Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills
Buddy and I lifted the whole assembly and it wasn't unbearable but it wasn't light  Is the np205 by itself heavier than a TH400? I can handle those by myself. Also how heavy is the bare 350 engine block by the way?
Looks like I need to put money in the crank so will probably go with the 383, and stock heads. Biggest question is rollerizing the valve train, lots of debate on the interweb about that.
I'd like to keep the original trans in there. Would like to put a gearvendors on in the future. |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills
Absolutely there are benefits. It splits gears, meaning your Th350 truck becomes a 6 speed (with overdrive). this means you accelerate faster and keep your engine in peak torque range all the time. On a 4x4 their stock their kit only works in 2wd. I see they make a race version that goes between tcase and tranny though you have to remount your tcase. For more info see http://www.gearvendors.com/index.html |
When I was a younger man I could pick up and carry a th350. I wouldn't even try it now. I bet the t-cases and the transmissions weigh about the same but that 205 was just hard to hang on to. Like the trannys, I wouldn't consider moving one by picking it up now-a-days. For me now it is lift with the cherry picker and move it on that - or cherry picker to wheel barrow if I have to move it to my other garage.
When I was a kid I picked up the bare 350 block that is now in my 72 Chevelle. Like other driveline pieces, the days of me lifting a bare block are behind me.
I know you're after the original look. What I would do is use a 700r4 and just put that original th350 on the shelf. If some day there is a call for all original, numbers matching K20s, you'll have it handy. In the mean time you'll have a better tranny. Like I said before I REALLY wish I could go back to the day I decided to take my th350 to the rebuilder instead of a core 700r4. I made my decision only on fuel savings. Even at $4/gallon you don't save anything for a really long time. However when I have to take my 3.73 gears out on interstate 35 with a 70 mph speed limit, 3300 rpms really sucks. Its loud and it can't be doing my engine and drivetrain any good.
Does gearvendors even make a unit that bolts to the back of your NP205? That is a whole lot of stuff to run through to get to the rear axel. Flywheel -> torque converter -> tranny -> coupler in adapter -> NP205 -> gear vendors -> driveshaft -> rear axel. Maybe they have a little driveshaft behind the 205 to get into the gearvendors unit. That is a whole lot of stuff to go wrong.