Muncie build date.

[Craig S.]

Is the transmission 'assembly build date' supposed to match the 'engine code date' on the engine stamp pad? The tranny date is 'P 1209' and the engine stamp pad is 'F 1209 HH' .

Craig

[Mike E.]

Re: Muncie build date.

Craig,
From what I've read I don't think so, they came from different plants, the transmission from Muncie Indiana and the engine from Flint Michigan matching them up would have been a major undertaking...You just got lucky....You might consider a buying a PowerBall ticket. That 1/2 Billion might come in handy.

I keep citing John Hinckley's C2 build process document because it contains so much good infomation.

Engine Dress Line:
Schedule correct engine out of shipping rack and hang on engine dress line conveyor, tape broadcast copy to front of engine hook.
Lube and install throwout bearing, install manual transmission to bellhousing. For Powerglide, remove converter shipping strap, install
transmission case to block, apply air-powered dummy starter tool to rotate flexplate and drive converter bolts, and install inspection cover.
Match gang-stamp holder dies to VIN on broadcast and stamp engine and transmission VIN derivatives.

http://www.michiganncrs.org/index_assets/CorvetteAssyProcess.pdf

Mike

[Jim D.]

Re: Muncie build date.

The engine in my 65 is stamped F0329HF, the trans. P0329 and the rear AM 3 29 65. All original.

[Craig S.]

Re: Muncie build date.

Thanks for the input Mike. I know they stamp the v.i.n. derivative into the engine and tranny. I wasn't sure if the assembly date on the tranny was at the muncie plant or at the same time they stamp the engine code on the stamp pad. It makes sense to me now.

Craig

[Ronald L.]

Re: Muncie build date.

Where is John when we need him?
Muncie made in Muncie IN, Flint engine, axle (Detroit gear, or was it Chevy gear), anyway, just a coincidence if they are all the same, statistically nearly close to not. Norm would be some days of separation given transit times from three different manufacturing facilities operating at different line rates.

[Craig S.]

Re: Muncie build date.

Norm, that was my feeling as well. I believe someone at some time has planed the numbers off the stamp pad on the engine. The broach marks are gone. Then they have tried to put something on there that looks right ??? I'll probably never know. I'm just trying to do a little detective work. I'm curious more than anything else.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Muncie build date.

What's the probability of this ? My early '65 L76 doesn't have its original engine, but does have the trans [P0916] and differential [AP 9 17 64] that it was born with. I don't have the Protect-o-Plate.

A fellow member has a L76 car produced 4 VIN numbers after mine (both S-bodies with D8 trim tag dates). His S-number is two (coupes) after mine, meaning there was one St. Louis coupe among the 3 VINs between our cars. The other two could have been St. Louis convertibles, or A-body coupes or convertibles. He has his P-o-P, which confirms his trans is also P0916 and his diff is also AP 9 17 64.

Now, as mentioned above, Muncies were assembled in Muncie IN. The diffs were assembled in Warren MI. The posi code AP is for 4.11 gears; not rare, but not common, either.

But the corker is that both these cars are tankers. I attended a Bloomington workshop decades back, and the instructor mentioned that N03 cars were a pain in the butt. They had to schedule them so the same team/shift did the necessary body mods. Workers complained about the thin fiberglass tank covers breaking at the edges where they were bolted down, and having to be replaced on the spot.

The implication was that they couldn't schedule tankers sequentially, or it would slow down the St. Louis body production line.

Maybe John H. could add a word.

[John H.]

Re: Muncie build date.

But the corker is that both these cars are tankers. I attended a Bloomington workshop decades back, and the instructor mentioned that N03 cars were a pain in the butt.
The implication was that they couldn't schedule tankers sequentially, or it would slow down the St. Louis body production line.

Maybe John H. could add a word.

Wayne -

There's a lot of truth in that statement - there was an enormous amount of handwork/rework on an N03 underbody, all of which was done in the basement before it went upstairs to the main body line. From a production scheduling perspective, I think it would be highly unlikely that they'd run two in a row unless the second underbody was built up well in advance so they could schedule the additional manpower required in the basement underbody subassembly area. Work content impact was minor in all other areas - most of it was in the underbody.

[Craig S.]

Re: Muncie build date.

John, is it possible for the assembly build date on the transmission to be a few days later than the engine code date. My thoughts are that having planed the numbers off the block during a rebuild, and having not recorded them ahead of time, someone took the next best thing and stamped the assembly build date off the tranny on to the block. I recently obtained the original bill of sale for the car which lists the engine code as F 1204 HL . The block casting date on this engine is L24. The tranny V.I.N. looks original. I talked to the original owner recently who said as long as he had the car, he had no issues with the engine. So, if down the road, someone replaced the block, what are the chances of getting a block cast so close to the original paper work. I think it's the original block but things aren't quite right. Just speculating.

[John H.]

Re: Muncie build date.

John, is it possible for the assembly build date on the transmission to be a few days later than the engine code date. I recently obtained the original bill of sale for the car which lists the engine code as F 1204 HL . The block casting date on this engine is L24. The tranny V.I.N. looks original.

Craig -

The Muncie "P"-code (assembly date) can be almost anything, as long as it precedes the car's final assembly date by up to six months (although 2-4 weeks is more typical); that date was stamped at Muncie. A block cast on December 2nd and assembled on December 4th is not unusual. Any similarity in the assembly dates between the engine and transmission is purely coincidental.

[Craig S.]

Re: Muncie build date.

Thanks John, your knowledge on these matters is always greatly appreciated as you can tell by previous threads.

Craig