NV3500 swap into my Volare

I just picked up a Ram for parts. I'm thinking about putting the 5 speed tranny in my 77 Volare. It already has a 98 318 in it.

I'm prepared to cut the trans tunnel and crossmember for clearance. The Dana 60 with 4.10's will go back in it.

Anyone do this swap into something? I know they don't handle alot of power, the 318 won't break it but will make it alot more fun to drive. It ran 14.3 @ 95 mph 2 weeks ago with 3.23 gears and a 904. I'm going to do a cam swap as well as I want one with a higher power band, the stock truck cam is weak up top. My 4.7 5 speed dakota is better to drive when I up the rev limiter so I can shift it at 6000. 5500 is too soon with the low first gear and 3.92 gear in the back.

It won't cost much to do this swap as the truck was free and I need a new driveshaft anyway. The hydraulic clutch setup I think I can make the pedal and master work in the car.

I'll update when the swap is under way, I'm gonna take the truck apart this weekend.

ll i know about it from owning a 99 5.2/5 speed dakota...its a big trans your going to have to do ALOT of cutting. but you could probley use a hurst shifter from an S-10 because they used the nv3500 too and had alot shorter shifters than my dakota had

'98 has a screw on shifter handle, so it's pretty easy to make a replacement that will work for you. 98-up also have a revised shifter, so the throws are shorter than '97-down. I swapped my old truck's '96's stock shifter for a '98 for this reason. helped that I worked for the company that made them

it is a very large tranny, relatively speaking. good luck with it, let us know how it goes. my old 2wd ram was a lot of fun to drive with a 318/spd combo. you might want to keep the 3.23's in there, 1st gear is either 3.5 or 4:1, so it'll be relatively worthless with short car tires and 4.10's. OD is also .73 IIRC.

for a cam, if you're not regrinding yours, I'd look at a comp XR258HR and hughes 1110 springs....with the stick and gearing, the XR265HR would probably be pretty good, too...might lose some low end, but should have a fierce top end charge.

This is a 95 tranny. Its better this year so I can put a speedo cable in it. In 98 they went to a smaller threaded hole for the speed sensor. My 2003 dakota only has a speed sensor in the rear end, none in the transmission.

I unbolted the shifter tonight. It looks like the handle is just pushed on the base. I was thinking about putting a pistol grip on it. Nothing a little welding can't fix. Looks like it takes a 727 yoke.

Forget it Glen. Those transmissions are huge and clumsy. I have one in my truck, you will hate the gear ratios.

As for et. I've seen a few examples of nv3500 vs automatics and you may even slow the car down with this swap.

ET is not the concern with the swap. The car is just boring to drive. Its hard to go from an 11 sec car to a 14 sec car. I'm trying to make it fun to drive and I like the gear ratios.

the gear ratios in my old '96 were very well matched to the 318 magnum and 3.21 rear gear with 30" tires...my 318 2wd truck was running faster than 5.9 4x4's would in the quarter at test and tune events.

the '95 shifter handle pushes and clips on to the stub handle of the shifter. a '98 up will drop on, and reduce throw length a bit, too. a chev shifter may or may not work better too, as it has a different top on the stub handle.

I know my 5 speed 4.7 dak runs the same times as the RT's and the auto 4.7's are slow.

I'm thinking about keeping the 3.23's, I found the right speedo pinion for them. The tranny is 1 1/4" longer than the 904.

I got the pedals out of the truck, I think I can put the clutch pedal in the car. Its an aluminum assembly that also holds the slave master.

I have gathered everything for the swap to start. I may need some sawzall blades...lol.

I got the flywheel machined, new pressure plate, 11" clutch, throwout bearing and pilot bearing. I also got input and output shaft seals. There is a place by my work that is a distributer and rebuilder for clutches. They had to rebuild the clutch that came out as its got an oddball center piece or this flywheel missed a machining process. Or chrysler put an oddball clutch in for a short time to use an oddball flywheel.

I dropped the new clutch from the kit on the flywheel and the rivets in the center were touching it. Its a basic 11" GM 10 spline.

I also started making a trans mount. I can't go any farther till its in the car. Not sure if I have to cut the tranny crossmember yet. It looks like it.

I'm thinking about starting the swap friday night.

yes, you'll have to. I had to cut the hoop out in the tranny crossmember to fit my A500.

I have the tranny in the car, I have one issue that will be a bit of a challenge. The shifter is real close to the dash, gonna do some bending and see what I can come up with. The speedo gear is right in the middle of the tranny crossmember.

Will have more fun tomorrow.

take a look at the dakota hurst shifter it almost does a 90 degree bend right out of the trans

please post some pics, I'd love to see details. if my A500 takes a dump (there seems to be some whining coming from it), I've thought about swapping to a manual, was originally thinking an A833OD....this might open up other possibilites.

also, do some 'yarding. dakotas, '98-up jeeps, S10's rams, and C/K GM trucks all use the tranny. from the pivot down, the shifters are all identical, from the pivot up the levers are different. one of those apps might work better for you. early rams & daks use a straight square stub lever that pushes into the upper handle. later ones are bent with a ~1/2" thread. all the GM apps are bent and threaded. the levers are all made out of stressproof 12L14, I'm not sure how conducive that is to cutting and welding.

I'll post some pics tomorrow night. I have the tranny completely in. I had to dent a header tube for the starter. I tried a mini and a standard one and the mini was a little better so I put it in.

I heated the square stub and bent it back on a 45 and its ok like that. Shifter comes apart easy.

I'm working on the clutch pedal tomorrow, the issue I see right now is room for the master. It wants the hole for the wiring harness. I think I will move the wiring over a bit and they can share the hole if I make it oval. I'll seal it with silicon I guess.

My first trans mount did not like my X pipe. I forgot to test fit the exhaust. I will make another mount next weekend as well as do the top side of the crossmember.

I know this post is old but just curious on all had to do to make it fit cutting/customizing I've got an nv3500 that I'm going to be trying to put in a 83 cordoba

Brandon I will tell you the same thing I told Glen. Don't do it. The ratios are all wrong for a car. Not even good for a sporty truck.

They are ok in a V6 truck but 4:1 1st gear is for accelerating with a trailer.

They do shift nice and have a synchronized reverse. I've heard there are some 3.5:1 1st gear NV3500's but never seen one.

If ya gotta have a 5-speed then the AX15 is a better choice for many car applications.
I'm guessing on this but, since the original thread died back in '09 the NV swap probably also died, as many do.......

Was the AX15 only used in the Jeeps or was it used in imports as well? I recall someone talking about a 5 speed out of a Supra maybe?

Kinda makes ya wonder what happened to the swap huh?
If it was ever installed, as said, the gearing is all wrong.

Not to mention the comparison of his 2 wheel drive truck to the 4wd's.
Not exactly apples to oranges.

An a 833 o.d. is a much better choice.

Not to mention the modern 5 and 6 speed transmissions out there today.
My suggestion is look into it deeper.