No 445

[BigBlockTrucks]

Does anyone know what the casting numbers are on the elusive 445 tranny. Also, what year or model trucks they could be found in?

[PwrWgnDrvr]

The only 2 I've seen were/are in a 70 W100 and 70 W200, both behind 383's. Too greasy and dark to see any casting numbers, but they are way bigger and heavier than the 435.

[BigBlockTrucks]

I’m looking into it on Monday. The local yard has this truck.
I only got 2 pics but from what i can tell it’s single headlight with the newer door latches.
I assume this is push button handles?
A lot of parts and doors are missing but the trans is still there. It’s worth a look.
What year did push button handles start?

[jeffc57]

67 is first year push button door handles

[PwrWgnDrvr]

It will say 445 on the vin plate if it was a factory install. Its not listed in the 66 FSM specs.

[58pwrwgn]

69 or 70 would be first year of 445. The case is 2 inches longer than a 435. There may be a blue tag on the right side. Says model 4530. The top right rear cover bolt is in line with the other bolts on that side. On the 435 that bolt sets in a bit.

[58pwrwgn]

445 data plate

[58pwrwgn]

Top cover of 445.

[58pwrwgn]

Top view of 435

[712edf]

Thanks 58pwrwgn!

You have shed more light on the NP445 in three short posts than I have seen in tons of reading.

Bucky

[BigBlockTrucks]

I kinda of suspected this but it was just another 435.
On the bright side I got the bed floor patch I needed from that truck for ten bucks.

[58pwrwgn]

I went out to the shed and measured. The case is 13 inches. The 435 in my truck is 11. The data plate on the truck will say 445 but if you look online under "dodge np 4530" you may find more info. I think the first year was 1970 as a dodge only transmission. I found this in a 70 w100. The 70s trucks in the junkyard this came from were mostly automatics, 60s trucks were all manuals. I read somewhere the the output housing on the 445 was shorter than a 435 so that the total length was the same. Seals and bearings should be common to the 435. There was an online seller saying the 540 2-3 syncro parts worked in 1-2 sycro of the 445. Don't remember on the 3-4 syncro.
The 435 posted above is 68 and earlier. I assume 69 and up top plate is the same.

[712edf]

For the record 1970 was the first year Dodge offered the automatic transmission in a 4x4 truck. 61-69 were manuals. I have heard of a 50's 4x4 with an automatic, can't verify it.

Bucky

[Hobcobble]

For the record 1970 was the first year Dodge offered the automatic transmission in a 4x4 truck. 61-69 were manuals. I have heard of a 50's 4x4 with an automatic, can't verify it.

Bucky

I thought that '69 was the first year for an auto in a W?

John

[712edf]

You may be correct John, that was the year of "big changes" in the 4x4 for Dodge. I'm going off what I remember (or think I remember ) from one of those Standard Catalog of American Pick-up Trucks books I once had.

If the registry here was working properly I could easily search through the gallery & see if any of the 69's are autos. But when I tried to search something else the registry wouldn't let me look at any individual listing.

Bucky

[Wildergarten]

I thought that '69 was the first year for an auto in a W?

I had a '67 with a factory auto A727-B on a 383.

[712edf]

I had a '67 with a factory auto A727-B on a 383.

Did it have a dash shifter?
What crossmember set-up did it have for the rear mount? Under tailshaft housing? I don't recall ever seeing a W series automatic from the 61-69 era. I have only saw manuals with bellhousing mounts. I did own a 66 D100 with A318/727 & it had a dash shifter.

Bucky

[PwrWgnDrvr]

According to Don Bunn in Dodge Pickups History, pg 162, 1970 is the first year ever that a W truck was offered with an auto trans.

[Wildergarten]

Did it have a dash shifter?

Yes it did.

What crossmember set-up did it have for the rear mount? Under tailshaft housing?

There were a pair of welded angle irons that connected to cut off stubs of the manual trans crossmember. There was a bolted in stamping under the trans.

I don't recall ever seeing a W series automatic from the 61-69 era. I have only saw manuals with bellhousing mounts. I did own a 66 D100 with A318/727 & it had a dash shifter.

It wasn't a W truck; it was a D200. Sorry if I misunderstood you.

[58pwrwgn]

Bigblocktrucks. I was looking at your question and trucks. In 69 dodge moved the transmission mount from the bellhousing to the tail shaft and added a tail extension to do so, making it longer. This will affect your intermediate shaft length. They also went to a mechanical bellhousing and changed the input shaft. It went to 23 splines and is shorter.
I was thinking about trying to make mine work in my hydraulic bellhousing. I think if I modify my clutch fork for the smaller throw out bearing and use the 93 Dakota pilot bearing setup, it might work.
As for which trucks; I think light duty line. ( 1/2, 3/4, & 1 ton). 69? 70-74 both 2wdr and 4x4. In 75 the transfer case was mated to the trans, so 2wdr after that. Dodge also started to offer the passenger car a833OD 4sp in 1/2 tons 2wdr that year. It can be identified by the shifter linkage on the side of the trans. I don't know when they stopped making them.