The NV5600 tranny is one bitchin' piece of equipment. With six forward gears, including a 5.63:1 granny low and an 0.73:1 overdrive, bombproof internals, and the ability to safely suck 600 lb-ft of torque, it dwarfs the NV4500 not only in coolness, but also in size, strength, and weight.
Since the NV5600 debuted in V-10 and 5.9L Cummins-equipped Dodge trucks, a lot of people who run healthy big-blocks, tow heavy loads, or need that extra "in-between" gear to more easily climb steep grades have wanted to run the big six-speed in place of the NV4500. Unfortunately, since the bellhousing is an integral part of the transmission front cover, the only way you could put an NV5600 in your rig was to swap in a 5.9L Cummins or 8.0L V-10 as well. That is, until now.
Jim McGean of Dynatrac recently contacted us to let us know his company was working with JB Conversions and Anaheim Gear to produce a replacement front cover for the NV5600 as well as adapters that would allow an NV5600 to be used with popular fullsize drivetrains.
Although it may seem like the killer swap for everyone, with a length of 25.88 inches, you can forget installing this thing in a Jeep. For that, you'll want an NV4500. The Dynatrac NV5600 conversion components include a new transmission front cover, a pilot ring, a bellhousing adapter plate, a transfer case adapter, and a list of part numbers you'll find useful in completing the swap, such as clutch components and miscellaneous pieces. Here's the lowdown.
01. The case of the NV5600...
01. The case of the NV5600 weighs around 100 pounds. You can see the stock front transmission cover with integral bellhousing on the bottom left and the Dynatrac replacement on the bottom right. The supplied bellhousing adapter plate bolts to the cover and allows you to run the big tranny behind a non-Dodge engine. The stock bearing retainer is used on the new cover.
02. We covered the installation...
02. We covered the installation of an NV5600 in McGean's '79 F-350 with a 460 and an NP205. Here's the Ford bellhousing adapter plate (left) and NP205 transfer case adapter (right). Dynatrac can supply you with adapters for your particular application. In addition to the parts in the kit, we needed a Ford 429/460 flywheel, a 1.25-inch, 10-spline disc, a slightly modified Ford throwout bearing, and a Dodge pilot bearing.
03. You need to disassemble...
03. You need to disassemble the NV5600 to install the new front cover. Don't try this without the help of a top-quality transmission shop. Pat Massey of Anaheim Gear puts NV4500s together in his sleep, so tackling this big sucker isn't too intimidating. JB Conversions and New Venture Gear advised and provided much engineering support to make the swap components possible.
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05. Here's why you'll need...
05. Here's why you'll need a fullsize truck. McGean built new crossmembers to accommodate the transfer case being moved back about 10 inches, and had to slightly modify the floor cover, but otherwise the NV5600 fits very well in this generation of Fords. It's yet to be seen how it will be with other brands, but we're sure you'll let us know.