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Posted by Mr.PG [208.84.59.50] on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 22:18:36 :
In Reply to: Re: Best trans behind a 4bt?? posted by Bill in CO [67.135.131.131] on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 21:06:07 :
The gear ratios of NV4500 and Getrag Transmissions are so close that IMO they are hardly noticeable.
I have had several of both trans in trucks, and my 1993 had a Getrag, and when it blew up, I replaced it with a NV4500, the only place I noticed anything at all, was in 5th gear because the NV4500 has 2% more overdrive. It might not sound like much, but a stock 4:10 geared 1993 CTD will only do about 74 mph pedal to the floor,, right up against the governor (at least that is all mine would do with the getrag) when I swapped in the NV4500 I could get the truck up to a little over 82 mph, might not sound like much but when on a two lane road and you want to pass someone that extra little bit of speed was nice to have for short bursts.
The getrag 1st gear is a little higher, but 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are all the same. Considering that most times when driving empty you start out in 2nd gear the little lower 1st in the NV4500 it not really noticeable, the only place I have really liked the lower 1st in the NV4500 is when you have to stop on Vail pass (up hill) because of some traffic jamb, you will like every bit on the lower 1st gear,, when you have 25 or 30 thousand pounds sitting behind your truck and you need to get it rolling again.
Look at the link below it shows the gear ratios of NV4500 and Getrag G360 Transmissions.
I have owned 6 1st gen trucks with the getrag, and never had one go bad because of towing in 5th gear, the getrags does not have a 5th gear problem like the the NV4500 does.
The reason they go is not enough oil, the oil passages are very small, and they dont get enough oil, the recommended oil for them is 5-30 motor oil, way to thin IMO, I have tried running them with heavier oil and then you cant shift them, the heaviest oil I ever ran (which is still to thin when it gets warm) and was still able to shift the getrag was 20-50 motor oil, the one of mine that let go, it just grenade'd, BOOM!! No warning, stuck walking to the nearest town, Sucks in the rain.
It was all bearing failure, not enough oil, even though I had it over filled, like everyone says will make them last, which I really have my doubts about that) Look at it this way about over filling them, say you have a bucket in the shop with 4 quarts of oil in it, you drop a cluster gear in the bucket, the gears and bearings are all under the oil now right? So what difference is it going to make if you put in another quart of oil in the bucket, it will Not give the bearings/gears anymore oil then what is already in the bucket. Over filling them will do nothing IMO but make a mess when it gets hot. I tried it, towing a load across country right after I tried the overfilling trick, I got less then 100 hundred miles into the trip, and I kept smelling burning oil, pulled the rig over, crawled under the truck, the sides of the trans, and everything under the truck was a MESS and it was dripping off of the exhaust, the smoking oil really smelled nice. I got my wrench's out pulled the silly overfill elbow, let the extra oil drain, put the factory plug back in place, and went and found the nearest car wash to wash all that stinky burning oil off the bottom of my truck. You can tow all day with a getrag in 5th gear and will not have any problems. It is the break down on the oil and bearing failure that will come back to bite you.
The few times I have lost 5th gear in the NV's I was still able to drive the truck, in fact the one time I drove it over 4000 miles from ND to MT and back to WI and out to CO and just drove it like a 4 speed truck no problems, the other time I lost 5th in NV, I drove it from NV to WI, and back to CO over 3400 miles round trip just had a 4 speed instead.
Yes, the NV4500 have their inherent 5th gear problems,, but there is several fixes out there for them. I've had four NV4500's, and even though they have 5th gear problems, I would take a NV4500 any day over a getrag, cleaner & smoother shifting trans, not anywhere as noisy, and a lot easier to get parts for, 9 years ago when I blew up my last getrag, parts were hard to find and expensive, I cant not imagine what it would cost now if you could find what you needed?
9 years ago, when I was trying to decide, weather I should find a case for the getrag, (mine cracked) and buy a rebuild kit, time I bought everything for the getrag I needed it was going to be $2200 to put a rebuilt getrag in it. The Brand NEW NV4500's at that time were $2400, so I bought the brand new NV4500 $200 more.
I did the updated 5th gear right away before I ever put the NV4500 in my truck, that was when the 1993 had 120,000 miles on it, it now has over 400,000 miles on it and I have towed a LOT with that truck in 5th gear still have not lost 5th!! I been told the secret is to put the updated 5th gear in a the trans right from new (unlike dodge did)
just my .2 cents
Matt
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