some 88-91 suburban questions.

[VoodooCLD]

Larry, i have a sm465 in my 89 suburban and am very intersted in doing the nv4500 swap. Do you have a complete parts list needed for the swap? Transsmission, bell housing i assume, but did you need to switch clutch, flywheel, etc?
Also what year and model vehicle would i need to get a nv4500 from? My suburban is 4x4, so i assume i need a specific 4x4 model transmission. Can i reuse the np241 transfer case?

Sorry for the line of questions. I have read through your build a few time, and and very impressed.

 

[Larry]

Larry, i have a sm465 in my 89 suburban and am very intersted in doing the nv4500 swap. Do you have a complete parts list needed for the swap? Transsmission, bell housing i assume, but did you need to switch clutch, flywheel, etc?
Also what year and model vehicle would i need to get a nv4500 from? My suburban is 4x4, so i assume i need a specific 4x4 model transmission. Can i reuse the np241 transfer case?

Sorry for the line of questions. I have read through your build a few time, and and very impressed.

Your ’89 with a SM465 would be the exact same swap as mine. With yours already having a SM465 your existing NP241 transfercase will already have 32 splines and bolt directly onto the NV4500. The crossmember will stay in the same spot and the driveshafts will not need to be reworked. Very easy swap compared to my old ’78 K10. NV4500’s were found in GM trucks from 1992 through 2006.

Part numbers:
712576 Advance Adapters Bellhousing
715535 Advance Adapters Slave cyl bracket. This allows for use with your factory ’89 slave cylinder
DF024909 Centerforce Dual Friction Clutch. You don't need to replace the clutch but since you are there you might as well add a good one.

You’ll have to use some creativity with plugging the old SM465 shifter hole and creating a new hole for the NV4500. The transfercase shifter assembly also takes some engineering to fit but it can be done.

Hope that helps :coffeedrink:

 

[VoodooCLD]

Thanks so much! Now time to find a tranny..

 

[VoodooCLD]

Larry, did you use an NV4500HD tranny, or just the standard one? Is it worth holding out for a NV4500HD? I'm still running the gutless TBI 350, and probably will for a while.

 

[Larry]

Not really sure what the NV4500HD is. Unless it is the one with the park brake drum on the tail shaft like used in the 3500-HD chassis cab trucks and step vans or later Dodge Cummins trucks. I don’t think it really matters HD or not to be quite honest. The biggie is the year as 1992 through 1995ish or so had a much deeper granny and reverse gear. The same ratio as the SM465. The later ones don’t have quite as low of granny gear but they have cleaner shifting gates. Both of mine are the later transmissions (1998 in the Suburban and 2006 in the K10) that are smoother shifting. There have been a few times I wished I had the deeper granny gear but those are getting hard to find.

 

[ThrottleHappy]

Any thoughts on a Gear Vendors OD to supplement the 465?

 

[Larry]

Cost too much, then you don't have OD in 4wd and in the end you still have an old dump truck shifting SM465. NV4500's are too easy of a swap to go that route IMHO. You would be able to find decent used NV4500's in junkyards from $500 to $700. Sometimes you can find a complete truck on Craiglist and pirate what you want from it then junk and sell off the rest for scrap metal and end up with a free engine and trans when you are done. That is the best way to get stuff like that if you have the time and space to do the work. I've done that a few times to get engines and transmissions. It's a lot of work but when the parts end up being free when you are done it's worth it.

 

[ThrottleHappy]

For sure, the Gear Vendors is really expensive. If I dont end up selling my Burb, an NV4500 will definitely find a new home. CA smog requirements restrict my powerplant choices but the 3/4 chassis gives a couple more options. Your 8.1 swap seems to fit the bill. I like to consider myself mechanically inclined but in all reality my hands stay pretty clean and Ive never taken on a project like engine/tranny swap before. Im a little intimidated by the magnitude of it all. If I had a shop/friend that I trusted to do it for me I probably would.

 

[VoodooCLD]

I think i read the NV4500 has a bigger input shaft. Which i guess would affect which clutch you buy.
1 1/4 vs 1 1/8 or something. Not sure about the rest.

 

[Erik N]

My father had an 86 3/4 ton big block (2wd unfortunately) and it happily towed a 35ft trailer up and down the east coast. It has been 15 years since I drove it, but I never found it wanting for speed and it was comfortable and quiet enough.

2WD square body Burb's were the tow masters w/ their 454's. The 4x4's were rated to tow about 1/2 the load, only came w/ 350's.

nice burb.

If you have to choose, I'd go with 89 and up IIRC. 89 or 90 was the first year they used galvanizing. The good part is they are much more rust free. Bad part is, GM got the paint wrong, and most will have paint that peel off in sheets!

There was a slight transfer case change somewhere around that time too. From a 208 to a 241, no big difference. You can identify the newer ones by the "row" headlights" vs the "column" headlights.

87 is not a bad year either, it was the first year with TBI- it wasn't new tech, so not many issues. If you intend to lift, and put big tires on it, the 2500 is worth the piece of mind of not having the weaker 10 bolt axles in the rear.

If you find one with a open diff (rather than the g80 gov bomb), its preferrable if you intend to put in a locker. IIRC, it comes with a 14Bolt semi floater, which is plenty strong.

I forget which year was the first year with rear ABS too. Either 88 or 89...

My '88 V20 has no ABS. Interesting about the galvanizing... must be why my '96 is flaking off.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

My '87 rat rod burb could go just about anywhere it would fit. 383 feeding a 700R4, 4" lift, 35s, locker in back. Daily driven for years as well. Brought my daughter and wife home from the hospital in it. Only one thing I would change..... 1 ton axles. I regret selling it, but hey, I'm married, and the wife needed a new vehicle for her job. A guy trades in his 4x4 sub for a mini van for his wife... is that love or what? I love my Super Duty, but if I could have found a rust free box sub, I'd have it.
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I miss her...




ETA: with a small block, 35s and 4.56 gear will climb anything.