Is this a big deal or pretty easy. I thought I read somewhere that you could use the same speedo cable, crossmember, and driveshaft. Is this true?
Are the pedals a pain. Do they cost a lot? Thank you--Josh

Josh:

This is a pretty straight forward swap. The pedals with all the linkage can be purchased new from many vendors including the sponsor of this site ~ $300 I think. Go to the Ground-Up link and check for pricing to be sure. I have heard of people having problems with the aftermarket clutch linkage kits though. The cross member for the trans is the same as is the driveshaft. Depends on the transmission as to whether the speedo hookup will be in the same location but it will bolt up. A new shifter will be in the $250 - $300 range depending on manufacturer and type. Cheap ones can be purchased but remember you get what yopu pay for.

See http://www.chevelles.com/techref/ftecref15.html

The pedals are the easy part. It's a quick bolt up. If possible, try to get the OEM GM pedals and push rods. They work best. The repros can be trouble.

The hardest part when I did the conversion was getting the clutch linkage and clutch release to work right. There are some fine points that I figured out along the way, namely (i) making sure the bellcrank/countershaft/z-bar was straight and level and (ii) making sure the bellhousing was lined up right. If you get those two things right, the clutch will work great. If not, it won't release properly.

Don't go cheap on the flywheel and clutch assembly. Original GM works great. Some of the after market flywheels have problems with the ring gear rounding out. A lot of people on this site like Centerforce. I don't have any experience with that.

Don't buy one of those repro 621 bellhousings, like the kind sold by Ground Up. The one I bought would not line up - wasn't even close. The steel bellhousings need to be lined up with a dial gauge. Buy original GM. They can be found on eBay or through one of the classic car bone yards out west.

The automatic transmission weighs a ton. To get it out, you have to unbolt the torque converter from the flex plate, in addition to unbolting the trans from the block. With my car, the torque converter was stuck. I had to use a tire iron and a 3 lb drilling hammer to separate it from the flex plate and yes, the flex plate flexed pretty good with that amount of persuasion. The transmission fell off the jack when it finally popped loose. Try not to be under it when it pops loose.

There are a bunch of other details. Post again or e-mail me if you hit a snag - tedixon@dixonlaw.biz. It's a lot of work but worth it.

Thank you for all the help guys. I am still looking around for an M-21 around here. I barely missed a real inexpensive one just the other day. Made me want one even more. -- Josh

I just finished my swap out of a th350 to a M-22, here is a couple of things I have to add
1.I know with a console car you will need to cut out the tunnel to make room for the shifter they make the tunnel hump that goes over the hole that the shift boot attaches to ( Ground up has them ) I have not installed mine yet so I get a lot of heat into the car thru the hole.
2 even though the drive shafts are the same physicaly make sure it is the correct lenght if it is to long it will damage the trans to.
As for as the repo 621 bellhousing I did use one and had no trouble with it however I did need to change the starter the one I had the nose did not fit into the bellhousing.
It is not a hard job just takes a little time but well worth it.

This guy is a good Muncie builder.

Bruce Chrystal
1745 195th street
Manchester,Iowa 52057

563-927-6577

Manchester Muncies [teammuncie@yahoo.com]

It's tough buying a Muncie which has not been gone through by someone who knows what he is doing. You never know what you are getting.

Thank you for the replies. Would a T-10 swap be a lot harder? Thanks Josh

A T-10 is longer than a th350. You would need to shorten the drive shaft and maybe change the transmission cross member. In my opinion, a Muncie is a better transmission than a T-10. The Super T-10 is another matter. Those are probably stronger than a Muncie M20 or M21. The brand new Richmond Gear Super T-10 has the advantage of being all new, case included, and comes in a variety of gear ratios. So, you definitely know what you are getting. Of course, there are builders of brand new Muncies. If you know your builder, those are a good choice, but often cost about $600 more than the Richmond Gear Super T-10.

Yes I was talking about the super T-10. Thank you. Josh