Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

[Cecil L.]

I don't know if this is of any interest, but I just opened up my original 66 M-21 (Nov 12, 65 built L-72 car) to have a look at the insides and was surprised to find all these inspection markings still very visible. The car had been parked after an accident with the last registration tag on the plate dated 72. The odometer showed just over 43,000 miles and judging by the condition of the gears and its short life on the road, that it could be actual. The car obviously had been raced some since the original block had been replaced by a 67 351 block dated January 67, but the original exhaust manifolds, trans, fuel lines, and throttle linkage, and F-41 suspension components were still there. The side cover was cracked around the shifter fork bosses, so it must have been run pretty hard, although the gears don't show any damage.

[William C.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

Not really unusual, but looking at the synchro engagement teeth, you are right, has been run very hard. I;ve been into hundreds? of muncies over the past 40 years, and can't say I've ever seen a side cover beat up like that. I think that is why Hurst invented the positive stops in their shifters!

[Mike M.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

WOW! Obviously had more than a few 1/4 mile bursts.
The synchs look surprisingly good.
HaND

[Rob M.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

Mmm, another thing to reproduce...

[Wayne M.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

I don't know if this is of any interest, but I just opened up my original 66 M-21 (Nov 12, 65 built L-72 car) to have a look at the insides and was surprised to find all these inspection markings still very visible. .

Nice to see a Muncie that hasn't been cobbled together from multiple sources . I've seen paint dabs on the edges of the gears (dark green, light green, light blue/turquoise, orange); also single digit inspection stampings on some of the gear edges. A '69 M22 I have also has a stamping on the countergear, near where the ratio identification bands are located. Sometimes a single digit stamp is found on the exterior front of the maincase, below the countershaft.

[Michael B.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

I could be wrong but that looks like two 1-2 sliders on there. They are different than the 3-4. You can see that the 1-2 has a tapered ridge towards the front and the 3-4 is fatter and square towards the rear. Front of the main shaft is to the left.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

I could be wrong but that looks like two 1-2 sliders on there. They are different than the 3-4. You can see that the 1-2 has a tapered ridge towards the front and the 3-4 is fatter and square towards the rear. Front of the main shaft is to the left.

Michael -- the sliders in Cecil's pic look good to me for 1966 assembly. The ones in your photo are the type introduced for the 1968 model year muncies, and continued at least to 1970.

In all ('63 thru '69) there were about 5 different part #s for the complete clutch assy's 1-2 and 3-4 synchronizer (incl. hub, slider, keys, brass).

[Michael B.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

My photo is of my 1969 (Oct 68 build date). Since I just had mine spread accross the kitchen table last weekend the slider difference was fresh in my mind.

[William C.]

Re: Muncie Gear Inspection Markings

The slider change was a '66-up feature, along with numerous changes to the tension of the springs that provide the force to keep the detent keys in the matching notch in the slider. Over the years these were reinforced several times until in the early 70's the spring was so stiff the ribs on the keys were being torn off . That led to a more gradual slope into and out of the neutral position. Of course, a new slider assembly part number was released with each change of spring tension!
.