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Project Pissed Wife Phase II 5.3L Vortec and 4L60e install!

212K views 1K replies 66 participants last post by  august4936 
#1 ·
This is the second phase of my original build ( in my sig) that I finished in 2010. Everything has been great with the rig except for one thing. The power level of the 4.0 has always left me wanting more. Which brings us up to today.

So I stoped by the junkyard to talk with a buddy of mine that runs the sales department. He made me bring this home:


and this:

and these:


It is a 2001 5.3L with a 4L60e and some Tj front drive shafts to elimanate the front disco crap.

I spent a few hours tearing a bunch of crap off the engine along witht the wiring harness and ECU.



The wiring harness is getting sent of tomorrow to get torn apart and a bunch of unneeded emissions sensors deleted. The ECU will also get programed.

Today I ordered an Advance Adapters kit to adapt the 231J to the 4l60e and to add a VSS sensor between the tranny and transfer case.

More to come In the next few weeks. I plan to cover everything with the install.
 
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#569 ·
texasblackdirt said:
I'll buy your tranny if you're ready to sell between the 10th-15th of next month. With the lokar shifter. Let's talk
PM sent
 
#570 ·
trboxman said:
Nope, it's the AX-15. http://www.rsgear.com/products/transmissions/terminator%E2%84%A2.aspx

They claim it has higher torque capacity than the nv3550, but don't publish the spec on their website. Lee at HESCO has one behind a motor putting out around 400ftlbs and says that the Terminator is supposed to handle over 500ftlbs. http://www.hesco.us/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1646&title=hd-ax15-trans

I bought one from a third party for less than I could get it direct from Rockland. I don't want to publish the price I paid but if you want to know I'll tell you via PM.
Well that something I haven't though of. I wasn't excited about a nv3550. They are noisy and tends to pop out of gear on deceal.

You have a pm
 
#573 ·
texasblackdirt said:
Why J? You're inbox is full. The answer is a solid, definite, yes though. I won't be back home until 9 central time. Call me if u want man
Cleared it and you have a PM
 
#575 ·
texasblackdirt said:
How do you delete pms? I can't send anymore. I bet it's easy on a computer, but I'm referring specifically to the iPhone app
Just swipe them and a delete icon appears.
 
#577 ·
texasblackdirt said:
I'll be danged.
Petty cool stuff.

Do you have a vid or sound byte of your engine runnin? I my drop one of these in my cj in the next 10years.
 
#580 ·
Dunno, the factory muffler on my silverado is way bigger than anything that should ever go on a jeep...I'm not even sure if it would fit under there, it's longer and larger in diameter than whats under my jeep.
 
#584 ·
Duncan542 clear out you inbox.


I have been trying to sort out what manual trans I want to go with. I don't really like the nv3550, I haven't been reading good things about them. Mainly popping out of 1st or 2nd on deceal. And I'm not excited about where the shifter falls.

The NV4500 is out of the question unless I have too. That is one heavy, big ol pig. Ad frankly way, way overkill for what I do with my rig. The 5.3 is overkill also but I don't care I love it.

So I keep going back the the AX15. I have in the garage, it has 150,000 miles on it and has never been any trouble. I have read of plenty of people running them behind V8's with no issues. I know that it is borderline, or is suppose to be since the manufacture doesn't put out specs on it. At this point I'm thinking either pick up an HD ax15 from RSG or just have mine rebuilt and run it. Which way I go depends on what RSG charges. I hear everything from a reasonable $1395 delivered to $2100. No way I'm paying $2100.

What say you?
 
#586 ·
Why J? said:
Duncan542 clear out you inbox.

I have been trying to sort out what manual trans I want to go with. I don't really like the nv3550, I haven't been reading good things about them. Mainly popping out of 1st or 2nd on deceal. And I'm not excited about where the shifter falls.

The NV4500 is out of the question unless I have too. That is one heavy, big ol pig. Ad frankly way, way overkill for what I do with my rig. The 5.3 is overkill also but I don't care I love it.

So I keep going back the the AX15. I have in the garage, it has 150,000 miles on it and has never been any trouble. I have read of plenty of people running them behind V8's with no issues. I know that it is borderline, or is suppose to be since the manufacture doesn't put out specs on it. At this point I'm thinking either pick up an HD ax15 from RSG or just have mine rebuilt and run it. Which way I go depends on what RSG charges. I hear everything from a reasonable $1395 delivered to $2100. No way I'm paying $2100.

What say you?
Run your ax15 til it dies? I dunno that is what I would do if I was in your shoes.
 
#587 ·
Since you have an AX-15, I'd call RSG and see if they'll sell you a rebuild kit that includes all of the stuff that they put in their HD AX-15. I'm pretty sure you've got the skills to tackle the rebuild on your own.
 
#588 ·
trboxman said:
Since you have an AX-15, I'd call RSG and see if they'll sell you a rebuild kit that includes all of the stuff that they put in their HD AX-15. I'm pretty sure you've got the skills to tackle the rebuild on your own.
That would be fun!

I don't think they sell the internals but that's an idea and I'll ask. But for $1400 for a built new trans is a good deal.
 
#589 ·
Duncan542 said:
Inbox is cleared. I seen a NV3550 on eBay claiming it has a brand new rebuild with 1st and 2nd gear upgrades.
i saw this also. This will be what I do if the Ax15hd doesn't work out.
 
#590 ·
I had 96 S-10 ZR2 With a 450 horse carb motor and the nv3550 come stock in them i dumped the clutch in rock fields more times than i liked it survived. the only thing i didnt like was gearing ratios they were kind of high so it was a little touchy on some obstacles. All that aside i flawged the **** out of it. I wish i stumbeled on to this thread earlier i had a nv3550 and a hummer 242 for sale you couldnt go wrong with that hummer 242 that thing was solid
 
#591 ·
chriswj said:
I had 96 S-10 ZR2 With a 450 horse carb motor and the nv3550 come stock in them i dumped the clutch in rock fields more times than i liked it survived. the only thing i didnt like was gearing ratios they were kind of high so it was a little touchy on some obstacles. All that aside i flawged the **** out of it. I wish i stumbeled on to this thread earlier i had a nv3550 and a hummer 242 for sale you couldnt go wrong with that hummer 242 that thing was solid
How did the nv3550 shift?
 
#593 ·
I didnt have any problems with it it was smooth hell i could power shift as long as i didnt have it under a heavy load. I demolished it one year had to get it rebuilt im 6'5 and i came down off of a huge boulder and my dam knee hit knocked it out of gear into another but but when the truck bottomed out on the ground i hit gas and it wasnt in gear all the way and just grenaded second gear. But dont let that scare ya that was all my big offy fault. got rebuit and i pounded the p!ss out of it for another year and a half the sold it.
I had no complaints other than the gear ratio's
 
#592 ·
How about an sm465, or a t18? Bulletproof! I have the t18 in my 78 ford, and the 465 in my 76 Chevy. A typical rebuild usually costs a tube of rtv, and some 80/90. Would love to find pto parts for either one. I think an indestructible bed winch would be a nice tool to have at my disposal. Could use it as a cherry picker and all sorts of things.

Not sure what others have done to them but I have heard you can add certain parts to make them shift like newer transmissions.
 
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