5 speed swap 1987 Chevrolet v20

[iamtherealJayy]

Just me asking questions I can’t find specific answers for, is the nv4500 the easiest 5 speed swap into a square? My future plans for the truck are a 6.0 and nv4500, I’d rather have the ls before the transmission but I would love to have the 5 speed for better ratios. I would settle for a 5.3, I’ve done a lot of reading about the ls swaps and it seems possible for around 1200-1500(local pricing) if I was to do majority of the work myself. However, I know nothing about transmissions, what I have read people were doing the swaps into mechanical clutch vehicles and talking about drilling and retapping bell housing and transmission holes to make the mechanical clutch work. My truck is already a hydraulic clutch would I be able to get a longer line and use the nv4500 bell housing and slave cylinder? I’m trying to do this as correctly as I can with a budget.

 

[bucket]

I do believe there is more than one way to skin that cat.

Personally, I'd be inclined to use the stock NV4500 bellhousing and clutch setup. Iirc, the earlier 6.0 shares a crank flange spacing with the older engines so that would be my choice if both swaps were not done at the same time.

@Frankenchevy and @SquareRoot are fairly familiar with the various ways of swapping in an NV4500. Oh, and I think @foamypirate too.

 

[bucket]

Also... 1200-1500 for the swap? Just engine, or engine/trans both? Either way, that's not likely. People claim to do LS swaps for crazy low amounts of money, but to do one even remotely close to correct and reliable, it's not cheap at all.

 

[SquareRoot]

Also... 1200-1500 for the swap? Just engine, or engine/trans both? Either way, that's not likely. People claim to do LS swaps for crazy low amounts of money, but to do one even remotely close to correct and reliable, it's not cheap at all.

Words of wisdom right there.

 

[Frankenchevy]

I can’t remember at this point if I went with the AA bellhousing because of clearance concerns with the passenger side slave or if I was concerned with an internal slave…

I liked the AA bellhousing because it was supposed to simplify the swap, allowing me to use all factory sm465 square body hydraulics.

You may need a different clutch master to match the volume/pressure requirements of the nv4500 slave.

 

[Billydamnit]

Join LS swapped square bodies, on FB. Check the files. There's a detailed list of everything you need.

 

[Vbb199]

Also... 1200-1500 for the swap? Just engine, or engine/trans both? Either way, that's not likely. People claim to do LS swaps for crazy low amounts of money, but to do one even remotely close to correct and reliable, it's not cheap at all.

My man.
Let's sticky this.