MTFCA Forum

Looking for info on how to properly disassemle a Muncie transmission.

Look at www.cimorelli.com Click on Model T Ford library. Then click on the technical articles from the left column. Look up auxiliary transmissions and you will find Muncie and other transmissions.

Chris Hansen

Muncie built a larger (heavier) case transmission that is often referred to as the "truck Muncie". They also made a couple variations of the standard smaller auxiliary UDO and a three speed, with direct, mid, and low gears (I know a couple people that snagged a Muncie only to discover it wasn't an overdrive!).
The fact is, that the heavy Muncie was sold for both cars and trucks, and most trucks that got a Muncie had the smaller standard case installed. Whichever the local jobber or parts house had in stock was what usually go sold and installed. I had one of the heavy Muncies in my first speedster and loved it! Later owners of the car also told me that they really liked the heavy case Muncie. I would like to have one again and do not understand why so many people don't like them (Hey! Give it to me!).
Although most parts do not interchange between them, the standard and the heavy case Muncies are very similar in basic design, and easy to work on.

Wayne is right in saying Muncie's are easy to work on. I have one in my truck and when I went through the truck I had to disassemble the Muncie and replace the ball bearings in it. I was apprehensive when I started. It turned out to be a snap.

Question:
I've never seen a regular Muncie alongside a heavy Muncie. Is there an easy way to tell which I have? I have no clue....

Which one had a reverse? I have one I took out of a 26 coupe 60 years ago and it has a reverse, butI have not looked at it in 50 years to check that it does have a reverse.

Darel L, Most of the model T Muncie UDO transmissions have a reverse gear as well. I have been told some were made without a reverse, but I have never seen one. The Jumbo Giant for model Ts also mostly have a reverse gear. The Warford and Chicago transmissions do not have an added reverse, as do not all the other back of the drive-line transmissions like Universals, Moore, and Rocky Mountain Six Speed.

Henry P, I am reaching way back here. Been a long time since I had a big-case Muncie to look at. There were several variations in the Muncie line for model Ts.Mostly, the big case and the standard Muncies were the same length, and fit in the same modified drive-lines. Other makes such as Chicago and Jumbo Giant were slightly shorter than the Muncie. And Warford depended on the model (iron or aluminum case) and whether or not it used the long universal stub line between the Warford transmission and the Ford engine/transmission. Generally speaking, the various makes of transmissions will not interchange without some difficulty with drive-line modifications.
That said. The Muncies were basically the same length, large or small case. If I recall correctly, the front mounting casting for both look alike, and I "think" (may be wrong here?) may be interchangeable. The large case Muncie is larger in the main gear-case. It is a bit wider, a bit taller, and a good inch or more longer (I suspect more like two inches). To compensate for the size of the main gear-case being longer, the tail-shaft output casting is shorter for the heavy Muncie than the one is for the standard Muncie.
I do have a blown Muncie (I call it the "munched Muncie") that I could measure. The output casting on it is tapered in appearance, and about four and a quarter inches long (not counting alignment pins). Memory is getting fuzzier as years pass, but it seems shorter than I remember from years ago.
Hope that helps.

Thanks for the information Wayne!!

Hi DanDy,
The Muncies are pretty easy to work on, near identical to an old 3 spd. The pocket, thrust & counter shaft run bronze bushings & the lower shafts are the same size as old truck 4 spd. ( you have to cut them to length ) The main shaft bearings are a common size you can get at the bearing house. A wise gentleman once told me that if you buy the double sealed bearings they leak very little from the input & output shafts. They are noisy & over is real high for a car unless you have a strong engine. Good luck.

Craig's comment that overdrive in a Muncie is, "...real high for a car..." is interesting. I never thought about that aspect. Based on the title of this thread Dan, your Muncie is in a TT like mine is. My rear end has the low speed gear set, so in Ford high/Muncie overdrive with a tail wind I've had the ol' truck up to 33 MPH. If you have the high speed rear end gears you could probably get it up to around 45 MPH. Either way, it works pretty well in a TT. In a regular T, which has a much faster rear end gear ratio, I can see what he means.