1999 suburban mv4500 swap

LT HALL · January 11, 2017

hey guys , I just bout a 99 suburban for 600 bucks but the automatic transmission is toast I would rather put a 5 speed behind it and possibly get away from the push button 4 wheel drive. does anyone have any advice or tips on how I would go about this? For instance if I fine a nv4500 would I need to get the transfer case cross members and such to go with it ?

thanks Laurence T Hall!

barry G · January 12, 2017

I am a fan of the 5 speed. Run one now behind a 305.

the smallblocks do have an HD version, and found more than four versions of the nv3500.

my own sounds like a straight cut with "big ends", clunky bearings.

supercharger sound..and never going to die.

I have a very tough one, some don't.

getting past the riddles that poor tranny was given, the nv4500 is an awesome choice.

they all need to rid of the plastic base shifter. Core shifters makes a billet with hurst stick.

the nv4500 came with gmt400 on the big block... compare notes with the 454 pickup truck.

if you can get past the riddles of the nv3500, it really is nice, as long as you get a real shift base.

LT HALL · January 19, 2017

thanks for the advice I really hate automatics and stick shifts are becoming a thing of the past I like the challenge and building things on my own ill look into the 3500 thanks, barry

Andrew Cote · October 17, 2017

My 03 Suburban 1500 won't start checked every possible thing it could be I'm stumped and getting rid of it my brother has a 99 he blew his transmission will mine work in his? Just need a little help. He has a 4l60-e same as me but the 5.7 and I have the 5.3 anyone know if they are interchangeable?

Shevrolay · September 15, 2021

Responding to the OP, LT....

I am curious to know whether you ever went through with the project of converting your Suburban to a manual transmission. I own an '08 Suburban whose 4L65-HD transmission was recently TOASTED because the cooler lines blew in the radiator. YES - on some models, tranny fluid is piped to the radiator for cooling, and there is a risk that if the lines blow, coolant pollutes the transmission and vice versa, which happened to me.

So...I put up my Suburban for sale, but nobody is biting, even though it had also been upgraded to the L92 6.2L engine. Since the truck is paid for, I am strongly considering taking it off the market and doing an NV4500 project. Nobody seems to want to touch this for Suburbans, but I'm a renegade who just might try this crazy venture. I had an NV4500 in my previous truck, an '03 Silverado 2500HD, and I loved it. I only sold it because my wife was preg at the time.

So, LT...did you do it? If yes, how did it go?