Hello out there,

  Need some advice, I completed a frame-off restifacation of a 1983 1 ton 4x4 Ddoge truck, I have had the truck for many years and finally finished it. I put a 1968 forged crank 440 in it with a purpleshaft .484 lift cam, and worked 906 heads. Real nice truck.  It has 3.54 gears and a New Process 435 4-speed manual transmission. That tranny has got to go. I want to be able to drive the truck on the highway and am looking to swap in a 5- speed manual form a later year 3/4 or 1 ton truck.  I wondered if there was a tranny out there that could handle the duties of a 3/4 or 1 ton truck, while still affording me the fifth gear overdrive? The truck has a New Process 205 transfer case, and a Dana 44 front axle. I have a 12 inch 440 flywheel in it now, with a centerforce dual friction clutch. I would need a tranny that mounts up to the bell housing, the transfer case, as well as having an input shaft that will work with the clutch. The truck has only 95 miles on it since the restoration, and I have yet to take it out without going first to the gas station... so  fifth gear is a must! Thank you for all your help. 

--Chuck

Check out keisler auto..i think they do five speed swaps in trucks now  

advance adapters should have everything you need to include the NV4500 tranny, of course with a nice price tag. i think they have the adapter for you to keep the transfer case u have too.  i also just read an article in 4x4 garage about gearvendors overdrive kit, might be worth looking in to also.  

Actually the bellhousing from the 435 should work with a dodge NV4500 (if not buy the lakewood setup), but you will need a 19 spline clutch disc (centerforce makes one for this app.) from a 92 or newer dodge truck to mate to the input shaft. The clutch is meant for the 143 tooth flywheel so there shouldn't be any problems there. You will also need the pilot bearing adapter used in the later magnum motors part# P4876056 as the input shaft is also slightly shorter then 435/833's. The next issue I know you will run into will be the difference in width of the transmission mounts on the mounting plate, and also the NV4500's mounting holes are farther back. The easy way around this is to fabricate one from a piece of 3/8 plate steal (unless you want to remove the cab and move the trans crossmember back).  Also you will need to use a NV 241 transfer case unless you want to have major machine work done to your old transfer case the bolt pattern is the same but the other transfer case's input shaft(s) may be to short or long to fit the 4500's tail shaft adapter. The good news is that 4500's have the same amount of splines on the output shaft as the 727/435's, so if ultimate strength is a must this would be a viable option. I know this because i converted my 87 W-150 from a 318/727 to a 5.2 magnum/NV4500. Oh and your drive shaft length may be sligthly different front and rear (rear was 3/4 to short front was 3/4 too long but they still bolted up and i have had no vibration or durability issues). To be honest its a mostly bolt in affair using factory parts.