Got lots of parts on order and the trans swap under way. Im going to add a little information to this thread to aid anyone on google looking to swap from a C/K style NV3500 to an s10 style nv3500 in the future since Im pretty much shooting in the dark with bits and pieces of info that sometimes are contradictory on the web...
Firstly as far as the project goes the old trans is out. I broke the shifter cup off the main shift rail. That was my failure. Im not sure if its secured with a dowel/roll pin (thats what it looks like from the top) or what the deal is but theres no catastrophic failure. The cup the shifter engages is simply rotating on the shift rail causing the shifter to float around all over the place. I could probably fix it with a couple good tac welds without taking anything apart but I'll let my buddy I borrowed it from decide its fate.
So when I decided to swap to an s10 trans I knew there were some differences between the two. Obviously as Ive stated the main reason for it was to A) go to a newer trans, which I could have done regardless and B) to go to a more "fast car" friendly gear set. So now Ive got that 3.49 first gear rather than 4.01 and 2.16 second rather than 2.32. Ive seen some dicey info that the s10 had a .85ish overdrive rather than the .73. Wikipedia and numerous web pages say they both share the same overdrive. Honestly I really dont care, ill drive it slower on the highway. So other than the gear difference theres also differences in output shaft spline, full size trans is 32 and the s10 is 27. No big deal and no downgrade in my eyes because if you can break the output shaft you'll pop something further up the line in the trans first anyway. Then theres shifter location. The s10 trans has the shifter 7in further back. I was dreading this being bad but once I laid it out on the floor of the truck Im really happy with it. The stick is going to come straight up in front of the bench right where you would think it should be or would be if you were driving a bench seat GTO, chevelle, or impala. I got to thinking the shifter was probably so far forward in the truck with the idea of being able to seat someone in the center of the bench and still shift, so **** that logic
Heres a picture of that layout on the floor.
And heres a comparative picture of the two transmission next to each other. The trans I had in my truck was an HM290. I borrowed it from a buddy when I got the truck because I broke the bellhousing of the early nv3500 that was in it.
2000 S10 NV3500 w/ internal slave cylinder vs C/K NV3500/HM290
The s10 trans also has a longer tail housing. Its about 3in longer than the C1500 trans so I'll need to have my driveshaft shortened. Im actually going to have an aluminum shaft made to the correct length and switch to 1350 U joints.
So thats that for the trans swap stuff. Im pulling the motor out and mating the trans to the motor on the hoist. I dont feel comfortable with the non removable bellhousing putting the trans up on my back and not ****ing up my new $350 Hayes street strip clutch. Plus its going to give me a chance to shoot the firewall flat black to clean things up. Ive got loads of stuff on order, a hurst short throw for the new trans, all AN fittings and hose to convert the clutch lines from that stupid cotter pin O ring lines to AN -4, Hayes Street Strip clutch, new hydraulic throwout and some other odds and ends.
Im also considering converting the accessories to a mid mount alternator and power steering pump because the gigantic 4.3 accessory brackets are just ridiculously big. Once this stuff is done in the next couple weekends Im going to put the Cclip eliminator kit on my rear and the new cover and then set my sites on getting the holley fuel injection and redoing the top end with 190 AFR vortecs and hydro roller and 11:1 compression.
O and PS: Heres the reason why you dont use flexplate bolts with a flywheel. Im afraid of what else Im going to find from the PO now...
My flywheels was basically held on by nothing. 4/6 bolts broke free with little to no effort. I had to retap all the holes in the crank...
Wife said shed help if I needed but wasnt interested in learning squat... Then said she would prefer if I didnt spend all the money. So I guess Im just gonna heads/cam the motor I have and put the Throttle body holley injection on instead of the MPFI I was looking at for $1200 more...
