The NV4500 or New Venture Gear 4500 is a heavy-duty, manual shift, five-speed overdrive, longitudinally positioned transmission. The NV4500 transmission is considered to be the toughest and most reliable 5 speed manual transmission ever built.

This transmission is a fully synchronized (except reverse on GM models) five-speed gearbox with all of the strength and low-gear benefits (and then some) of the older creeper gear four-speeds, plus 27-percent overdrive. The cast iron case is combined with massive gearsets in an almost compact 200lb package. As far as driveability is concerned, this unit surpasses the rest with smooth, short action and very distinct shift gates. It has become an extremely popular manual-trans swap and kits are available for Jeep CJ's, Wranglers and Cherokees; Toyota Land Cruisers; and 66'-77' Broncos.

New Venture gear was the somewhat unlikely merging of the two manual shift design & manufacturing divisions of General Motors and Chrysler Corp. The Muncie (or Stewart Muncie) division of GM and the New Process division of Chrysler became New Venture and one of the first units of this union was the NV4500.

The New Venture transmission, commonly known as the NV3500, NV4500 or NV5600 is a compact, 5 speed, cast-iron case, top-loading transmission. Used by GM and Dodge in their heavy duty pickups, it makes a perfect replacement for any Jeep CJ’s, Wranglers and Cherokeesor other 4x4 vehicles such as Toyota Land Cruisers; and 66’-77’ Broncos.

The transmission is identified by Dodge Truck as NVG4500, while Chevrolet and GMC designate it as the MT8 and MW3. The manufacturers’ code names for the two transmissions are different and so are some of the internals, yet both gearboxes are made at the same New Venture Gear assembly plant. General Motors applications include it as an option in 3/4 and 1-ton fullsize trucks with a GVWR of more than 8500 pounds.. Dodge versions are used in 3/4 and 1-ton trucks, mostly with Cummins diesels and V10’s.

The NV4500 transmission has a case length of just 12.37", making it the perfect transmission conversion for short wheel base vehicles such as Jeeps, Broncos and Toyota Land Crusiers. NV4500's are great replacement in older trucks with 4 speeds, plus it is also a popular replacement for 5 speed transmissions used in newer trucks. The NV4500 tramsmission can be adapted to practically any application. It’s often cheaper to swap in a NV4500 into a Jeep instead of rebuilding the problematic factory Jeep transmission.

Commonly referred to as simply NV4500, the transmission is identified by Dodge Truck as NVG4500, while Chevrolet and GMC designate it as the MT8 and MW3. The manufacturers' code names for the two transmissions are different and so are some of the internals.

Gear Ratios Early GM Current GM and Dodge
The Dodge NV4500 and GM NV4500 currently share the same gear ratios. Early GM units (pre 96') were built with a lower first gear ratio of 6.34 to 1.0. These low-geared GM boxes have since been discontinued and are more difficult to obtain. Beginning in 95', all GM units were built with the same gear ratios as the Dodge unit. First Gear 6.34 5.61
Second Gear 3.44 3.04
Third Gear 1.71 1.67
Fourth Gear 1.00 1.00
Fifth Gear 0.73 0.73
Reverse 6.34 5.61
Design Specifications
The NV4500 cannot be compared to older 4 speed boxes when it comes to engineered performance. Due to large gears and bearings and a thick cast iron case, the old 4 speed boxes have a long, well deserved history of being super durable. In many cases, the NV4500 features larger gears, better bearings, and heavier duty output shafts. The shifting characteristics of the fully synchronized Dodge NV4500 (even reverse) are excellent. Short, crisp shifts make the NV4500 a luxury to operate compared to the long throw, clunky shifting of earlier 4 speed boxes. Dry weight: 195 lbs.
Oil capacity: 1 gallon
Max. GVW: 14,500 lbs.
Case material: cast iron
Synchronizers: Carbon fiber composite
Main/Counter shaft bearings: Timken tapered roller
Dodge & GM input spline: 1-1/8" 10 spline (gas version)

The NV4500 is a top loader style transmission. The lever located in the top shift cover operates the shift forks and rails directly. The shift forks and rails are all located within the aluminum top cover which is bolted and dowel pinned to the top of the gear case. The control handle that protrudes out of the top of the transmission cover has been changed three different times.

Tapered roller bearings support the input shaft, main shaft, and counter shaft in the gear case. Drive gear thrust reaction is controlled by a needle-type thrust bearing which is located between the input shaft and main shaft. The main shaft gears are all supported on cage-type roller bearings. This particular design provides excellent lubrication and a minimal amount of gear noise.
Bellhousing
The bellhousing bolt patterns of all NV4500's are different than any older GM 4 speed bellhousing. This means you cannot bolt a NV4500 directly to an older GM bellhousing. In the early years of the NV4500, the GM and Dodge units did not share a common bolt pattern on the front of the case. In 95' and newer models, the front case bolt patterns of all NV4500's were retooled to the Dodge configuration. Input bearing retainers and input gear sizes/lengths remain different among the Dodge and GM variety as do tailhousings and output shaft spline specifications.

A bellhousing adapter plate NV4500 conversion kit, is an adapter plate attached to a factory bellhousing and allows you to retain your present clutch configuration. Using the adapter plate is very cost effective.

Lubrication
The synchronizer design of the NV4500 demands a specific 90W synthetic oil. The leading cause of GM and Dodge warranty claims on NV4500's are failures due to improper oil choice. The service manual for the NV4500 indicates the first oil fill is a lifetime factory fill. Use of ANY other oil in the NV4500 will lead to failure and also voids any chance of a warranty claim
NV4500 NV3500 NV5600
Parts New Venture Transmission Identification Guide
Diagrams Label Code Summary For Dodge And GM
Broncos Dodge GM Jeeps Toyota Land Cruisers
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