Any possibility that whoever "recently installed" that South Bend clutch (the first one) could have gotten something just slightly off so that this could happen?

Just a thought? Sorry about this mess...

 

I would agree that you probably lost your fluid somehow. It happened to me, with similar results. Now I'm back on the road with a brand new NV4500!

 

Infidel, it is not entirely true that it is impossible for a manual transmission to go into 2 gears at one time. I had a 4 speed manual transmission on a 1976 Honda Civic 1200. I got up one morning to go to work and started the car. I shifted into 1st and started to let out on the clutch. Well the car acted like it wanted to die. Same in 2nd and 3rd but it would not try to die and would move with a lot of clutch in 4th. Well I determined that it was stuck in 4th gear and when I would try to shift into 1st,2nd or 3rd it would then be in two gears at the same time. Well I pulled the transmission to prove my theory as looking at how the transmission is built from manuals I could not figure out how that could be.

What I found is that the 4th gear had magnetized and had attracted most of the normal metal particals (dust)that wear off the gears, etc. and had siezed the gear to the shaft so it did not need to be engaged to turn with the shaft. So when you shifted into another gear you had two gears at the same time trying to turn at their respective revolutions. I bought a new 4th gear and cleaned up the transmission and it ran great afterwards. Never heard that happening by anyone else nor have I read of it happening anywhere else. A first for everything I guess. Joe

 

Other than the mainshaft and the input shaft, whats going to be upgraded in the new one?

 

Sorry, I don't buy it. When my 5th gear came off at 96 k there was no noise, and no problem. I shifted into fourth and continued on. From North Dakota to Texas I had a 4-speed and was limited to about 65 (cruised at 60). Something else happened to your tranny and the result was a complete implosion. I'm on my 5th or maybe 6th NV4500 (lost count) and have really destroyed 3 of them, but none were due to 5th gear.

 

Well I got it back now and its great. It did have plenty of fluid in it, it looked as if that gear came lose and jamed everything up. Oh well though, thats history. I love my new trans and clutch. Now with everything all fixed up I'm good to go on bigger injectors and turbo, after I pay this thing off.

 

That whole 5th gear thing is what scared me into buying a nv5600 a week or so ago. Hope you get it fixed up quickly and cheaply!

 

Personally, I think I'd rather have the NV4500 with good parts availability and a strong aftermarket support than an orphan like the NV5600 that is difficult to source parts for.

 

It would be less expensive to properly build a manual transmission right off the bat than it would an auto. How many people have incrementally built up their autos and spent WAY more than $3500?

Personally, I'd rather have the finer control, engine braking ability, and ability to be compression started that manual transmissions allow for and not have to deal with the lack of engine braking ability and overheating and cavitation issues that plague automatics. Been there, done that.

 

True enough....just don't need parts for a 5600 like you do for a 4500
Could not resist
But the 4500 is a good one,just saw an opening and had to put a jab in there!

 

Yeah I thought about putting a NV5600 in but it was WAY to expensive. Now with a VERY will built NV4500 and a SB Con FE clutch I should be good to go for a very long time.

 

From everything I have heard that seems to be true. Even a regular nv4500 with a 5th gear nut and input shaft is suposed to handel alot. I just wanted to minimize my chances of breaking. The truck is apart enough as it is!