NV3500 Broken After Burnout

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Supercharged111

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Logged in after many years to tell you that you likely broke your 1-2 shift fork. The forks are made out of aluminum and break if you shift too hard. The gears themselves are really strong and are probably okay. I just had my nv3500 rebuilt and it was 3k. Im a little chuffed because they only had to replace the clutch, mc, throwout bearing, 2 shift forks, a syncro and the bearings..... Everything else was fine and it was still 3k.

What about 3-4? I ask cuz 3-4 iron fork came about in the T56 later in its career. Did the trucks ever get all iron forks?
 

04silvyhotrod

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Is this a NV3500 or the 5lm60? I took the shift tower off and the transmission still spins freely and dont make a noise while the engine is running. This is what mine looks like.
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sewlow

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Really? I thought parts for the NV4500 were scarce?

There`s a lot more NV3500`s around, sure, but the NV4500's are out there. Apparently a 4500 from a diesel will mate up to a gasser. No first hand exp. on that though.
It's also a much simpler trans internally. The 3500 is a pain to rebuild & there are no performance upgrades. There's rebuild kits available for both.
The price of the rebuild parts for the 3500 would be getting close to the cost of a wrecker 4500.
 

Erik the Awful

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I agree with Reverend Mike. If the shifter's flopping you broke a shift fork. What does it say that you broke the NV3500 with your fist instead of your engine?
 

RichLo

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Yea, nv4500s are out there but you have to be patient. It took me over two years of casually checking craigslist to find the perfect one (1995 model) for $700 with the bell housing and the guy threw in the transfer case also since I didn't try to haggle on the price.

Guys sometimes sell the bell housing separate since they can go for almost as much as the trans since the chevy onse are becoming pretty rare now and theres no aftermarket ones available
 

skylark

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@ccreddell stole my burb and trailer to go almost 1600 miles round trip to pick up a 93 k3500 that has a NV4500 in it. I will say that the price was right even having to go that far.
 

04silvyhotrod

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I agree with Reverend Mike. If the shifter's flopping you broke a shift fork. What does it say that you broke the NV3500 with your fist instead of your engine?

I bought another Trans and Tcase just gotta get time to swap it in. And I assume the only thing saving the hard parts in the tranny was lack of traction. Start hooking up right out the dig with 5k ckutch dumps and ***** gonna break.

Ain't got nothing to prove, I know what's in the motor. It'll jerk that old heavy ass pig around well enough.
 

Erik the Awful

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Also, practice being part of the Shaolin Shifter clan, and not the Wu-Tang Grab and Bang.

I shift with an open palm by pushing the shifter in the direction it needs to go and letting it find its way. If you're forcing it, you're gonna break it. Especially when the shifter can double for a cheater bar.
 
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