Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Here We Go Again NV4500 Lets loose

[MM800]

This is getting old! I think I lost a bearing. It rattles in all gears and in third it slips under power. Been noticing a clicking noise since it was rebuilt a couple of months ago. New mech this time. Called him and let him know there were problems. transmission was built by a transmission shop hee in Spokane Wa. Maybe 12,000 miles. Problems started almost immediately. All new bearings, 1st, 2nd and 5th and reverse gears have been rreplaced, along with fully splined main shaft. ?????????????????????????

 

[Woodenhead]

You're probably tied to the shop in Spokane now through warranty work but if you end up needing another shop try Quad 4x4 in MT. You'd be hard pressed to find someone that knows these boxes better than Dan and that Torque King Main Shaft is a rock solid fix for the 5th gear issues.



Here's a link Home



Mike

 

[Don Tanklage]

if it is "slipping in 3rd under power" you need a clutch



manual transmissions dont slip - they break - but they dont slip



so9unds like he already has the billet main shaft, dont know why you brought that up...



i used my buddies shop in so cal - chino hills transmissions



350 complete rebuild, i supplied the shaft and nut



i would forget about warranty at this point - your guy obviously doesnt know what he is doing



sorry for your misfortune



don

 

[Flinty]

Second the Quad 4x4 advice.

 

[tony597fitter]

It doesnt matter what vendor or rebuilder of the NV4500 transmissions you use, they WILL all break over time. If its not the 5th gear nut it will be synchros.

This is why I am in the process of looking to go to an automatic with full billet from Goerend.

 

[Don Tanklage]

wait a minute - when they built the nv4500 they started with an excellent, proven truck (real truck) transmission. granted the way they added 5th gear was lame - but there is a fix for that. (actually, if a guy just installs the split nut the thing will probably last a long long time without the fully splined billet output shaft). auto's are great for drag racing but for towing i will take the manual 10:1 - but you have start with a good transmission. sounds like mm800 just picked the wrong guy to build his. rick, at chino hills transmission assured me that my 150k m transmission would go twice that much again, and so far it looks like it will. i tow at 20k lbs plus. these are not drag racing transmissions and you should not speed shift them as such. they are truck trannies and want smooth shifts. bang the gears and the syncros will die, drive them right and enjoy. but first you have to find a good one or someone to fix what the other guy messed up



don

 

[WDaniels]

[It doesnt matter what vendor or rebuilder of the NV4500 transmissions you use, they WILL all break over time. If its not the 5th gear nut it will be synchros. /QUOTE]



I don't want to be a butt wipe or anything but you are dead wrong. I Just rebuilt my transmission with Quad 4x4 silver shaft kit and my old syncros and bearings with 243K miles are virtually new. I have a southbend OFE and with 110K on the clutch, only . 004 of its material Is gone. And I haul vairly heavy 3 to 4 times a week. These 4500 are as bullet proof as you are going to find.

MM800, get with Don at Quad 4x4 and do his rebuild kit by yourself. The has tools that come with the kit and it is easy. Just get his book and it has all the colour pictures and directions you need. What he doesn't know about this transmission hasn't been invented yet.

WD

 

[MM800]

the 3rd time it was done, I bought the kit from Dan and had local mech do the work. Both times it failed within 1000 miles. Have the SB 13" clutch rated at 500hp. truck has 340,000 miles. SG 300, 370, #10. The last time the guy in Spokane did the wosrk, it was 1300. 00. Said previouse mech did not know what he was doing. I got about 12,000-15,000 this time. Clutch at times would still slip in 5th (passing a vehicle). Something is just not right. I wonder what Dan would charge to rebuild?

 

[WDaniels]

get the book from Dan, order the tools that come with the kit and take it apart and do it yourself. If I can do it, you can. If you do it you will need a GOOD bearing puller. The bearing on the input shaft needs to be pulled and the bearing on the end of the main shaft needs pulled also. With a good bearing puller you will not destroy them, like I did. Let me know how it goes.

WD

 

[cahammer]

my transmission will be heading up to dan at quad 4x4 and i will keep that one as a spare i just bought a "brand new" 4500 for $1675 shipped to my door it is for an 03-04 but i belilve it will fit i have to change the input shaft cause of my dd and i have the cast iron houseing from dan that i will be swaping off my old transmission

 

[Woodenhead]

my transmission will be heading up to dan at quad 4x4 and i will keep that one as a spare i just bought a "brand new" 4500 for $1675 shipped to my door it is for an 03-04 but i belilve it will fit i have to change the input shaft cause of my dd and i have the cast iron houseing from dan that i will be swaping off my old transmission

I didn't know the 4500 was still used in 03-04, I thought they quite using it when they changed the body style from the 2nd gen trucks. Does this new transmission you have already have a fully splined main and/or some other fixes for the 5th gear problem?

 

[Don Tanklage]

HOPE IT IS NOT COMING FROM US GEAR



THEY ARE CROOKS



the 4500 in my truck was "brand new w/fully splined output shaft, billet 5th, killer loc nut, etc"



BS



i have the receipt right here, says it has it all



WHEN THE NUT FELL OFF I TOOK THE TRANS APART AND IT WAS BOX STOCK



us gear was happy to sell me all the stuff it was supposed to already have tho...



CROOKS

 

[Don Tanklage]

ps - i didnt think mopar used the new venture trans those years either



could be wrong tho...



here is my all bs, i mean all billet us gear fully not splined 4500

 

[tony597fitter]

To DON and WDANIELS,

Mark my words it WILL happen again, just when you need it most.

Yes, Don the NV4500 is a small truck transmission that would give you many trouble free miles if we didnt have double the HP and TQ a stock Cummins has. Its just a matter of time when it will let go again.

 

[Don Tanklage]

rick at chino hills transmission told me the 4500 is used in stuff a lot bigger than a dodge p/u truck



i usally roll at 20-25k# and have had great luck with mine since he put it together



hoping you are wrong...



here is a stock output shaft after i mig welded the stock nut on... lol (dont try this at home)

 

[NIsaacs]

The NV4500 transmission was used in the 03-04 Standard Output Trucks. It was discontinued in 04. 5 along with the SO.





"NICK"

 

[Don Tanklage]

so what did the factory put behind the high output motors?



(in the way of a manual transmission)



and was it actually stronger than the nv?



don

 

[NIsaacs]

The HO started in 01' with the NV5600 and continued untill the G56 transmission. The NV4500 was not used in any of the HO's.





"NICK"

 

[cahammer]

Dodge Dealer P/N 52108131AC



https://www.dodgeparts.com/oe_parts_catalog.html?osCsid=d94c8ffde15f01e42627d7f184c764cd



hope this helps i dont know about the 5th gear nut yet but i will post up if it happens

 

[tony597fitter]

Alot of people do the NV4500 to NV5600 swap. The only problem is the NV5600 is getting VERY expensive. They have stopped making parts for them so the trans. and parts are going way up.

Now, as for durability. The consensus out there is that th NV4500 is still the Bad boy as far as durability (except for the darn 5th gear nut).

Now, from what I have heard and have been reading, I am excited to see this G56 trans doing so well. I know of a couple of people who have done the NV4500 to G56 swap and are liking it ALOT.

I am waiting to see what happens to my NV4500 with the torqueking shaft, but I know what the inevitable is, because it has happened to other people with this shaft.

I will probably be going to an Allison 1000 conversion with the 6 speed, and full billet.