[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by hatzie

The NV4500 is difficult to find, big $, and heavier than a dead horse. It's not exactly an economy transmission being a 3 speed with LOW (1st) and OD (5th).
I've done this swap on my '76. If I had it to do again I'd use a Gear Vendors OD on an SM465. I like my NV4500 and it gets me bragging points but from a purely functional point of view the SM465 with an OD box is way better.

I don’t know about that Hatzie. A NV4500 can be installed for as little as $500 upwards to $2000 depending on what route one goes. The NV4500 swap into my K10 was around a $1800 date while the Suburban was around $1000. A Gear Vendors kit will cost $3000 and you still end up with an archaic greasy old dump truck shifting 465 in the end.

1. When you factor in the transmission cost and clutch conversion time (almost a month for me and I'm billed out at $110/hr) & money the cost is pretty close to the same.
   Why bill or pay labor? The only affordable way to own, build and maintain these old trucks is to do the work yourself as a hobby. Paying someone to do the work for you wouldn’t be worth even owning an old truck.
   
2. The SM465 is EXTREMELY difficult to kill.
   Yes, that is true, a 465 is without a doubt an anvil. The problem is it archaic and clumsy shifting like one too.
   
3. The SM465 is way cheaper sometimes even free.
   Yes, I have two in my garage right now that need a home. Replaced them with NV4500's. About ready to give them away because nobody wants to buy them.
   
4. The SM465 bolts right up with stock parts and no drama.
   So does a NV4500 with the right combination of parts and depending on the year of the truck receiving the transplant.
   
5. The SM465 mates with the NP203, NP205, NP208, & RH drop NP241 with stock parts and no drama. The NP208 & NP241 will bolt up to the NV4500. The NP205 OTOH is a difficult expensive dance and if you want to use the NP203 low range case for a low range doubler be prepared to shell out even more.
   So does the NV4500. It will accept any 1985 or later transfercase with a 32 spline female input shaft (465 or TH400 tcase). Advance adapters has goodies to put anything behind a NV4500 and would still be cheaper than a Gear Vendors.
   
6. The SM465 has the same extremely low 1st (6.55:1) as the rare 1993 NV4500.
   Very true. I badly miss the 6:34:1 granny gear in my old 465's (not 6.55:1). The later model NV4500 5:61:1 granny gear takes some getting used to.
   
7. The Gear Vendors OD matches the 0.73:1 NV4500 OD ratio and you can split 2nd & 3rd gears if you wish.
   Yes, but Gear Vendors is still over $3000 and you still have an archaic dump truck trans with crazy wide clumsy shift gates when you are done. Plus the highly potential hassles of dealing with aftermarket modules, solenoids and electronics to go bad. The aftermarket does a poor job of providing durable electronics. All of them…Holley to MSD to Gear Vendors, nobody in the aftermarket durability tests electronics like OEM's do.
   
8. Best of all... you can tow in OD without shearing the 5th gear to mainshaft splines (that killed my 1st NV4500). With the NV4500 you are stuck towing in 4th.
   I lug the heck out of NV4500 behind my 8.1L because the engine has enough low end torque to cruise around in 5th most everywhere. The poor Suburban couldn't pull a rabbit out of a hat so it doesn't see 5th very much unless it is on a flat road or going downhill .
   
   One of my buddy’s owns a rural telephone company with a fleet of late 90’s Dodges with Cummin/NV4500’s where they tow construction equipment daily in 5th gear. These Dodges are over 200,000 miles on the original engines (no surprise with the Cummins) and transmissions. Another friend has 2 GM 3500-HD wreckers with 6.5L engines and NV4500 and tows cars all day long every day in 5th. Both of his trucks received the 5th gear nut update about 10 years ago. I am not aware of him replacing the transmission in either of these trucks since then.
   

I guess it all boils down to what people really want in the end. Nothing wrong with a 465, it is just old and clumsy without over drive. The NV3500 is too light duty and the NV4500 is the best of all worlds if maintained correctly and addressing the 5th gear nut the instant it pops out of 5th gear the first time. Not waiting for months while it continues to pop out of gear and chews up the mainshaft in the meantime. Towing in 5th is not a problem but towing in 5th with a loose nut will kill them faster.

Just my .02