Muncie SM420 Tran help

[coralhead]

Does anyone have a picture of the tool used to remove the Shift lever from these transmissions? I have an idea of what it looks like from the truck manual but it would be nice to see how it mates at the base of the shifter. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
John

[mr48chev]

There is no tool that I know of. You put it in neutral and push down on the retainer that holds the lever in the tower and turn it 90 degrees counter clockwise and it comes up and then you pull the handle out. I've done it a bunch of times over the past 50 something years. Some of them are stuck pretty good because the piece is rusted in place though.

Here is a link to a thread on another board with a mid 70's trans but it is the same process. One of the photos shows the sifter and retainer and spring out of the trans.

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...?topic=23493.0

[coralhead]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

There is no tool that I know of. You put it in neutral and push down on the retainer that holds the lever in the tower and turn it 90 degrees counter clockwise and it comes up and then you pull the handle out. I've done it a bunch of times over the past 50 something years. Some of them are stuck pretty good because the piece is rusted in place though.

Here is a link to a thread on another board with a mid 70's trans but it is the same process. One of the photos shows the sifter and retainer and spring out of the trans.

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...?topic=23493.0

Thanks, I'll give it a shot today.

[mr48chev]

You should be able to push down on it with your thumbs but last time I had to use something (handles of channel locks I think) to push down with both hands as my hands aren't anywhere close to as strong as they were 25 years ago. You have to get it to push down before you can get it to turn.

[OrrieG]

I once had one that had the tabs broken off and when you shifted to third gear if you did not keep downward pressure on it would pop loose. Loaned the truck to a friend, after a while got a call that he had broken the truck, I talked him thru getting it back into the tranny and all was good.

[franken]

You only need to turn about 3/4" not 90*. I have one in the other room and just looked.

[coralhead]

I was able to get it out and noticed that it had been "worked on" previously. It appears as though the "pivot" half ball had been replaced because the two slots in it looks as though someone had ground off a pin used to locate the pivot. The ball end that actuates the shift rails had been worked on as well. This all started when I took the transmission apart and cleaned it out and inspected for damage. The shift ball end was rubbing on the shift rails and the shifter would not pivot back over to the 1st,2nd fork without pulling up on the shifter. Since it had been worked on before I gradually ground off the end until I had clearance for the shift ball to transfer side to side without rubbing on the forks.

This was a used transmission I picked up for $70 off craigslist. It has the torque tube bearing retainer. Funny this is I tried to buy it from him about a year ago when he would not take any less than $100. He did not remember me and was advertising it as as SM465. Musta had bills to pay.

[1project2many]

I usually use channel locks to push n turn the retainer.

If you're getting a bunch of gear noise coming up through the shifter you can quiet that monster down a bit by using the shifter from an SM465 to build a new shifter for the 420. The 465 shifter is three pieces. You can remove the lower piece and cut the end off the 420 shifter.

[coralhead]

Thanks, It may be a bit before I get it in the truck but I will keep that in mind.