to do the swap. maybe i'm getting old an lazy. its nice to just get in and put it in D and go. LOL! the th400s are very strong too and i flog mine pretty hard and it keeps chuggin along.

regardless of the trannie, my biggest complaint is the cost of adding O/D.

 

[noJeepshere]

Love mine, but not the spread between the gears.

This looks fun to shift

[youtube]E0o1o5W_f6o&feature=related[/youtube]

 

[ryoken]

yup, bulletproof, but shifts like a dump truck..

 

[Brady]

Wheeled a 465 ever since I got into wheeling when I was around 19.Had one in a '77 Suburban(350/465/205) then swapped drivetrain into a '73 Blazer then into a stretched CJ-5.Wheeled all over CO and Moab.Loved it.Sold the 5 and bought a CJ-7 with an auto.It worked great and I wheeled the same trails and then some.But my current CJ-7 buggy build has a 465 in it.I love shifting these.

 

[74k20]

I ran an NV4500 with 4.10 and 35" tires and never really used 5th gear so I swapped to the 465 and LOVE it. After rebuilding it and getting rid of 1/4" of slop in the bearings I really love it!

Look at it like this...you can run bigger tires without having to re-gear because 4th becomes overdrive and you start actually using first (or L as the knob calls it). It shifts like a truck should and it is tough as nails.

Still want a 5 speed you say? Go ahead, pay $25 a quart for the 100 proof, synthetic, silicone, low sulfur, super-syncromesh-castrol-kryptonite fluid that the 4500 uses! I'll pour sand in my 465 and it will sh!t out glass when I open the plug.

 

[RockinChevy]

Still want a 5 speed you say? Go ahead, pay $25 a quart for the 100 proof, synthetic, silicone, low sulfur, super-syncromesh-castrol-kryptonite fluid that the 4500 uses! I'll pour sand in my 465 and it will sh!t out glass when I open the plug.

Words to live by!

 

[tbijimmy]

Love it, gonna look to get the nv4500 since it is my daily driver.

but i have the newer one, at work we have a 73 c5500 dump truck with the old sm465, ill tell ya mines a whole lot better than that, no popping out of gear either

 

[twojoints444]

Rite on guys thanx for ALL the info. keep it coming

 

[80' 427]

I have 2 dd trucks (I live 1.5 miles from work). The k10 works good with a 700 but is on the 3rd transmission (some is from a faulty 2nd rebuild). Pulls trailers good and even rock crawling works good. The 4 speed in the K30 is the original I am guessing and I wasn't a bit scared to bet the crap out of it. Planning on truck pulling it this year. So I like both, both have advantages, both have disadvantages. They both get horrible mpg. The only time I dislike about the 4 speed is on a steep hill when I am one leg short but I just need a hand throttle.