1968 L79 Motor Rebuild Cam question

[John H.]

Re: 1968 L79 Motor Rebuild Cam question

The transmission on the other hand is in fact an M22. It was a special order that the dealer put out. It has the "C" designation after the part number on the case and has the bottom drain plug casting although not drilled.

Jim -

You must have a very late car if it has the "C" suffix on the Muncie "P"-number; Muncie didn't start using the "A-B-C" suffixes until mid-October, 1968. All Muncies had the boss with a flush/flat face cast in the case for the drain plug, but only M-22's had the plug prior to 1970.

[Ridge K.]

Re: 1968 L79 Motor Rebuild Cam question

Thanks for posting. I was never aware...

Duke

Thanks a lot, Duke.
I've been chiseling a granite tablet for the last hour with your prior comments, as I have never seen you to be wrong. Thanks a whole lot.

[Jim B.]

Re: 1968 L79 Motor Rebuild Cam question

Jim -

You must have a very late car if it has the "C" suffix on the Muncie "P"-number; Muncie didn't start using the "A-B-C" suffixes until mid-October, 1968. All Muncies had the boss with a flush/flat face cast in the case for the drain plug, but only M-22's had the plug prior to 1970.

John

Yes the car is very late. I bought it in August of 1968. It has a build date in late July 1968, The 69's were on the showroom floor when I bought it. When I go over the car it has many of the 1969 upgrades. The C is clearly there so maybe they started earlier than you think.

The transmission has a hole in the boss with a plug seal inserted (almost like a small freeze plug). No threaded drain like the filler plug, but not a flat face by any means.

Has anybody decoded the engine code HT vs HP thing yet? The judging manual clearly refers to it.

[Richard F.]

Re: 1968 L79 Motor Rebuild Cam question

I have a late June 68 car which has a lot of 69 things, like the angled frame reinforcements at the rear kickups. But your trans thing takes the cake. It would be interesting to know if the vin derivative on the block and on the trans have exactly the same character set, wear pattern and flaws. Were they stamped using the same tool by the same guy at the same time? Please keep us posted as I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds this to be a very interesting bit of history.

[Jim B.]

Re: 1968 L79 Motor Rebuild Cam question

I have a late June 68 car which has a lot of 69 things, like the angled frame reinforcements at the rear kickups. But your trans thing takes the cake. It would be interesting to know if the vin derivative on the block and on the trans have exactly the same character set, wear pattern and flaws. Were they stamped using the same tool by the same guy at the same time? Please keep us posted as I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds this to be a very interesting bit of history.

The stampings on the transmission all look different to me from the ones on the block (although I did not inspect to a great level of detail). I'll bet that is due to the aluminum vs iron. The P number is a much larger font than the Vin or the "c" stamp. The transmission vin does look like approximately the same font size as the block stamping.

Again, I am the original owner of the car. The drive train is that which I took delivery of in August 1968. My 68 was a very reliable car and never saw the inside of a repair shop for other than two minor accidents and a replaced ujoint on the half shaft and a new gas tank due to the new england weather.