Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

[Gary C.]

Two big steps back prior to taking a small one foward. I wanted to change the speedometer driven gear on my Muncie among other things. I am a bonehead, so the gear fell into the case...can't see it, can't feel it, can't see it with a mirror.

I could probably leave that nylon gear just where it is living today with no ill effects ever, but that just seems wrong. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to retrieve my wayward gear?

I have considered:

1. Just take this great opportunity to remove the transmission. God only knows if that has ever occured, it probably needs a good one over anyhow, and I could do clutch and bearing too.
2. Add fluid to see if gear will float back up into view of the hole. I have no experience here.
3. Will the tailshaft housing slide back an inch or two while in the car? Can't tell if reverse gear lever shaft will prevent this?

Suggestions are appreciated. No. 1 is probably the real deal, but at this time I just wanted to change the gear, put in some new U joints and be on my way for the spring top down season.

Thanks in advance

Gary

[William C.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

#1 is likely the best/one unless you have had enough luck to win the lottery, but then you could pay someone else to do the dirty work Seriously if you don't know the condition of clutch, throughout and the rest, now you have a good excuse to do it correctly...

[Wayne M.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

Here's where it was .

[Rod K.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

The gear shaft is steel, isn't it? Try a magnet on a string. Hint: don't lose the magnet.

[Edward J.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

Gary, Its going down hill, Waynes pic. will kind of give you a idea. and will likely be resting against the reverse gear down deep, You may have some luck with a small pair of mechanical fingers but you will be working in the blind. Most discount tool place sell them like harbor freight.or some auto parts carry some special tools.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

The gear shaft is steel, isn't it?

If you had factory 4.56 gears, you got the steel driven gear and a different drive gear, with 6 teeth, instead of the normal 8.



s

[Michael H.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

If it weren't for the 90W gear oil in the transmission, you could try a shop vac with a small adapter that could be reduced to a size that would fit in the hole.

[Dick W.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

Two big steps back prior to taking a small one foward. I wanted to change the speedometer driven gear on my Muncie among other things. I am a bonehead, so the gear fell into the case...can't see it, can't feel it, can't see it with a mirror.

I could probably leave that nylon gear just where it is living today with no ill effects ever, but that just seems wrong. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to retrieve my wayward gear?

I have considered:

1. Just take this great opportunity to remove the transmission. God only knows if that has ever occured, it probably needs a good one over anyhow, and I could do clutch and bearing too.
2. Add fluid to see if gear will float back up into view of the hole. I have no experience here.
3. Will the tailshaft housing slide back an inch or two while in the car? Can't tell if reverse gear lever shaft will prevent this?

Suggestions are appreciated. No. 1 is probably the real deal, but at this time I just wanted to change the gear, put in some new U joints and be on my way for the spring top down season.

Thanks in advance

Gary

You would not be the first to just leave it in, just a sayin'

[Gary C.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

Thanks guys, appreciate the input. I like the shop vac idea michael, I think that would work. The gear is nylon. Said transmission is sitting on the bench now, by the time I finished thinking about how I might retrieve the gear the transmission was out. Now I need to purchase that rebuild DVD mentioned here previously and convince myself I can rebuild it properly.

The transmission worked just fine, it did leak a bit. I am struggling with just how extensive this project should get, sometimes when I replace old working parts with new ones I regret it. Reports in the archives seem to indicate the replacement Muncie stuff is pretty good....but still if the bearings and such are good why replace them?

[Doug L.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

Let me take a guess here. You were changing the driven gear in the transmission because you changed the rear axle ratio. If so the reason the driven gear dropped into the tail shaft housing is because such a change requires the change of both the driven gear and the drive gear that is fitted on the tail shaft of the transmission. The drive and driven gears must be compatible. As an example the pair of gears for a 411 rear will mesh with each other but if you try to install a driven gear for a 336 ratio when the drive gear is for a 411 ratio, the driven gear will not engage the drive gear and will drop into the case. How do I know? I'm embarrassed to say I did this. I tried everything I could think of but could not remove the driven gear until I pulled the transmission and removed the tail shaft housing. Any of the parts catalogs will tell you which pairs of gears are compatible. Don't waste your time trying to fish the gear out. It isn't going to happen.

[Gary C.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

Hi Doug. Someone before me changed the rear end, I think, my speedometer is off. There are two different available drive gears, one with 8 teeth and one with 6 teeth, and yes the compatiable driven gears are required. The 6 tooth gear is for the driven gears with 4.56, 4.11, and maybe 3.70, I would have to look that one up. The 8 tooth gear is for 3.08 up to 3.56, I think. I think my gears here are proper and compatiable. I just didn't get enough light, couldn't see well, slipped on oil spot on the floor, got distracted when the phone rang, idk......it fell off in the recess by the reverse gear. I will just have to make opportunity of this and seal up/tune up the transmission. It is already on the bench waiting.

[Doug L.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

Hi Gary, You are on the right track. I'm traveling and don't have details available but I think the 411 and 456 are the same and the 379 and 336 (and maybe the 308) are the same. However I don't think you fumbled the driven gear when you tried to install it. I know for certain that the 336 driven gear does not even touch, much less engage the drive gear for a 411. If you put the wrong driven gear in the transmission orifice when a 411 gear is installed on the transmission shaft the driven gear will not engage, the speedo will not give a reading, and the driven gear will fall (or be pushed by the speedo cable) into the tail shaft housing. You may have to remove the housing to determine which drive gear you have while retrieving the driven gear. An LIC catalog will provide the details / colors. Doug

[Michael D.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

The 300 ratios use one size and the 400 ratios use the other.

[Chuck G.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

I can relate to this. The last time I changed one, I dropped it into the tailstock. Chances are you could leave it, but I also pulled the trans to get it out.

I'm in the process of putting the 4.11's back in my 63 after having put a 3.55 in the car about 6 years ago. Just earlier this morning, I changed out the driven gear, and I was dreading doing it. I envisioned dropping one again.

Went smooth this time, and I easily pulled out the green gear in the car and replaced it with the black gear that had been in the car previously when I ran the 4.11's. GLAD that nuisance job is done.

Chuck

[Joe R.]

Re: Lost speedometer driven gear inside 65 Muncie....how do I?

What's to worry about? With the trans sitting on the bench just pull the tail and get it out! It should take about 10 minutes or less. Your options other than that are to do nothing and leave it in. Nothing will ever happen! But, on the bench??? Pull the tail off!!!!


JR