Frito van is a 5 speed...Is that good?

[slozukimc]

Hey All,
Finally went to look at the Frito van for my M37 swap. It has a nearly new 4BT and a 5 speed manual transmission.......

What tranny would this be?

Would it be good to use for the M37 swap?



Mike

[Gordon Maney]

I don't know what transmission that would be, though the location that currently has it should be able to tell you.

I would say that would be better than having an automatic you did not want. I suspect it is a 5th direct transmission, but it would be interesting to know.

[slozukimc]

5th direct?

I don't know what transmission that would be, though the location that currently has it should be able to tell you.

I would say that would be better than having an automatic you did not want. I suspect it is a 5th direct transmission, but it would be interesting to know.

The man that own the van now only bought it to haul stuff he bough home from an auction and only put around 300 miles on it. He really doesn't know much about it.

I agree it should be better than the automatic but I am not sure just what it is and I was not about to ask the owner to mess around in the freezing cold any longer than I already had messing with looking it over.

What is a 5th direct transmission?

Mike

[Gordon Maney]

5th direct means that 5th gear is direct drive. A 5th over transmission would have overdrive in 5th and direct in 4th.

I am just guessing that they are 5-speeds, though I could be wrong.

[Bruce]

5th Gear = Good

At least I think that it is?
Cabel Garbee' rig has the Ranger Over-Drive/5th gear, is that the same? Sounds like a winner to me!

[slozukimc]

5th maybe good....If it's an overdrive and not 1:1

At least I think that it is?
Cabel Garbee' rig has the Ranger Over-Drive/5th gear, is that the same? Sounds like a winner to me!

The Ranger overdrive goes in front of the tranny and actually works as a gear splitter/overdrive giving a better final drive ratio, more gears to work with overall and the option of retaining the stock tranny.

By the way, Cabell is not running that setup any more.

Mike

[JimmieD]

Is the engine in the donor van tilted toward one side, as in a GM install?

[slozukimc]

yeah, some, and way tilted to the rear

Is the engine in the donor van tilted toward one side, as in a GM install?

Looking at it for the little time I had to do so the engine tilts slightly to the passenger side of the truck and tilts WAY back. The tailshaft of the tranny sets way lower than the front of the engine.

I thought all of the GM applications were automatics from what I had heard. Were there any other manufacturers setting these up for Frito-Lay before Chebbie? I didn't get the year of the van but it is quite old going by the looks of it.
Didn't have a battery in it to fire it up but the engine is SPOTLESSLY CLEAN and has a couple of tags that may signify it being rebuilt like the owner states it was. (He didn't have it done and may just be guessing for all I know.) There is a tag on the head and one on the turbo and both look very new so chances are good. Tires are shot on it so I won't be driving it home or using it for a toy hauler as I don't want to sink any money into fixing that when it could go toward the M37. I'll fire it up and drive it around before I pay for it but I think I found a very good deal for $2000. Now to come up with the cash. And more cash and more and more and more.....LOLOL You guys said it wouldn't be cheap.....You weren't lyin' and I'm not paying anywhere near what some of the bread vans go for.....WOW! I'm not scared off yet.....LOLOL

Mike

[CGarbee]

Actually, a lot of the GM vans got a SM465 instead of a TH400, depending on the customer... I know one local company (Frito Lay) that runs automatics, whereas a local bakery (IBC) runs manuals.

Installed in a Freightliner chasis, they have an Allison automatic.

Ford chasis ran both manual and automatics...

Engine tilt in a GM chasis is ten degrees with the top of the engine leaning toward the passenger side of the vehicle, transmission is level (twist is in the flywheel adapter, ie; bellhousing adapter to those of you used to talking "gas"). Tilt helps the valve covers clear the hood in the GM design, also is usefull in a M37 or PW swap as it would help the oil pan clear the front differential.

You found a five speed in a GM van? Snag it. If it's not exactly what you need for your conversion, you can sell it to somebody installing a 4BT into something (the folks on the Yahoo Cummins 4BT group are always wanting to exchange the transmission setup that came in thier donor vehicle for something else...). It would be interesting to hear what it is - NV4500 perhaps??

Also, as was stated above, the RangerOD/NP420 combination that was in my M37 is sitting on the shop floor (and the bit about it fitting between the engine and the transmision alowing for split shifting is correct as well). The current transmission in my truck is a ZF S5-42 five speed out of a Ford F250HD (fully synchronized and reduces the number of levers in the truck...).

[slozukimc]

Probably a 4 speed.........

Actually, a lot of the GM vans got a SM465 instead of a TH400, depending on the customer... I know one local company (Frito Lay) that runs automatics, whereas a local bakery (IBC) runs manuals.

Installed in a Freightliner chasis, they have an Allison automatic.

Ford chasis ran both manual and automatics...

Engine tilt in a GM chasis is ten degrees with the top of the engine leaning toward the passenger side of the vehicle, transmission is level (twist is in the flywheel adapter, ie; bellhousing adapter to those of you used to talking "gas"). Tilt helps the valve covers clear the hood in the GM design, also is usefull in a M37 or PW swap as it would help the oil pan clear the front differential.

You found a five speed in a GM van? Snag it. If it's not exactly what you need for your conversion, you can sell it to somebody installing a 4BT into something (the folks on the Yahoo Cummins 4BT group are always wanting to exchange the transmission setup that came in thier donor vehicle for something else...). It would be interesting to hear what it is - NV4500 perhaps??

Also, as was stated above, the RangerOD/NP420 combination that was in my M37 is sitting on the shop floor (and the bit about it fitting between the engine and the transmision alowing for split shifting is correct as well). The current transmission in my truck is a ZF S5-42 five speed out of a Ford F250HD (fully synchronized and reduces the number of levers in the truck...).

Well, I actually haven't driven the truck so I am not certain of that....I was shocked to see a manual tranny but didn't even think to check the gears.....That's another one for the "He said it was" category with my luck.
We'll see when I come up with the cash and go get it. Either way it's better than the automatic.

Cabell, did you get my e-mail about your Ranger overdrive?

Mike