Report Field Trip to Novak Adapters - these guys know their stuff!

Rusted

Let's Ride!
Supporting Member
Location
Sandy
Earlier this summer I made the trip to Logan to visit with the guys from Novak Adapters. Even when I wanted to visit outside their normal hours Ken Brown was awesome and finding a time that worked out and give me the private tour. In my mind Novak was a small, out of the garage, style shop that made a few Jeep adapters and a few other small things. In the past I recommended their knowledge base of transmission and transfer cases as the go-to place for all the Jeep related items.

As I pulled up to their buildings I was surprised at how large they are, and how much real estate they take up. Ken gave me the quick history and they have grown and expanded a lot in the past few years. So my Field Trip started. Ken Brown is one of these guys that I need to follow around with a notepad to capture all the information he can provide. He and all the Novak crew not only know their products but pretty much anything Jeep related inside and out.

IMG_2659.jpg


I first walked into the doors by where they receive engines. I had no idea that Novak worked in Jeep engine conversations, but they bring these things in by the truck load, and prep them for conversions they do in the shop or they ship them out for others to install. You may know that the wiring harness in a Chevy 6.0 looks like a colorful bowl of spaghetti, but the guys at Novak have the system down to where they make their own properly color coded wiring harnesses all cut to the right lengths.

IMG_2623.jpg

IMG_2624.jpg


Next to the room where they prep engines is two rooms for machining parts. Novak Adapters as a full blown machine shop for all of their prototypes, custom pieces, and production line. Here are a few photos of their machine shop tools. Photos don’t do justice to how large these machines are. The VMC 1000II is massive and could keep a business running by itself. Unfortunately since I was there after hours they did not have the machine running, but I imagine that it is loud when the crew is pushing out parts.

IMG_2649.JPG

IMG_2652.JPG

IMG_2650.JPG


Next to the large CNC machines are the smaller band saws, lathes, drill presses, etc. Like I said they are a full blown machine shop. They could easily change their name to Novak Machine!

IMG_2626.jpg

IMG_2654.JPG


When you start to think of the combination of engines, transmission, transfer cases that Jeep has used throughout the years you can see the huge demand for all the custom adapters and shafts. Here is a small sample of parts that have come off the CNC machines for various products

IMG_2632.jpg

IMG_2633.jpg

IMG_2635.jpg


And more parts ready for retail sales. I have to say that I was shocked at how broad the inventory is that they need. The number of items they have to stock in phenomenal, there were not lots of items of each part number, but so many part numbers it was over whelming.
Some of the adapters are cast before they are machined for a precision.

IMG_2634.jpg


The next room over is the mechanical room and is full of transmissions, lifts, tools, etc. Novak Adapter rebuilds a ton of transmissions. They pretty much have them lined up assembly line style and they crank through them. Again they only focus on Jeep related transmissions so they know them inside and out. They also understand the special requirements for rock crawlers, daily drivers, competition and recreational transmissions. We are in a specialty market and these guys have all the specialty items dialed in

IMG_2637.jpg

IMG_2646.JPG


Pallet of incoming transmissions to be rebuilt

IMG_2641-ADD.JPG


Their shop is full of Jeeps in various states of construction from minor repair, to engine swaps, to frame up rebuilds. Here is a sample of a Chevy 6.0 crammed into a Jeep. They have addressed all of the space issues and made it into a very clean install. Here is a custom / prototype engine mount that bolts to the engine and has little wings to sit on the frame so the engine can be set into the perfect position before the engine mount is welded to the frame.

IMG_2639.jpg


A very cool custom made dyno rack to accurately measure engine output. They keep adding brake pressure on each disk.

IMG_2640.jpg


The shipping department is next to shelves and racks of parts. Most orders are sent out immediately, which is impressive considering all the possible pieces they have available.

IMG_2656.jpg

IMG_2657.jpg


Besides what have shown you there is so much more that goes into what Novak Adapters is. I had not put much though into what it takes to convert an engine/transmission into a newer jeep. And all of the challenges of air flow, cooling, oil pans, electrical, etc that goes into a conversion. The team at Novak defiantly has the whole A-to-Z process figured out for any combination you could dream up. So if you need help with any step of the process or the entire process Novak should be the first and only call you need to make to get your questions answered and to find the right parts for the job. Ken also gave me a hint of some new exciting products that are in the works. These guys at Novak are a clever group and always have their minds spinning on new products and technology.

My short hour spent in Logan really opened my eyes to how impressive and inovative Novak adapters is! Give them a call!

IMG_2647.jpg



All the photos can be found HERE!

http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/gallery/v/novakTour/
 

UNSTUCK

But stuck more often.
Good report. I've always been happy with my parts (and tech support) from Novak.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Very cool, I love seeing the back-end of the local 4x4 businesses in Utah! It's neat to see what Novak has going on, sounds like they are staying busy and really expanding their business. Nice report Keith, really great to see how these guys do what they do!
 

Tacoma

Et incurventur ante non
Location
far enough away
Anyone who works for a smallish business with multiple product lines can appreciate some of those pics of racks and racks of parts, and the fun it is keeping that stuff straight and getting it right. :D

I'd also like to take the time to remember Novak for being helpful to the FSJ guys, and particularly those of use with the M715/725/726 series. Even now there are not many companies that know a damn thing about them, and as far back as '98, Novak was able to help with some adaptations that, at the time, were not common or the very first ones for that marque.

So thanks, Novak. Keep up the good work! :D
 
Top