NV3500 5-speed swap

[Wageslave]

The transmission mount that I used was a Duralast 2295. It is the early style mount that has two holes on the cross member side instead of the one stud.

The tailshaft comes almost all the way back to the driveshaft loop bracket and the front U-joint is almost centered on it. I just removed the bracket as it was not going to do its intended job anymore. I did find that my new driveshaft will have to be 3.75 inches shorter, from 61.5" to 57.75".

I was just going to cut it down myself as I have access to a machine shop at work but the lathe couldn't correctly hold onto the yoke when I started cutting on it. It is still able to be cut down if I can't scrape the funds together to just buy a new one but I won't be the one to do it. I did find a driveshaft builder on amazon that will build me a new one with a new 27 spline yoke and u-joints on both ends for $219.99 with free shipping.

I will probably just use an S-10 shifter boot assembly to seal up the cabin and enlarge the hole in the tunnel to match the boot. I need to get a boot for where the clutch rod runs through the firewall

I still have to get a set of pigtails for the speed and reverse sensors, and wire them in.

I guess it is more or less a waiting game now, but I will try to get a video of it running and driving when I get it on the road.

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[Wageslave]

Quick question:

What wires on the column position switch control the reverse lights?

 

[Texas82GP]

Looks like they should be dark blue and light green.....

 

[TURNA]

 

[Wageslave]

Perfect! I wasn't thinking I would get off that easily.

 

[pontiacgp]

Small update tonight.

I have the shift tower installed on the transmission now and the placement is close to perfect. I will probably just reuse the factory S-10 shifter and find a boot to fit it. I will have to cut the hole in the tunnel out a little bigger, as it hits the shifter tower on the drivers side

I have not used the S-10 shifter but I heard it was similar to the shifter in the F body. The F body shifter on the T 5 transmission is terrible, it will let you over shift which can damage a transmission and is sloppy. I use a Hurst shifter with stops which works real well.

 

[Wageslave]

I have not used the S-10 shifter but I heard it was similar to the shifter in the F body. The F body shifter on the T 5 transmission is terrible, it will let you over shift which can damage a transmission and is sloppy. I use a Hurst shifter with stops which works real well.

I have heard of aftermarket replacement shift towers for this transmission, but I thought they had been discontinued. I know that there are 3 or 4 different versions from the factory with different heights and pivot points that you could use to change shift feel.

 

[Wageslave]

Big update tonight:

I just picked up the driveshaft from the machine shop today before work. I also got a bottle of synchromesh fluid to fill the transmission up with.

I should be able to install it and go for a drive tonight!

 

[TURNA]

Don't rush it. Double check everything.

 

[Wageslave]

Well, I got to drive it around for a few miles and it is freaking awesome!

I got the driveshaft installed and filled the transmission with syncromesh fluid. I took it down the road and had to recalibrate the speedometer, as it was reading about 4x faster than actual speed. Once that was done, I took it out on the highway and ran it through all the gears. 1st gear feels about perfect and should carry me through an intersection with no problems. At 60 mph, I went from 2050 RPM with the automatic to 1500 RPM in 5th gear.

Clutch engagement is smooth with great pedal feel.

The driveshaft fit perfectly but may need to be balanced now as the machinist had to remove one of the balance weights when the tube got cut down.

I did have to turn my idle speed up about 200 RPM to keep from chugging when I first take off, but that may be more of a driving style issue than anything mechanically wrong.

If I let off of the gas with the revs under 1300 or so, it seems to lightly bounce back and forth instead of smoothly engine braking. Not sure if the cam may be to blame for that but it is notable.

I will take it to work tomorrow and run it out a little better but for now I am ecstatic.

(and I guess I am famous now, since this thread made it to the google ads bar)