I want to turn my 96 into a sled puller but I've got a few issues first. I have put a good deal of money into the motor on my truck already with a twins setup waiting to go on. The problem I'm facing is the tranny, do I keep throwing money into the auto or try a manual conversion?
rebuilt nv4500 is only $800-$1000
billet input shaft $500
DD Southbend clutch $1700
Plus other odds and ends like a clutch pedal assembly and I'm sure there are more that I'm missing.
A built auto is going to run much over that with the mandatory parts:
billet input
billet intermediate
billet output
billet drum
Each of these are about $700 give or take.
I know the topic has been brought up before and beat to death but I want a new opinion on the project. Cheaper to stay auto or try the switch, also what about strength? I would think a nv4500 would hold up a little better than the auto for constant pulling.

 

If you are looking into a solid pulling auto tranny, contact haisley machine. might be a little pricey, however they have never blown one down the track. Also depending on what class you are wanting to pull in, and where you are located, you might want to botch the twins and go with a SPS 66, or S400 if you are pushing a lot of fuel. The only reason I said botch the twins, is because unless you are pulling in the pro-stock, or modified, twins are not allowed.

 

I've still got alot of thinking to do before I proceed in any direction. The local pulls here have no class distinction for diesels, just diesel pickup, talks of a modified class are in the works too though.
Also if I throw all that money into a strict sled puller than I should take it further than just our local pulls, then the class distinctions would come into play.
What I really need is just a play truck, something I can drag race and turn around and pull a sled, is such a thing possible?

 

Well for a pulling truck you can chunk the auto. curt haisley runs th nv4500 in his pulling truck. you are gonna need some ladder bars or if it is strictly going to be a pulling truck just weld in ther rear axle. also i would look at haisleys DD pulling clutch instead of the sbc.jmo

jake

 

and if ya want to drag race, ditch the manual and put in an auto that will handle the power

 

Scott Amos, Terry Coppess, Carl Sugg, Chris Harness all run Haisley Auto's and clean up the street class in Indiana.

Autos can and do compete well if they are built correctly.

A properly built auto (auto for pulling) will usually beat a manual at the same hp level.

 

I'm sure you know of him, but contact Tim Barber on here, user name TiminVA. Hes from up your way, very knowledgable. Hes going to rebuild my tranny once I get the money and most of my truck paid off with DTT parts, including billet. Hes got good prices too, and a QUICK turn around time.

 

keep the auto, you will be better off in th elong run. i went to all the trouble to put a 6 speed and dual disk in my 97. i wish i did the auto. way better in traffic, probable close to 2 seconds quicker in the quarter than the six speed, and a higher over drive.

 

I concur on that. I've got a 6spd and a friend of mine has a DTT auto with similar power. He's 1.5 to 2 seconds quicker than me in the 1/4 mile.

 

Most of the guys around here don't even run billet shafts until something breaks. I think that Coppess just put shafts in his truck last winter. Believe it or not sledpulling is probably easier on the shafts, then drag racing. Most of the trannys that the haisleys are building have just a VB and torque convertor. Might have a billet second gear lever.

 

You can add John Isaacs to that list of guys that pull with an auto and do well with it. And he is a DTT installer/builder.