Manual trans Options for LA 360

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Mopardude

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I need manual trans suggestions for my hotrod 42 truck project. I was going to go 727 because I am more familiar with the Auto's mechanically speaking but the more I think about it a hot rod really should be a manual. The only manual trans I am familiar with is the one they used in the trucks during the 80's, I think it was NP435? I know there is plenty of them around these parts. I am curious what others who have more experience with the different manual trans would recommend? Also is there any later model trans with OD that would work as well? I am putting it behind a LA360 and it needs to be able to handle 500-600HP.
 
That NP435 is a real truck trannie.It has a grannie 1st gear in it that was designed for farm type trucks with large drive wheels and operating on soft ground, and hauling heavy loads.I wonder if thats what you want. Im thinking that if your Hotrod 42 weighs more car-like, then a car-like tranny might be a better choice.I know that GM put the A833od behind some 6cylinders in the 80s? Is that perhaps what your referring to. I forget the GM designation.
I have used that A833od behind my 430hp-360LA. The ratios are quite wide, and the od gear is weak(will not take full throttle). I put a GearVendors behind it.That is a smokin hot combo, IMO. You can split those wide ratios and end up with 7 very useable ratios.And run almost any differential ratio. Or, if your combo is not too radical, you can run it as a 4+1.
TheA833 ratios are;3.09/1.67/1.00/.69. THe GV is a .78od. Combining the two yields: 3.09/2.41/1.67/1.30/1.00/.78od/.69/.54od. I never use the.69 by itself. At my power level this works very well.
 
You could use the 435, but it would be kinda awkward to drive, unless you started out in 2nd. I would try to find an 833 4 speed OD.
 
The NV4500 5 speed can be found behind a lot of 5.9 magnums in ram trucks from the 90's. It's almost indestructible and the gear spread is usable as well. They used a hydraulic clutch so you will need to grab the clutch M/C too. The complete unit from the block back will bolt to your LA 360 as long as you use an LA 360 flywheel that matches the clutch (10 or 11 Inch). Hope this helps.
 
grumpuscreature said:
The NV4500 5 speed can be found behind a lot of 5.9 magnums in ram trucks from the 90's. It's almost indestructible and the gear spread is usable as well. They used a hydraulic clutch so you will need to grab the clutch M/C too. The complete unit from the block back will bolt to your LA 360 as long as you use an LA 360 flywheel that matches the clutch (10 or 11 Inch). Hope this helps.
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Just curious.....as I am not familiar with those transmissions......other than driving a few. Is there a reason this isn't a popular swap with a bodies? Does the floor pan have to be hacked up?
 
RustyRatRod said:
Just curious.....as I am not familiar with those transmissions......other than driving a few. Is there a reason this isn't a popular swap with a bodies? Does the floor pan have to be hacked up?
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Majorly, but that shouldn't be a problem in a truck. The NV4500 IS rather robust.
 
Thanks for the reply guys. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner but I never got notification that people replied to this thread.

With the 435 I was wondering if that would be to much tranny. My 42 I am guessing is probably going to weight around the same as an A body. Maybe less.

I been considering A-833 but I have read conflicting posts in forums if it will hold up to anything above 400hp.

I did consider NP4500 for a minute but I didn't know if that was a good choice or not because i thought that was what they put behind the cummins but i had seen there was bell housings for LA blocks so i was lost. With a hydraulic clutch in theory this would be the better way to go since the original pedal to rod and lever system will not work for anything modern I put in there. Hydraulic I am guessing would be the easiest to adapt to my truck? With a cable type clutch i would still have to engineer a system for the cable to work right or is the cable more like what you would find like on a B&M shifter its contained in is own tubing? I parted out RamCharger once with a manual trans but I can't think of off hand how that system works because i have never directly worked on one.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Just curious.....as I am not familiar with those transmissions......other than driving a few. Is there a reason this isn't a popular swap with a bodies? Does the floor pan have to be hacked up?
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From pictures i was looking at online they seem a whole lot beefier than anything that goes naturally into an A-body. kinda seems a lot longer too!
 
Got a Tremec 6 speed going into my wife '46 Dodge PU
(Not done yet, so can't tell you much about what it takes to fit it)
 
nv4500 in a Dart? Unless you want it sitting next to you with a 6 inch shifter, they are way too tall to put in a car and weight, they're a portly 225lbs roughly.

Why not look at a Supra R-154 trans. Better suited for a rod, compared to a show shifting truck transmission.
 
If you wanted to use an 833 O/D the best would be a truck with both the "B" and "E" shifter locations. The "A" shifter location is in between. Then swap the O/D main case for a standard main case. I'd go with a 308 main case unless you will run a stock "A" body bellhousing, then you need a 307 front bearing main case. This gets the "float" out of the countershaft. With that stout of a 360, you should only need 3 speeds to get the job done, use the O/D for cruising.
 
Last choice but easiest to do is the A833 OD. The overdrive will handle the power. Even more so because the car is light. If it were a heavy B body, I'd think twice about slamming years without mercy.

The second choice is a catch 22 because there both good ideas and transmissions.
The Supra 154 can handle good power but does require the quick time bell and mods to make everything work. Just like the Tremac.
 
Grab an A833, preferably from behind a big block motor. They have a heavy duty main shaft. Fit a Passon Hemi Overdrive kit. No cutting, no fabricating, it all just fits in there where the old stuff came out. I did the conversion for a friend of mine in his HEMI Belvedere. Just the ticket for the German Autobahns here.
Top quality Made in USA & you probably wont have to touch the transmission again in 20 years.
 
dano said:
You have a lot of options, what is your budget and rear ratio?
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Quite honestly for something like a transmission I would pay whatever. All depends if its new or whatever.

The 360 I have for this truck is one I built for my A-body and I built it with 3.73 or 3.91 gears in mind. Since my 42 dodge I am guess is in the same neighborhood weight wise as an A-body I am thinking of sticking in that range. Although if I get what you guys are saying about this T56 I should be able to get away with even going 4.10?

So these T56's what kind of price can I expect for a bone yard vs buying a new one? Does summit or some carry them? Other than bellhousing is there anything else none standard i will need to make it mate up to a 360?
 
mopar_muscle said:
I bought my T56 of Craigslist for $1000 and mated it to a LA 360. I don't have a parts list for everything required yet, but if you are interested, take a look at my build thread to see what you will need.






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Nice Build thread! So what I take away from this is I am going to need a very specific T56 with the right splines and input shaft length? Do you know if I use the quicktime bellhousing I can get by using the Dodge flywheel and pressure plate?
 
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