Wanting to swap tranny and/or t-case for 5 speed w/overdrive

[Cris]

Really need to find a fifth gear for my 66 W200. Stock 4speed and 4.10 gears make it kind
of 'windey' about 65. Found a gearvendor overdrive bolt-in (just need to have a short rear shaft
built, but that's like 3K$'s....(ouch)

I'm not that in love with the twin stick t-case, what's out there that would be plug & play into
my truck. Motor's a 70's 360.

Thanks for the input/advice.

Cris

[jkindt]

How about an NV3400 trans out if a Dakota 4x4?

[Kaegi]

no 5 speed OD bolts in that I know of. cheapest sway to go faster is taller tires. the optional tire back in the day was the 9.00 x 16 at 36 inches tall you can go 80 all day with 4.10s

[EarlKann]

The Dakota trans (possibly too light duty) or a NV4500 out of a late model full size Ram will bolt to your engine, but no matter what you do you are going to have to make mounts and modify cross members.

[Hobcobble]

The closest you can get to "plug & play" is putting some
3.54 gears in the axles. I'm not sure where the carrier
"cut off" is as far as installing the 3.54 ring & pinion in
your current housings. The 3.54 with
a slightly taller tire would do wonders for you.
For that matter, you could look into newer DANA axle[s]
with this ratio and pick up front disc brakes. That
NP435/NP201 combo you're running is as good as they come
with regards to reliability. I wouldn't swap in some inferior chain
driven t-case..... ..... Why mess with perfection?
John

[PowerMan]

A friend of mine has done a swap to put a NV4500 (5 speed with OD) behind the built 360 in his '63 M37. He went to the dodge dealer and ordered the bellhousing for the 5.9 magnum gas engine (not the V10) that was in the late 90's 2500 (and maybe the 3500's) series truck that used the NV4500. I think he used the shorter chevy 2 wheel drive output shaft and housing to allow extra room for the divorced NP200 transfer case. You will not be able to use the factory bellhousing mount because there is no mounting point on this bellhousing. It will need to be cut out and another cross member made to mount to the output housing of the NV4500.

[Cris]

Well, looks like I'll be doing the gear vendors overdrive instead of replacing the tranny & t-case.
Found a rebuilt NV4500 & t-case, that ended up looking like $3K+. No sense reinventing the wheel here.

[jwing68]

digdoug has an awesome thread in the engine/driveline section on the installation of a getrag 5 speed overdrive into one of his W's.
He went with the NP 205 behind it on a big block but also describes how the getrag tranny is a direct fit to the small block bell housing. I intend to follow his set up for my 68 W300 except I am keeping my T-case as a divorced set up, this looks alot more afforable than anything else I have seen or researched.
Just remember if you run a getrag to pull the stick out of it and put an extra quart of gear oil in it after its filled to the fill plug level. my