Hey guys, I'm building a project 4x4 vehicle, powered by an LT1 chevy 350, but I need an extremely sturdy standard tranny and tcase for it. Anybody have any suggestions? must be at least five speed, would like six. Thanks.
Timothy

 

Whats the matter not true to blue. This is a ford forum.

 

I'll help a fellow Chevy guy out ....

Sturdiest transfer case there is is the NP205. Iron case, gear drive, part time, manual shift, used in full size GM, Ford and Dodge trucks from about '70 to '80. Very plentiful transfer case to find and not too expensive. Make sure you get the right one for the transmission you intend to use. GM's and Dodges use passenger side front axle diffs, Fords use driver side. NP205's come either way.

The Low range in the NP205 isnt that great, 1.98, but there is a company working on a 3.00 low range gear set for it. Check out www.jbconversions.com. The kit should be out in the not too distant future according to their website. Another way you can go to get a lower range with an NP205 is to stick the low range gear box section of the old NP203 full-time t-case, which was used in the same trucks as the NP205, in between the trans and NP205 and it becomes a 'doubler', using the 2.02 ratio in the NP203 range box to double the low range ratio in the NP205 for about a 4.00 low range. That's a sick crawling ratio!

Toughest 5-speed that will easily adapt to most engines is the NV4500. Came in GM and Dodge trucks in the '90's. Should have no problem hooking one up to a 350 Chevy. It has a granny first gear and an overdrive 5th with all gears synchro'd. Case is iron and the tailsection containing the overdrive is aluminum and it uses a seperate bellhousing, which helps make it more adaptable to other engines. It is a top-shift transmission. Plenty strong for trucks, was used behind the Cummins diesel in one-tons. The early GM version has a lower ratio granny gear (6.34). The rest of them are 5.61 granny. Overdrive is 0.74. There are adapters available to hook it up to a few transfer cases. Likely the NP205 is included among those. Check www.advanceadapters.com for that. The NV4500 is not cheap though...

For a 6-speed, there's the NV5600. Pretty much an NV4500 with an extra gear between Low and Direct, with 6th being an Overdrive. I don't know if it can be adapted to other engines and transfercases as easily as the NV4500 though.

 

One out of a Ranger should hold up to the LT-1

 

The M5OD, used in 4cyl and small V6 ranger mini-trucks, and not known to be a particularly strong 5-speed, is going to hold up to a built 350 in a 4x4???