[jfoley]

Bought a 66 396 with an M21 attached for my 67 Chevelle. Just about done rebuilding the 396 and am getting ready to put back in the car. The clutch and pressure plate look just about brand new. The transmission spins over freely, but the input shaft seems to have a lot of wiggle - can't remember if my other trannys did the same. I do have a book on rebuilding 4 speeds although I have never tried. What do you guys think? Throw it in and see how it works? I have been thinking of removing the side cover and looking at the gears as well as removing the ring on the front to look at the front bearings. Anything else I should do?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MEJ1990TM]

If it were me I would take it apart and check everything before running it, but that's just me. At the very least I would pull the side cover and look things over.

 

[El Toro]

Real easy to check it first and see how loose it is, bearings now or the whole thing later.

 

[jfoley]

Thanks guys, that what I was getting at. I wouldn't want to run it and do more damage or take it apart and make a mess either.

 

[MEJ1990TM]

Thanks guys, that what I was getting at. I wouldn't want to run it and do more damage or take it apart and make a mess either.

You can have a Muncie apart, parts washed, and back together in a few hours. Not much of a mess to be made. Muncies are the easiest of the four speeds to work on. If you have never worked on a four speed it might not be a bad idea to have someone on stand by that has, just in case you run into trouble.

 

[OLDED]

The input shaft usually has a bit of "wiggle room" in it - esp if it has several miles on it.

 

[blubu]

I bought two 010 low std 254 first gear from cars I drove Took both apart spent 4 hundred on rebuilding each one Its amazing what you can find that most people never know about
Back in the day You could buy used transmissions and get by fine but any more since the last ones were made in 74 You will know for sure when you bust her apart I have to much money in both But I know what I got also which is a comfort