i have been doing some thinking, as i am getting ready to do a lot of modifications to my truck, like getting the engine completely rebuilt. i have been wanting a manual since i bought this truck, so i am going to do a swap. my question is, what is stornger the nv4500 or the ford zf5 speed used in late 80s early 90s ford 3/4 and 1 tons? my truck never sees towing, but i believe both have low first gears if i ever need to. i know its going to be a lot of work and a lot fo fabrication but that is ok, i love projects and its not my daily truck so i will manage. i just want peoples opinion on which will stand the test of time behind my fresh 460 which will be putting out almost 400 hp and over 500 ftlbs
should i go used or new, not sure, i know newe both are about 1800. so whats ur opinions?
From what I have read they are both pretty close. There is a post from a couple weeks back that Steve83 posted a good link to identify these transmissions. I wouldn't mind doing a swap like this myself on my 78. I am sure someone makes a bell housing that would work on a Ford engine. Didn't the NV4500 come mainly in Dodge and GM trucks? If you can find a may 2002 copy of Peterson's 4 wheel and off road there is a pretty good article in there where they put a New Venture 5600 six speed into a 79 F-350 with a 460 and NP205.
interesting, maybe i will look into that article. i can get the adapter i need for under 300 from advance adapters, and i am going to scour the wrecking yards for the parts that i will need, then with a trusty welder i can fab anything else i need. yeah it mostly game in both those brands, but i dont think it matters as it not a direct product of them, so i think i will go with the nv4500.
actually as i reconsidered things over the course of the day i got to thinking, does the zf has a hydrallic cluth assembly or is it linkage style? i am thinking that it may be easier to use a linkage type clutch but the nv4500 is a hydralic clutch. also i would not have to get the adapter, which would lower cost as i could get everything i need froma donor truck.
The ZF uses a hydraulic clutch. The NV doesn't have an integral bellhousing. With Advanced Adaptors kit you mount it to a standard Ford T-18/T-19/NP435 bellhousing and use the factory clutch linkage.
so the nv4500 is not a hydrallic clutch? i am thinking about which will be a little bit easier to hook up, i can get the linkage for my truck with a np435 but it is not a hydrallic clutch so i would have to rob the linkage from a newer truck right. but if the nv4500 is cable actuated then i will go with it. but if not i will go with the ford zf becuase it will be easier to find things rather than fabbing them
The NV4500 does not care HOW you actuate the clutch. It has no bellhousing, you have to provide one. The Advanved Adaptors kit fits it to a standard Ford truck bellhousing. The bellhousing largely determines how the clutch has to be actuated.
so then if i use a bell houseing from an np435 then i can use a mechanical linkage then? will it bolt up, i have heard that it will. thanks for the great info.
Not sure how tuff the ZF is. But is should bolt to the 460 without adapter, right? I think I read somewhere that the NV4500 is made to handle 450 FT LBS of torque hence the designation.
I heard that too, that it handles 450 ft.lbs stock
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1999 F-250 XL super duty, regular cab longbed, 5.4 auto, 4X4 with 224,000 miles
305/70/16 toyo a/ts, 05 up front end conversion, tow mirrors, .500 boost valve, tricumulator springs, a AFE cold air, 6.5 inch lift, and straight piped into a 4 inch stack thru the bedrail, besides that its stock
The ZF seems a pretty stout unit to me. It lived behind the early powerstrokes putting out 450lbft (or so ford claims). We rebuilt the ZF at 205k miles mostly for the hell of it. This truck had spent most of its life with a bobcat or two behind it. And, hey, ZF's a german tranny, cant go wrong with the people that brought us the beamer!
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Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines.
I just sold a 94 Dodge 2500 Cummins Diesel that had a NV4500 5speed. The truck had some mild mods and made just over 600 ft-lbs of torque. No problems with the tranny at 144K. The only potential problem that I have heard of is that 5th gear can work its way of the shaft (not good). This was due I believe to the fact that the shaft was only spline half way around and the the nut design was not good. I believe the Dodge dealer fix for this was to replace the nut with a revised nut --this is what my truck had and it worked fine. Standardtransmission.com is a good source for info about these transmissions and they sell a fully splined shaft.
I believe there are other sources for these out there but I can't recall the names right now. Oh, one thing to consider about the NV4500 --gear oil. Requires Castrol Syntorq and only castrol Syntorq---at $20/qt thru Dodge/GM dealers or $54/gal + shipping online. Something to think about! Good luck! Paul
If you Wanted the ZF 5 speed, Even know it's hyd. Clutch, If you can find a donner Truck from The mid 80's to the early 90's to rob the Clutch brackets and all from, It should be able to be put into your truck If you pay atten. To the setup. I know The from the steering col. From the 87 to early 90 model trucks will fit into the 73 to 79 trucks. It seems the brackets can be made to fit fairly easy? Since your in no hurry to build this Project Check out a few Trucks to look it over. Just to have that ease of hyd. Clutch pushing. unless cost is a factor. just my 2cents.
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