Operation NP435 & Over Drive

As the subject said the next phase on my 81 Flare side is to swap out the T18 that has seen better days for a NP435 and install the Advance Adaptor Ranger Torque Splitter (AA RTS).

The NP has a lower 2nd gear ratio than the T18 so it should be easier on the clutch when driving empty as you drive both granny first transmissions as a 3sp unless you have a heavy load you need to get moving from a stop.

The OD should lower the RPM at 70 MPH to about 1800 RPM.
Right now I am running 2300 RPM @ 65 MPH and that is with a 2.74 rear gear ratio.
What is nice with the AA RTS is you can split all the gears so my 4sp granny first is now a 8sp granny first transmission with a 2sp reverse.

They say some of the gear splits are so close in ratio it is not worth it to split but after driving and splitting you will know what ones are worth splitting. Right now I wanted it mostly for the lower RPM on the highway and hope to get a little more MPG to boot.

I hope to get started this coming weekend or sooner depending on work and don't see why it should not be together other than needing to shorting the drive shaft.
Because I am changing transmissions I did not want to risk having a shft made to fit the T18 and find it would not work on the NP435.

So once the truck is on all 4 tires I will measure for a new drive shaft. I want to keep the T18 shaft just incase I want to go back less OD and I think it can be used with the NP435 so I will use the LB parts truck shaft as the one to mod.

It came with 2 qt of oil to run after you run 30wt motor oil as a break in, shift handle & bolts, rubber boot and the bolts from the OD unit to the bell housing.

The hardest part I for see is drilling the holes in the frame for the cross member upper & lower, that is 8 holes total! Again I would have started but with out the NP435 bolted in place I did not want to drill in the wrong place.
I will be posting more pictures as I go along.
Dave ----

I also have a used carpet to install if it will fit as it came out of a auto truck so I don't know how the trans tunnel will work out?
Dave ----

FuzzFace2 wrote

I also have a used carpet to install if it will fit as it came out of a auto truck so I don't know how the trans tunnel will work out?
Dave ----

Dave, I am running my stock rubber flooring (low hump for 3 on the tree) with now the high hump and 5spd tunnel. It fits...not 100% perfect, but it fits and nobody would ever notice the difference.

Cory, I was thinking the hump is not that high over the flat floor of the auto  so I may be good.
For nothing I cant complain and if it does not go to the sills so what it has to be better than nothing and that is what I have now.

That is a little lie about 30 min ago a FTE local member dropped off 2 red carpet floor mats that I installed. Plan to take the tuck to work tomorrow so we will see how quite they make it.
Dave ----

Dave, this is exciting.
As a long time truck driver you'll know how to split gears, and dropping the R's while cruising is going to make for a much more relaxed highway ride.

I hope to get my shaft to Execelsior(?) In Mamaroneck while I have it apart for a ring gear (and clutch)

Following!  This sounds like fun.  

I had a Toyota L/C that had an over drive that I would split the gears on.
It had some that where really to close to split just like I think this unit will have but should be fun.

Around town I don't know how much splitting will be done, it is more for the high way as I am looking for another gear when I get on.
When on the high way it is only spinning 2300 rpm @ 65 mph but the speed limit is 70 MPH.
I also think when I pull the car trailer splitting will help that little 300 pull the weight.

I want to start this project but I need the truck for the weekly trash run on Saturday as the truck has the permit but I may sneak this weeks trash in. I am sure if they catch me I can tell them that "bright red & white truck" is in the shop, it is the only truck that color I have seen all the times I have gone.
Dave ----

Dave,

This thing is REALLY cool. What are they worth if you don't mind me asking?

And, do you have any installed pics in a Bullnose? Curious to see the shifter arrangement in the cab.

Rembrant wrote

Dave,

This thing is REALLY cool. What are they worth if you don't mind me asking?

And, do you have any installed pics in a Bullnose? Curious to see the shifter arrangement in the cab.

To my door was $1608, I ordered it back early March just before this virus hit and messed up when I got it. It is now hot here, been in the 90's and humidity about the same just killer outside.

The Gear Vender OD is over $3000 and could not spring for that. Also did not think it would work the way I wanted it to. I would like to split granny and the GV you have to be going 30 MPH before it will work.
This is a safety because it works like and auto transmission and the pump that makes it work has to be going that fast.

I have not seen it in a Bullnose. What I have found they don't get into how the shifters, OD, main trans and maybe 4x4, all fit. They do say the floor or in our case the bolt in pan, has to have the opening moved back 7-1/2".
I have the pan from my parts truck, SROD trans, and the main hole is back farther than my T18 is so hope I don't need to cut & weld much.

Now I am going from the T18 to a NP435 and it has a different shape to the stick so I don't know how it will fit till installed.
I did find something cool when researching this the larger trucks F500+ have a cut back on the seat bottom to clear the shifter stick. If I knew this I would not have scrapped the seat bottom I had as I could have made it work the same but 80% of the springs were gone and why it went away.
I do have a line on another full seat I might try this on we will see.

I think the hardest part(s) drilling the 8 hole in the frame to move the cross member back, If the speedo cable will reach and if the stick will clear the seat.

In between the rain today I plain to swap car out of my garage into the house garage and get the truck in, maybe start the swap.
Stay tuned LOL
Dave ----

I’ve looked into these Rangers before. Cool!

Hope it turns out well for you. I’m anxious to hear the results.

Up at 3am for work, home early and after a cup of tea I moved the Javelin out of my garage back to the house and the truck in.
Started pulling the truck apart about 12pm stopping for a run to the parts store for thread locker, 2qt W30 motor oil used for break in and some gasket sealer.

Pulling the old T18 the HF transmission jack is to high so I had to tilt it and made a huge 90w gear oil mess beside taking a shower in it.

But happy to say the OD unit is bolted to the bell housing. I wanted to get the NP435 bolted to the OD unit but I hurt my hip and called it quit at 4pm.

Before I can bolt the transmission up I need to trim the front bearing retainer to 3/4" from the mounting face out keeping the seal in tack, then a thin coat of gasket sealer and bolt up.

Then the fun.
How do I get the 4 bolts out the top of the frame for the cross member?
I don't want to bend the floor so guess undo the cab mount bolts and lift?
Then I get to drill the frame for the cross member.

I did try the OD shifter stick and 1 way it just clears the edge of the pan on the pan side but it will hit the dash. The other way it will be on the side of the trany hump and I don't really want it there. I am pretty sure I will end up cutting, bending and welding it to fit in the pan area. I have seen others do the same and also build a stand off to move it closer to the center of the hump.

I also will not know where the shifter for the trans will end up in the pan but the SROD pan has the opening back farther than the T18 pan so I hope I don't have to cut it up too much.
Dave ----

And you will be finding an F700 bench with a big notch out of the front of it...

Surprised Jim didn't say "Progress is good!"  And, it is.

As for the bolts, I used a pair of 2x4's screwed together to make a 4x4 and put them up under the cab to lift on.  Pull the bolts for the mounts, raise that side of the cab, and pull the crossmember bolts.  Drill new holes, put the bolts in place, and go do the other side.  But watch the linkages/tubes, like clutch, brake, and throttle.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

And you will be finding an F700 bench with a big notch out of the front of it...

I don't know if I could ever find one so I am thinking of making one from a seat I can get from a FTE member just around the corner when he is ready to give it up.

I am going to help him swap wiring harness and dash between trucks like I did.
When you did it once it is cake after that just have to get thru this virus thing first.
He also needed to have someone hear the motor run in the truck he is using for parts before the swap.
Dave ----

It was a long day, started around 8am and turned the lights off at 5:30pm.
I did get done what I wanted just took longer than I thought it would.

I removed the front bearing retainer as the snout has to be cut down to fit in the back of the over drive unit. Started with this

And ended with this installed back on the transmission

Because the trans on the jack will not fit under the truck upright I had to lay it on it's side then once under had to upright it. Well this was not going to work as you cant get leverage so I got 2 HD straps, ran it from frame rail to rail under the trans and lifted it off the jack than was able to rotate it up right then back on the trans jack and a strap to hold it in place.

Got it jacked up, lined up and almost in when I remembered you have to put RTV sealer between the trans & OD or it will leak so I pulled it out a little and added the RTV, hope it is enough.
I then washed the cross member & brackets as they were covered in oil from the motor & the old trans.

Once bolted together the fun started on the cross member and brackets.
When I put the cross member up to the trans I found the cross member off tone side?
Turning the rubber mount around fixed that but came another issue.
The OD pushes the trans back 7.5 inches and the frame lip gets thinner making the bolt hole half on & off the rail. After turning, pushing & pulling there was no way to get the bolt hole on the frame rail lip so I ground a notch on each side to fit the bolts thru and used large washers. I may come back and address this at a later time but I think it is a solid mount with the brackets installed.

That was the next issue, the brackets. They fit like crap till I swapped sides and they fit better but still had a gap between them & frame or main cross member. So fitted them the best I could clamp them so I could mark the location of the bracket holes.
Then the fun of drilling them. Started with a 1/8" bit then used a uni-bit to drill to the large size.
I used a 45* drill and it fit between the channels to drill the holes.
Got all the bolts and nut in and tight and no more trans jack holding up anything.
So motor, over drive and NP435 are now one!

I gave a quick fitting of the SROD pan and it did not fit and neither did the T18 pan.
Not wanting to cut up the T18 pan in case I want to go back less OD, I will mod the SROD pan to work with this set up.
I also installed the shifter to see if it clears the seat. Well it does clear the seat in the forward gears but in reveres it touches. So I will need to heat it and bend it to clear.
As for the over drive shifter I may end up cutting, welding, heating and bending to make it fit like I want.
The over drive is to the left.


Tomorrow is shifter fitting of both and moding the pan to fit if I have the time.
Dave ----

I don't know why, but I thought the OD would be behind the transmission... Anyway, looks like a lot of work. Would be interesting to hear if you think it was worth it once you've got it running, or do you already know it will be? Good work regardless to overcome the obstacles, must have been a long hot day in your garage...

Sure looks like a lot of work, Dave.  But it will be worth it in the long run.  You are going to love it.

And, you are problem solving quite well.  

Looking good!
 
Rob - that's one difference between the AA and the GVOD. Pros and cons with both but purely from an install perspective the GVOD is the easier.

Really glad you are detailing the steps Dave - this will come in handy for a lot of others that are looking for an aux od.

Sac79 wrote

I don't know why, but I thought the OD would be behind the transmission... Anyway, looks like a lot of work. Would be interesting to hear if you think it was worth it once you've got it running, or do you already know it will be? Good work regardless to overcome the obstacles, must have been a long hot day in your garage...

Gear Vender's OD is after the transmission or transfer case.
You pull off the tail housing install adaptor and bolt the unit on.
Thing is being it is at the end it cant be used in 4x4 mode.
It has a safety where it will not work below 30 MPH and it is BIG BUCKS!

As for a lot of work well .....
When you read the information on AA's site it unbolt the transmission and move it back 7.5 inches, bolt the trans to the back of the OD unit, move the cross member back 7.5 inches, shorten the drive shaft and bolt the OD shifter stick and you done.
Well ......Yes you do all that but it is the doing that can be the low of work part.

I knew I would have to deal with the cross member but did not know it would be like that.
I also knew of the shifters. The main trans could stay as is as long as the seat does not need to move forward then reverse may not go in but I will fix that.
The OR shifter would work if I wanted to cut into the floor but I don't want to, it has to go in the pan.

Once I have that squared away I will see if the carpet I have will fit over the pan as the (free) carpet was from an auto truck.
Dave ----

Thanks guys

Rob I left out some things it was not that hot in the garage. The humidity was low today and temp got up to about 85*, 88* in the garage when I closed up. I also had my fan blowing down across the floor as I was under the truck most of the time.

I have run the numbers thru the calculator with the rear gear (2.75) I have it should put me at about 1800 RPM @ 70 MPH. Speed limit is 70 here so everyone is doing 75-80but to keep the RPM down and MPG up I have been keeping it at 65 MPH.
BTW at 55 MPH, the MAX speed limit back then it does about 1800 RPM
Dave ----