NV3500 breaking point?

[someotherguy]

My homeboy swapped his 4.3 V6 for a 502 big block, cammed, and beat on it mercilessly until the NV3500 case cracked. I think they're weak as hell but apparently they're tougher than you might think. I still don't trust them.

Richard

 

[JCribb]

Well.... I can tell you everyone who said don’t torture it is right, because I beat mine and all three died. One broken internals it being the original with 280k, two of bearing failures, and one of those two had a broken 1-2 shift rail. I upgraded to the NV4500 with a ceramic clutch and everything has been happy since, which is roughly 15k miles.

This was on regular all terrain tires, and a 10 bolt with a g80 that gripped like it was supposed to with 3.73’s at the time. It now has a small 14 4.10’s with a trutrac.

The engine is mildly built with roughly 375/375 power and torque.

I just drove it like I wanted to enjoy it, and I broke stuff along the way.

 

[94_Z71]

The 2003-2005 Joe Gibbs Silverado had a supercharged 5.3L that put out 395 HP and 425 lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission offering was the NV3500. If it's good enough for Joe Gibbs...

 

[hatzie]

Well.... I can tell you everyone who said don’t torture it is right, because I beat mine and all three died. One broken internals it being the original with 280k, two of bearing failures, and one of those two had a broken 1-2 shift rail. I upgraded to the NV4500 with a ceramic clutch and everything has been happy since, which is roughly 15k miles.

This was on regular all terrain tires, and a 10 bolt with a g80 that gripped like it was supposed to with 3.73’s at the time. It now has a small 14 4.10’s with a trutrac.

The engine is mildly built with roughly 375/375 power and torque.

I just drove it like I wanted to enjoy it, and I broke stuff along the way.

They'll work just fine if you run them far enough inside their design tolerances.
The NV3500 is only rated for around 300ft-lbs MAX. As you discovered... 375 is way too much.
If your engine is pumping out more than 270 to 280ft-lbs you will likely break the NV3500. A bone stock 1985 350 with 290ish ft-lbs is too much.

You can run them behind a 6.2L diesel at 240-260ft-lbs and a stock LE9, L03, & even the L30 305 truck motors without problems.
Even the anemic late 70's 350 truck motor with a whopping 295ft-lbs is probably too much motor for one of these.

 

[JCribb]

They'll work just fine if you run them far enough inside their design tolerances.
The NV3500 is only rated for around 300ft-lbs MAX. As you discovered... 375 is way too much.
If your engine is pumping out more than 270 to 280ft-lbs you will likely break the NV3500. A bone stock 1985 350 with 290ish ft-lbs is too much.

You can run them behind a 6.2L diesel at 240-260ft-lbs and a stock LE9, L03, & even the L30 305 truck motors without problems.
Even the anemic late 70's 350 truck motor with a whopping 295ft-lbs is probably too much motor for one of these.

Yeah that’s why after discovering the third one was dying, I sourced the upgrade transmission.

 

[Blackwater]

The 2003-2005 Joe Gibbs Silverado had a supercharged 5.3L that put out 395 HP and 425 lb-ft of torque. The manual transmission offering was the NV3500. If it's good enough for Joe Gibbs...

Joe gibbs may have had the tranny upgraded, which I know a company who does provide cryo treated parts that gives it 30% more strength.

 

[94_Z71]

Joe gibbs may have had the tranny upgraded, which I know a company who does provide cryo treated parts that gives it 30% more strength.

I don't know. The article I read about it made it sound bone stock. But I guess it's possible.

 

[Blackwater]

I don't know. The article I read about it made it sound bone stock. But I guess it's possible.

With my experience with these transmissions, I have had two die on me with a bone stock engine. The first one while heading on leave to my parents. I was on I10 south of El Paso, TX. Cruse on 75mph, all of a sudden RPMs went up. I had 4th but that was it. I flipped back at the boarder patrol checkpoint near Van Horn and drove it back to the barracks on Ft. Bliss. Flew out the next day. Chief and my NCOIC where amazed I got it home. The second one was about to need new syncos and that's when I modded the NV4500 in. Never looked back.

 

[94_Z71]

I had a '94 for thirteen years. It had an NV3500. I'm an aggressive driver, but I never had a problem with it. I'm all for the NV4500. 1st makes for a nice rock crawler gear on a 4x4. The NV 3500 does shift smoother to me though.

 

[Steve Cunningham]

When I bought my truck new in 98 c1500 rcsb nv3500 5.7 3.42 I drove it hard until I got stickier tires. It's stock has 112,*** miles on it and replaced the clutch at 90,000 miles. It works well for me.