Nv3500

[Driver4r]

Has anyone ever played around with one and saw its limits? Ive read from both sides of the fence, so im looking for real world experience here. not Heresay.

Looking at a nv3500 in my truck so i have something thats 3 pedals

Setup is going as follows:
LM7-5.3 ls
nv3500??
tcase-TBD
Axle ratio:4.88:1's
Tire size:35"

The 5.3 will start stock with a tune, but looking at maybe a small turbo cam and like a 50mm.

Has anyone broken one yet?

And also, who has ran a np241? I read that they support more input torque than a 205. And since a 205 is so heavy and the transmission has the built in support instead of the tcase adapter(i dont want a heavy weight hanging off aluminum) Would a 241 be strong enough?

The truck will be a DD and ocasionally pull a trailer.


(I would LOVE a 4500, but they are just so much $$, I would rather put a 3500/241 in it just to get by untill i have a 4500 or blow apart the 3500)

 

[CSFJ]

I don't think the 3500 will hold up to what you want it to. They are pretty popular in the offroad world with jeeps, but only behind mild v8's and i6 engines. Look at what the factory applications were, half ton trucks with either the 4.3 v6 or the old 5, or 5.7 v8. Nothing with the kind of power you want to eventually run. Jeep only ran them from the factory behind the 4.0 i6. I would think the 241 t-case would be fine.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

I had one behind my Vortec 350 in my RCSS Z71 I had in highschool.

With a block/crank, 3" body lift, and 35's on 3.73 gear's, it was fine. I put 90,000 High School kid miles on that trans, backed up by the 241 and never had a problem at all.

Of course, this was a brand new truck, but, assuming you're rebuilding, should be fine.

Also, I know this is a somewhat old thread, I was searching on a related subject lol.

 

[CSFJ]

World of difference between output on a 5.7 and a cammed and turbo'd 5.3. What you had is what it was designed for, he'll have power levels well beyond that.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

He want's to get by, it'll get by lol.

I wouldn't transition from a 3500 to a 4500 in a performance orientated truck either, I would look at the TKO, for something that doesn't shift like a dump truck.

 

[Driver4r]

Old thread, But I ended up going sm465 w/ 4.11's. Using L range to start out, it would put 4th as OD basically as if I went with nv3500/4500 w/4.88s. Both roughly 2200@65.

The 5.3 ended up being a 05 DBW w/ a 70mm On3