Click
here to go back
1963-1965 Model Years: A Great Beginning
The
Muncie transmission began replacing the Borg-Warner on Wednesday, february
6, 1963, the date that the first Muncie four-speed transmissions were shipped
to the Baltimore Final Assembly Plant for installation into Chevrolet passenger
cars. It was previously thought that the Corvette received the Muncie transmission
first, but this rumor has been disproved by the discovery of the original
Muncie shipping records. The first documented Corvettes equipped with the
new Muncie transmission appear in the may-june time frame
The Muncie transmission was an aluminum main case/extension
housing, side-loaded transmission with side-lever shift linkage. Almost all
Muncie transmissions are very similar in outward appearance but can be substantially
different in internal gearing. The overall design remains very similar across
all models. There are several key features that help in the identification
of all Muncie transmissions. Let’s discuss these features in chronological
order to simplify the process.
The 1963 Muncie transmission had a smaller front
input shaft bearing and a specific front bearing retainer with a smaller outside
diameter than the Muncie transmissions produced in 1964 and later. The original
design retainer was manufactured out of aluminum (casting #3790278), but the
later replacement retainers (Muncie date codes P0515 (may 15,1963) and later)
were made out of cast iron. Also, the first speed gear in 1963 transmissions
ran directly on the main shaft with a thrust washer. The 1963 and early 1964
Muncie tail
housing (different castings)
had a single thin casting rib that ran along the bottom of the tail housing.
The late 1964 tail housing had a new wide casting rib that replaced the thin
rib design. Internally, the 1964 Muncie transmission was a basic carryover
of the 1963 transmission with the exception of the 1964 and later gearboxes
using a first gear sleeve on the main shaft for better lubrication. The 1965
Muncie was identical to the 1964 version, with the exception of the brand
new 1965 M22 prototype transmission.
Although previously published factory production
figures show the M22 close-ratio Muncie transmission as not being available
until the 1966 model year, this fact is only partially true. Even though it
is correct that no 1965 Corvette could have been ordered from the dealer with
the new