SM465 Short Throw Shifter

[bucket]

Yes, it's possible to have a shorter shifting 465. I won't say it's quick, but certainly faster and more precise than the worn shifter in just about every 465 equipped square body truck. The only catch is the parts needed are hard to find.

Here's the deal. '88-'91 C/K trucks with the sm465 have an aluminum top cover/shift tower that puts the shifter closer to the rear of the tranny, about 4 inches back from the older position (cast iron top). Besides the relocated shifter, the shifter's pivot point is about 1/2 inch higher, creating a shorter throw. Now, the C/K shifter will need heated and reshaped to work in a squarebody truck, but it's probably worn out anyway. A local supplier came up with a NEW 465 shifter that fits the aluminum cover. It needed heated/bent to fit the C/K body style truck, but it should work just fine in a squarebody truck. I just don't know how many more of those shifters are available. The stick has a 3/8 x 24tpi threaded end, so the stock knob should fit.

So in short (no pun intended), for a short and precise 465 shifter you need:
Aluminum top cover/shift tower from an '88-'91 C/K series truck
New shifter, part # G3900072... that's a White/GMC part number

Now I just wish I had a 465 truck so I could do this myself.

 

[1987_chevy]

Yes, it's possible to have a shorter shifting 465. I won't say it's quick, but certainly faster and more precise than the worn shifter in just about every 465 equipped square body truck. The only catch is the parts needed are hard to find.

Here's the deal. '88-'91 C/K trucks with the sm465 have an aluminum top cover/shift tower that puts the shifter closer to the rear of the tranny, about 4 inches back from the older position (cast iron top). Besides the relocated shifter, the shifter's pivot point is about 1/2 inch higher, creating a shorter throw. Now, the C/K shifter will need heated and reshaped to work in a squarebody truck, but it's probably worn out anyway. A local supplier came up with a NEW 465 shifter that fits the aluminum cover. It needed heated/bent to fit the C/K body style truck, but it should work just fine in a squarebody truck. I just don't know how many more of those shifters are available. The stick has a 3/8 x 24tpi threaded end, so the stock knob should fit.

So in short (no pun intended), for a short and precise 465 shifter you need:
Aluminum top cover/shift tower from an '88-'91 C/K series truck
New shifter, part # G3900072... that's a White/GMC part number

Now I just wish I had a 465 truck so I could do this myself.

I know this is an old thread, but I just read it and it's really interesting. Has anybody actually done this, and how much better shifting is the tranny with this mod?

 

[bucket]

The truck I did this to drove great. You still can't bang through the gears like a 4 speed in a car, but it is a 465 after all. The shorter throw and the new shifter stick without the slop in it really makes a difference.

 

[Stroked]

My brother has a 90 K3500 with the sm465 and it does feel like it has a shorter throw than my 84. I can't say how much smoother it is because its fuggin worn out. Lol.


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[1987_chevy]

The truck I did this to drove great. You still can't bang through the gears like a 4 speed in a car, but it is a 465 after all. The shorter throw and the new shifter stick without the slop in it really makes a difference.

So could i just find a 465 out of an 88-91 truck and replace mine with that? There's a '91 locally that I bought the serpentine brackets and pulleys off so i know it had a 454 in it, and I'm almost positive it's a 3500. If it was a standard it should have the 465 in it, right?

 

[bucket]

So could i just find a 465 out of an 88-91 truck and replace mine with that? There's a '91 locally that I bought the serpentine brackets and pulleys off so i know it had a 454 in it, and I'm almost positive it's a 3500. If it was a standard it should have the 465 in it, right?

Yep. There's a couple differences in the trans itself though, a VSS for electric speedo and a 4th gear switch that was used with the fuel injection. All you really need though is the top cover with the forks in it, it can be swapped right onto an older 465.