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I am doing a V-8 coversion on a 4x4 luv using a chevy 327 smallblock and a sm465. Does anybody have suggestions on what transfer case to use?

Didn't know you could do the swap and still keep it 4x4. Never seen a v8 conv. that was still a working 4x4

Why wouldnt you be able to do it?...... Chevy has 4wd version trannies and tcases........ Buick doesnt. but does my chevette have 4x4........ yes It does.... Keeping it all chevy is going to be easy....

Id suggest the np 205 as it is a case iron gear driven tranny.... and is the choice of most all 4x4ers. You'll of course need custom driveshafts...for a few reasons. your tranyn and tcase will be longer.. so your rear shaft will be shorter. and will also need to be a two pieve shaft.. your front one will be longer. And of course your flanges will not bolt up... any machien shop/drive line shop should be able to do this. if they cant.... THEY SUCK...... I made my own driveshafts to botl up to a samurai transfercase,a nd jeep axles....... and I also made one to go fromt eh transfercase to a buick transmission.

np205 is waaaay too heavy for something like a luv, imho. it's better suited to something that weights 7000lbs. unbreakable, but it has a crummy low range. i think a dana 20 or 300 would be better

Well I guess your right. My ex had a 81 Nissan 4x4 with a 327 in it. I guess it had a 4x4 front end in originally but was gone after the swap. so I guess it is possible, just dont recall seeing a 4x4luv w/ a v8

You might be right. i was just thinking, more durability and better options...
Wieght might be a problem...... but hell.... convert to SAS and fix that...lol

Weight should not be a problem, and i have trouble seeing why. The truck only weighs 3000 pounds, but it has a 327 making the tires spin....the transfer case is the thing taking the abuse from the engine, and as for weight of the truck, lets just put it this way...your never going to break that transfer case moving that LUV. But yes you could go with a smaller more light duty transfer case, but using a np205 should not create any problems with weight, not when you got that kind of power going to the ground

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-1981 Chevy LUV, 283SBC, T350 Trans, White In Colour, Long Box, Never Ending Project!
-2001 F-350 Superduty XLT 7.3L Diesel Auto, Ext. Cab, Long Box, White In Colour
-1998 F-150 XL 4.2L V6 5spd , Reg. Cab, Flareside SB, Red In Colour

After he said something about the wieght I was thinking about the added wait to the suspension. but with that 327 up there its going to have to be beefed up anyhow to keep the right hieght....

the only reason i'd use a np205 would be if i had a hot big block and a heavy rig and was going to totally pound on it. very few people have ever broken one of them. however, it does have kind of a high low range

dana 20s and 300s have a better low range, are lighter and a lot more compact than a 205. i think there's some good smaller new process t-cases out there but i can't remember the models. both can be geared down and are quite strong

toyotas also have very durable cases, they'll stand up to v8 power no sweat. the plus to them is that they're really cheap, light(aluminum case) and have a huge aftermarket. stock low range is 2.28:1, and you can get gearsets that put it down to 4.0, 4.7, 5.0 and i hear a 5.7 is in the works

if you want a good t-case with a good low range, atlas II all the way. i would say a 205, 203, or 208 would work good. just get an old t-case out of a jeep at the wrecking yard, i dont remeber what they are, the old twin stick ones, you know, they held up to 401 amc's, itll hold up to a 327, plus their light enough for a jeep. just a few options.

Well if your gonna worry about the weight, I suggest doing the conversion that was done for the shocks in the other forum.

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Regarding the 327 weight and front suspension issue, I think that if you're going to keep it 4x4 then you'll kinda need to ditch the IFS and go with a solid front axle anyway. Possibly even a new rear depending on how serious you want to get with the 4x4 capabilities. I've thought a lot about doing a V8 swap on my 4x4 LUV and after talking to some of these guys and looking at it, theres just no way to go to a V8 setup in a 4x4 without going to a solid front. The IFS just won't cut it in terms of handling the new weight.

Besides, why go through the trouble of putting a V8 and tranny/t-case in your LUV and end up with a crappy suspension system? My 2 cents

exactly. though, if i went with a V8, id go to something stout for front and rear. something like a 9" rear, and a dana 60 front. just something with a big ring gear and stout axle shafts. toyota axles have the shaft for the job, just their ring gear isn't able to handle 300hp well

Wiat a sec........ why not a samurai transfercase..... its divorced and itll botl up to any tranny with a change fo drivesahft. its what I run, holds up fine so far... or if you use driver side front axle if u go SAS..... a nissa, or ford divorced case would work well too

i definitly agree on the solid axle swap. that would make things alot easier. the stock ifs on the luv won't handle much power plus you won't get much lift. then you could also have a problem making the oil pan clear the axle. things would just be much better in the long run if you swaped in a solid axle. easiest thing would be to find something the right width, i'm pretty sure it would be rather expensive to narrow a front axle. i'd sujest a dana 44 or a toyota. i have a magazine somewhere that listed some axles and how many horsepower they would handle and what size tires. i know the toyota axle was in there. i'll try and find it and post the ratings up.

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1980 chevy luv 4x4 1.8 liter
1979 luv long bed parts truck
1984 2wd isuzu pup parts truck

"A man who says it can't be done shouldn't interrupt a man doing it."

all sounds like great advice ...but...what is it going to be used for ????
if its just to keep out of trouble in the sand or mud(snow??)on a gravel road then he doesnt need much. if however it is going to see some real action then these mods are the ticket . most everyone that has put a v8 in has put in a bigger rearend but some that dont romp on it have the stock live a long life.