M-22 Transmission question....

I have a 66 Stingray with 327/350 engine and manual transmission. I drive
it every other week. When I start up, its hard to get it in gears and
without a little grinding. When it warms up with a some driving, all is
fine. I think tranny was rebuilt 12 years / 5000 miles ago. Any ideas?
What tranny oil is good to change it too?

thanks!

To start, unless you put in an M22 or know the guy who did, you probably
have an M20 if it is a wide ratio or an M21 if a close ratio. An M22 is
really pretty rare and didn't come originally with any engines but the
baddest of the bad.

But your problem does not matter to the transmission type. It is a case of
gear oil being too cold. It probably has the 90w regular gear oil and when
it is down around 30 degrees, it is about as thick as mud. Changing to the
80w oil for winter will help. The spec calls for SAE 80 or SAE80-90
Multi-purpose Gear Lubricant meeting requirements of U. S. Ordnance Spec.
MIL-L-2105B.

Many people use a synthetic gear lube which eliminates the cold weather
thickening. Long ago, many used Amsoil, however, while racing I had two
transmissions come apart that ran Amsoil. I cannot conclude definitely that
Amsoil did the deed, but returning to Valvoline standard High Performance
80w90 non-synthetic oil and had no more transmission failures.

Your other choice is to let the car warm up a few minutes before trying to
drive off.


"js" > wrote in message
...
> I have a 66 Stingray with 327/350 engine and manual transmission. I drive
> it every other week. When I start up, its hard to get it in gears and
> without a little grinding. When it warms up with a some driving, all is
> fine. I think tranny was rebuilt 12 years / 5000 miles ago. Any ideas?
> What tranny oil is good to change it too?
>
> thanks!
>
>

"js" > wrote in message
...
>I have a 66 Stingray with 327/350 engine and manual transmission. I drive
>it every other week. When I start up, its hard to get it in gears and
>without a little grinding. When it warms up with a some driving, all is
>fine. I think tranny was rebuilt 12 years / 5000 miles ago. Any ideas?
>What tranny oil is good to change it too?
>
> thanks!

Sounds like the clutch is dragging. If you stop in gear, hold the clutch all
the way to the floor, and shift into reverse does it grind? If so, the
clutch is the problem.

You can also start it in gear and see if the clutch disk is just sticking to
the flywheel.

Al

"js" > wrote in message
...
>I have a 66 Stingray with 327/350 engine and manual transmission. I drive
>it every other week. When I start up, its hard to get it in gears and
>without a little grinding. When it warms up with a some driving, all is
>fine. I think tranny was rebuilt 12 years / 5000 miles ago. Any ideas?
>What tranny oil is good to change it too?
>
> thanks!
I have both the new and the old and in this cold weather they both tend to
get sticky while shifting. Just remember you're the brains of the driving
methods used so you can keep the car running right. Mechanical things work
harder when the oil/lubricant gets stiffer in cold weather. Adjust for it.

--
Dad
05 C6 Silver/Red 6spd Z51
72 Shark Black/Black/4spd

If your sitting still with the clutch in and you actually
hear the gears "grind", and the car doesn't creep, I gotta think
syncros. But if you feel the car try to creep forward when going
into first then it might be the clutch not completely disengaging.

Put a half/turn or so in length on the rod at the bellhousing.
You can go as far as you like as long as there is still just a tiny
bit of slack when the pedal is in the complete UP position.

You don't want any pressure on the throw out bearing when the
pedal is completely up.

Cold weather will definitely cause it to be stiff going into first gear,
sometime pretty dang stiff, especially if you have the shorter Comp Plus
shifter and handle in it. But you shouldn't hear any "grind".

js wrote:

>I have a 66 Stingray with 327/350 engine and manual transmission. I drive
>it every other week. When I start up, its hard to get it in gears and
>without a little grinding. When it warms up with a some driving, all is
>fine. I think tranny was rebuilt 12 years / 5000 miles ago. Any ideas?
>What tranny oil is good to change it too?
>
>thanks!
>
>
>
>

--
Ric Seyler
Online Racing: RicSeyler
GPL Handicap 6.35

http://www.pcola.gulf.net/~ricseyler
remove –SPAM- from email address
--------------------------------------
"Homer no function beer well without."
- H.J. Simpson

ZombyWoof wrote:

>
> Isn't this the Tranny that was lovingly referred to as the "Rock
> Crusher"?
Yup.

"ZombyWoof" > wrote in message
...
On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 11:06:42 -0600, RicSeyler >
wrote something wonderfully witty:

Isn't this the Tranny that was lovingly referred to as the "Rock
Crusher"?


Yes, had one in my 68 GTO. Sounds normal for winter. He should let it run
a bit to warm up before he puts it in gear. These days, I'm kind of
partial to the Lucus brand of Synthetics for gear oils.

--
Charlie
!993 Corvette Convertible

In article >,
ZombyWoof > wrote:

> Isn't this the Tranny that was lovingly referred to as the "Rock
> Crusher"?

Yes, but if so, it's certainly not likely the original tranny. There
were only 15 installed in '66 (and I would wager they went into racing
Corvettes). For every year they were offered, they were always a
super-low quantity factory installed item.

Additionally, the OP only mentioned grinding when starting cold - as I
understand the M-22, it was noisy all the time, all temps, all weather,
all day, all driving conditions... I also seem to recall reading that
Chevy discouraged dealers from selling the trans to customers due to the
noise - didn't want customers who couldn't live with the characteristics
- maybe was even a COPO (?) item (special order/approval only). Twern't
called "rock crusher" fer nothin'. (BTW, "Rock Crusher" was the actual
name Chevrolet used for the tranny).


> I have a 66 Stingray with 327/350 engine and manual transmission. I drive it
> every other week. When I start up, its hard to get it in gears and without
> a little grinding. When it warms up with a some driving, all is fine. I
> think tranny was rebuilt 12 years / 5000 miles ago. Any ideas? What tranny
> oil is good to change it too?
Here's waving to ya - \||||

Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

"Barking Rats" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> ZombyWoof > wrote:
>
>> Isn't this the Tranny that was lovingly referred to as the "Rock
>> Crusher"?
>
> Yes, but if so, it's certainly not likely the original tranny. There
> were only 15 installed in '66 (and I would wager they went into racing
> Corvettes). For every year they were offered, they were always a
> super-low quantity factory installed item.
>
> Additionally, the OP only mentioned grinding when starting cold - as I
> understand the M-22, it was noisy all the time, all temps, all weather,
> all day, all driving conditions... I also seem to recall reading that
> Chevy discouraged dealers from selling the trans to customers due to the
> noise - didn't want customers who couldn't live with the characteristics
> - maybe was even a COPO (?) item (special order/approval only). Twern't
> called "rock crusher" fer nothin'. (BTW, "Rock Crusher" was the actual
> name Chevrolet used for the tranny).

Knew a guy who had that trans in a '70 454 Chevelle SS. The thing
absolutely howled. I liked hearing it on the street as he'd go through the
gears up or down, but live with it every day? I dunno, but I guess it's
nice to know you can miss a shift and not end up with a whole lot of
neutral.

AJM
'93 Ruby coupe, 6 sp

"Barking Rats" > wrote in message
news In article ,

Yes, but if so, it's certainly not likely the original tranny. There
were only 15 installed in '66 (and I would wager they went into racing
Corvettes). For every year they were offered, they were always a
super-low quantity factory installed item.

Additionally, the OP only mentioned grinding when starting cold - as I
understand the M-22, it was noisy all the time, all temps, all weather,
all day, all driving conditions... I also seem to recall reading that
Chevy discouraged dealers from selling the trans to customers due to the
noise - didn't want customers who couldn't live with the characteristics
- maybe was even a COPO (?) item (special order/approval only). Twern't
called "rock crusher" fer nothin'. (BTW, "Rock Crusher" was the actual
name Chevrolet used for the tranny).


Owen
___

'67BB & '72BB
___

"To know the world intimately is the beginning of caring."
-- Ann Hayman Zwinger

Yep, my neighbors used to tell me what time I got home at night. <g>
Between the built engine in my GTO and the Rock Crusher, their walls would
vibrate when I pulled in. It was always a kick on the weekends, as soon as
I'd lift the hood to start working on it, all the grown men would venture
over to see what I was putting in that week. While they'd yell at me to
slow down when they were with their wives, they all loved that car. For
clarification, I never sped through neighborhoods, but as loud as it was,
people always thought it was going faster than it was.

--
Charlie
!993 Corvette Convertible