anybody have any tips...

I have it cracked open just enough to be very frustrating. There are no more bolts on the outside anywhere and I've taken the snap ring off of the input shaft.

Is there anything else holding this thing together? Is there some trick that I am missing?

Is it a Muncie or one of the NV (New Venture) trans?

well...there is a sticker that says GBLY Muncie and a few other numbers and a barcode...

...so, Muncie.

Don't know if this will help or not, but here are the instructions for disassembly and reassembly on a Muncie 4 speed.

http://www.classicchevycluboftucson.com/images/Legacy_Pics/muncie.pdf

very different tranny.

anybody know if there's a book on them somewhere? I don't really want to just pry and try to work it apart.

Right now the case is cracked enough to clear the alignment pins and wiggle quite a bit. I can't find any more bolts or pins.

There is this one suspicious looking piece near the bell housing that almost looks like the back end of a stud...there is a groove deep enough to get a screwdriver or chisel under and pry, but it doesn't seem to want to move.

The only thing that seems to be holding it from sliding apart is the shifter sleeve...and it looks like all that holds it in place is a roll pin...but even if I took the roll pin out the sleeve would not be removable, but may slide on the pivot shaft.

Looks like I'll give the Chevrolet house a call tomorrow and see if they can get me a book.

I think if you check it out, it is in fact a NV transmission, probably a NV 3500. Take a look here and see if it might be a NV 3500.

http://www.motivegear.com/tech_info/tranny_guide/tranny_guide.html



Muncie went through several name changes (including New Venture) and they are now known as American Gear and Transmission.

If it is a NV 3500, go to the disassembly instructions on page 45 of this PDF:

http://www.rol.ac.psiweb.com/jeep/tj_00/00TJ-21-Transmission_and_Transfer_Case.pdf

Yep, that's it.

Is there a smug-faced "told you so" emoticon???

Hey, I'm right so seldom, I have to rub it in.

I'll have to take a picture of the ID tag that says Muncie...

you may have been correct, but it doesn't mean I was wrong...

I sure wish I had my camera. I tore this thing up!

The bearings for 2 and 3 are completely eaten away and the remnants are rattling around inside the gears (I haven't taken the stack apart yet). The input shaft bearings lost their cage. The 1st and 2nd selector fork has been badly galled and torn up(it's aluminum). The locking ring for 3rd and 4th has basically just exploded and that's what all the pieces are in the bottom. 5th and reverse seem to be just fine.

I feel bad for prying on the case (what little I did) because I just now realize that these transmission should not seal. This is a horrible design. The case halves are just machined flat and bolted together...no lip, no O ring...nothing. If these transmissions get jostled enough to put opposing pressure on the front and rear...they leak.

...now, what are the chances of retrofitting one of these with an o-ring type seal between the front and rear halves?

Dadgum, what did you do? I thought they were supposed to be pretty good transmissions.

Looks like they are going for $800 to $1000 on eBay, or is it time to find and install a T56?

As i don't have much time to work on the pickup and my father needs it now, my parents took it and had it repaired...

brand new NV3500 from GM: $1,900
new clutch: $500 ????
Labor: $400
new slave cylinder that proably isn't GM and makes the truck feel funny that you didn't even ask to have replaced: $100
Getting proved correct that folks who make a living doing mechanic work are no good, worthless liars, that rank near lawyers and salesmen in the grand scheme of things because the nut on the bottom of the shift lever was not properly tightned so it now spins: Priceless

Laughing so hard Dr Pepper comes out of your nose when you are told that he recommends that he needs to do more work because the springs on the front of your truck are bad since it is sitting crooked...crooked because it got hit on graduation day and ripped the entire fender off of a Toyota and the only reason it was driveable is because of the $200 grill guard that you put on there after getting hit in Ft. Worth by a drunk driver (which is what probably caused the transmission to fail in the first place) but all it did to your pickup was tweak the front end a little and make it look crooked: also Priceless.