Hello,


I just picked up a beautiful 68 SS clone! and have been driving it for a few weeks here and there as time permits and noticed a couple of things.


First Tranny is leaking pretty bad... Looks like front front of Transmission It has a Muncie 4 Speed. Called the Dealer I bought it from and they said no leaks, but they did have it serviced before it left...


My 1st question is, Could it just be too full? and leaking out seal to level out? How can I tell if the fluid level is high or low...? Not a tranny guy... Replaced a few but that's about it... Before I yank it out and take it to a Tranny shop figured I would post the question here.


2nd Questions:


Weirdest thing... I will drive it across town runs fine, then get back in it to head home and it will drive maybe 1 minute then just shut down... like some one pulled the coil wire off... Then it will start back up but I have to pump it and it starts hard... and it has like a belt squeal...? And runs rough until I get going... Happened 3 time so far.... Last time wasn't sure I was going to get it to start... I'm going to replace coil and see what happens... Car was frame off restored and it shows everything looks new... but this is a pretty consistent issue.


Maybe Alternator or Dist? Or MSD... But it's so weird... Possibly a carb... Issue.... ???


Thoughts?


One Other question is, they claimed it was a M22 Rock Crusher Tranny, But does not whine like I suspected... How do I verify if it is actually a M22? are there special markings etc?



Many thanks!
Michael

 

there is a pipe plug on the side of the transmission. remove it. if gear oil runs out probably to full. if nothing comes out stick your little finger in the hole to its first joint. you should be able to feel the oil. if not add until oil just starts to run out the hole
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next time you drive the car after it sits and before you try to start it remove the air cleaner and check the choke plate. it should be wide open
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you COULD get the numbers off the transmission and that would tell you what the case is, but necessarily tell you what is inside. the transmission may have been built from parts from others

 

Congrats on the new car.. The trans leaking is a problem they don't leak from the front seal if over full, technically its about impossible to overfill since you fill it through the pug on the side and when it starts to come out you stop filling.. If it leaks in the front then your front seal is bad, or worse... If it does not have the familiar whine like a rock crusher then most likely it might be a rock crusher case but the gear set inside has been replaced. Or the dealer made it up because it made it sound cool to say rock crusher. Engine die and then difficult to restart sounds like choke if its electrical then it would act more like a switch on or off but rough running indicates fuel or back to choke. As suggested choke sticking might be the problem here.

 

Question 2: another possibility is intake manifold heat making the gas percolate out of the carb as it sits. Yeah, I've had that happen, and the engine acts jerky on a (difficult) hot restart until it levels off again. After you shut the engine down, leave the hood closed, then come back in a few minutes and remove the air cleaner. Look down the carb, pump the throttle by hand and see if you can see gas squirting. A carb heat sink/shield, phenolic carb spacer, or blocking off the intake manifold exhaust crossover will help with this problem.

 

A carb flooding can easily create the hot start/run issue, which may be a choke, or float level, or float needle stuck.
The trans will have codes, if it's not been messed with. It's possible to determine if it isn't a M22, but having the wrong code, but the right code only means it started out as an M22. Here's the codes:
Muncie 4 Speed Transmissions

 

Thanks for the advice! I'll check the carb choke. And guess I will just yank the tranny out and have it checked out and new seals... Etc

 

Congrats on the correct year. Enjoy the journey with her.

Good advice given, on the oil leak, could be a couple more items. Dealer will tell you it doesn't leak because they never drove her continuously - she sat.

Servicing person may have used synthetic oil instead of petroleum based oil. Synthetic oil is thinner and will find leaky places. Only use dino-based 85W90, or 90W GL4 gear lube and a quick check is as flat tire suggested, pull the plug, insert finger, pull out finger and smell oil. You will know if dino-based gear lube as the smell will curl your nose hair...

Front bearing retainer may be leaking due to bad seal - buy a new retainer, remove trans and replace. Be sure the retainer is indexed on main case, there is an up & down or top & bottom.

Also, another place for leak is the countershaft hole right below the retainer. If oil is leaking here, the case needs welding and machining as the hole has worked itself off center due to its past life of abuse. The other fix is push the countershaft to the rear, clean the 'new' counterbore created with BraKleen® or lacquer thinner, let dry, and fill in with RTV and let cure. And check diameter of countershaft, it should be 1 inch dameter, as older and lesser models used 3/4 inch diameter.

True, the case and trans code may be correct for a 'rock crusher', but the internals may be from a M20.

The belt is squealing from the load the alternator is asked to handle from all the starting. I agree, if it takes more than a flick of the key to hot start, then carb should be heat isolated from the manifold - a good phenolic spacer is good. you could also rule out aftermarket ignition boxes by going back to just the distributor - start simple and work up.

Keep a logbook of the things you buy & do with her. The book will become invaluable later in life as we tend to forget as we get older...ask any elder here.

 

We do? I don't remember that?