Blown your Blumenthals NV4500 lately???

[1sand0s]

Blumenthals NV4500 was NOT blown! Clutch was though...

I am just adding this in here and leaving the rest of it alone.

It was not the trans...

It was the clutch.



<end of edit>





No clutch drops, no burnouts, no snapping.



Three people drove the thing with me right next to them, like an old woman, reminding them. "it is NOT a mustang GT, you can BREAK this thing. Easy on it. Till you get to 4th gear, nothing more than 1/8 throttle. "



I was what you would call ultra paranoid with the truck.



I read stories (and see) you guys going sideways, round in circles, taking off in 3rd gear, pulling 2nd gear 3k clutch drops...

You dont break it. Or do you?



My truck has less than 3,000 miles on it since I installed the rebuild I had Blumenthals do, south bend clutch... well, two clutches since the first one was defective...



The worst thing this truck ever did was come out sideways in 4th gear. (A little scary) But this was empty with about 6 gallons of fuel in the tank.



While trying to figure out a charging issue, I went for a ride to try to get the thing to quit charging again and POOF!



I wasn't even being REMOTELY hard on the thing.



I paid the cash for the trans to have all the goodies.

Cast Tail-Housing, Special shafts... (Sure did cost me enough)



3,000 miles and POOF?



All that trouble to convert from an auto and the thing STILL lunches? GRRRRRR!



I hear about guys pulling at 35PSI for MILES in 5th gear without an issue.



I hit 40 pounds a few times and thats it?? You have GOT to be kidding me...



So, how many of you guys lunched one of these things?

Should it not be able to take a rolled-on throttle in 4th gear?

 

[barbwire]

Drive it like you "really" want to!

that way you will know if it will stand up, "BEFORE" the warranty expires!!!!!!!!!

 

[1sand0s]

Now that I read my post, I dont want it to sound like the thing only saw full throttle in 4th. It got held open in 5th also. Twice.

Up to 2800 RPM.



Empty.

 

[Excessive Force]

No clutch drops, no burnouts, no snapping.



I guess i'm in trouble 'cause that's all i've done with mine...

Have you found out what broke yet?Was it the input shaft?

 

[1sand0s]

I am not sure what happened.

I am too disgusted to look at the truck without gasoline and a lighter.



It just popped out of gear and made a grinding noise.

(For a split second)

I let it coast to the side of the road out of gear.

I said a little prayer, thinking maybe it had just popped out of gear.

When I put it in first gear, it moved about four feet, then went chunk, chunk. It got shut off. (No sense in trashing it more. )



I don't think the front shaft is broken.



I will yank it out... again... this week.



(I am really good at taking it out now. Too good. )

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Mine has parts from Std. Trans. and is a rebuild of a broken 1998 model (this was easier than tying up the lift for who knows how long while rebuilding my 1997 with the new mainshaft). It hasn't given any trouble at 800 hp. I drive conservatively, except on the dyno You might check bellhousing alignment. Otherwise, probably "luck of the draw. " I assume Blumenthal's warranties the trans (?) Pop off a pto cover and look for gear teeth on the magnet If so, and you remove all of them and put in lube, you may be able to get home with whatever gears are left.

 

[Dan_69GTX]

Bummer



But please let us know what you find and what Blumenthal does/says!



Dan

 

[1sand0s]

Going to pull it down now.



But I just had to share a phrase my cousin just told me that really fits this situation.



"Transmission Pinata"



(Pin-Yata)



Even though it is on me, it is still funny.

 

[SOOT]

Last year I had to replace the trans in mine so i went with Blumenthal and with in 2 months it went out Again. I gave them a call and they said send it in and they did a full rebuild under warranty, and I haven't had a problem since. Really good people to deal with, they will definitely live up to there reputation.

 

[1sand0s]

Well, I dont think I will even have to deal with Blumenthals.

It is the center out of the clutch.

The trans looks fine.



(I never knew a clutch center could sound like that)

:--)

 

[fox]

Low RPM is hard on the clutch center.

 

[Sled Puller]

Heheheheh! Thats lucky,,,?



Ive had good luck with Enterprises rebuild a few years ago.



The only problem was self inflicted with a measly 500 hp. Ripped the teeth off of second gear, and took the countershaft right with it.

I have seen cases split right down the middle.



jeff24gordon probably should be in the running for most NV 4500 damage with least power.



He is a gear rower from hell, though.



But remember, the Jeep guys think this transmission is INDESTRUCTABLE!!!!

 

[Deezul1]

I just replaced 3rd gear and cluster and wasnt "on it" when it happened but I may have shifted a little quickly a couple of times. Dang ricers and Mustangs made me do it.

 

[1sand0s]

Originally posted by Sled Puller

Heheheheh! Thats lucky,,,?





But remember, the Jeep guys think this transmission is INDESTRUCTABLE!!!!

I think it is lucky! LOL... Those Jeep people. Gotta love 'em. I know different though.

When you are even running a simple mod like a plate in a 12 valve, you can break it if you treat it like a Mustang and miss a gear halfway. I guess the Jeep folks dont have real tourque.



(Unless you go in the projects/conversion section and look at Bill Catoes Jeep. That one is going to have enough!!)



I learned something from this post.

Don't make a post until the machine is torn down and you know for sure what broke.

It pisses me off that I was careful with the thing and it broke though.

 

[Excessive Force]

Well... ..... You know we all want to know the brand of CLUTCH.

 

[1sand0s]

See my post under "South Bend Experience"