C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

M21 or M22?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 10:00 AM
  #1  
brennano1's Avatar
brennano1
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Olathe KS
Default M21 or M22?

Any idea which transmission this is? This was in my 1972 LT1. I recently had to pull the motor and thought I would take a pic of the I.D. to see what transmission I have. The only issue is the stamping isn’t very clear. I apologize this is the only pic I got from the mechanic before it got reinstalled. Let me know your thoughts. It’s definately not an “A”. Thank you for your opinions/info.
Reply
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 10:22 AM
  #2  
sullyman56's Avatar
sullyman56
Drifting
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 281
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Default

It looks like the stamp on my 68 M20. P means Muncie followed by K meaning July and then the date. The derivative VIN is from a July 68 Corvette.
Reply
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 10:30 AM
  #3  
brennano1's Avatar
brennano1
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Olathe KS
Default

It’s the last letter that I can’t determine. Any idea if it’s a bad stamped b or a c? It appears to be lower case.
Reply
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 10:42 AM
  #4  
sullyman56's Avatar
sullyman56
Drifting
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 1,546
Likes: 281
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Default

From what I’ve read 68 Muncies weren’t stamped with a letter after the date code indicating if it was a M20, 21 or 22.
Reply
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 11:08 AM
  #5  
Easy Mike's Avatar
Easy Mike
Team Owner
Supporting Lifetime
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Default

Originally Posted by sullyman56
...From what I’ve read 68 Muncies weren’t stamped with a letter after the date code indicating if it was a M20, 21 or 22...
I agree. Looks like the VIN derivative is from a 68.

Reply
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 11:40 AM
  #6  
62corvette's Avatar
62corvette
Le Mans Master
Supporting Lifetime
20 Year Member
Active Streak: 30 Days
Photogenic
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,253
Likes: 767
From: Waterford WI
Default

There were only 27004 72's made. This is out of car #27481. I agree--looks like a 68 stamping.
Reply
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 12:27 PM
  #7  
stingr69's Avatar
stingr69
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,474
Likes: 1,495
From: Little Rock AR
Default

Raise rear wheels....put car in 1st gear.....put mark on drive shaft...rotate engine exactly 1 revolution...check mark on drive shaft to see how far it rotated....if driveshaft rotated slightly more than 2.5 times around it is a M-20....if it rotated slightly less than 2 and a quarter turns, it is an M-21.
Reply
Old Jan 11, 2019 | 01:05 PM
  #8  
cor66vette's Avatar
cor66vette
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 6,333
Likes: 1,311
C3 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
C2 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
Default

That character after the date code is an inspection mark. Sorry, not a "C".
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-1

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-7

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-8

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
Old Jan 12, 2019 | 07:48 AM
  #9  
Rescue Rogers's Avatar
Rescue Rogers
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Supporting Lifetime Gold
Veteran: Navy
10 Year Member
Community Builder
Loved
 
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 20,180
Likes: 9,315
From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
Default

Originally Posted by stingr69
Raise rear wheels....put car in 1st gear.....put mark on drive shaft...rotate engine exactly 1 revolution...check mark on drive shaft to see how far it rotated....if driveshaft rotated slightly more than 2.5 times around it is a M-20....if it rotated slightly less than 2 and a quarter turns, it is an M-21.
Stingr69 is correct, This is the only way you will know without pulling the tranny out and looking at the input shaft. M21, M22 has a 2.20:1 first gear, M20 has a 2.52:1 first gear. If you have the tranny out, the input shaft has rings, One ring is a M21, 2 rings its a m20 no rings is a M20 or a M22. If it sounds like a box of rocks while driving but it runs great and shifts good and has the correct fluid level, it could be a M22, AKA Rock Crusher, because of the straighter cut gears. The only way to be positive is pull the side plate.

As a bonus, if you arent the original owner and the previous owner has had it rebuilt, it could be any number of things inside there. I just changed my gearing from M21 to M20, it was just the input shaft and the idler gears, easy swap. You can also now buy wide ratio and close ratio aftermarket M22 gears so you have that posibility as well.

Last edited by Rescue Rogers; Jan 12, 2019 at 07:52 AM.
Reply
Old Jan 12, 2019 | 08:55 AM
  #10  
3X2's Avatar
3X2
Melting Slicks
25 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,326
Likes: 523
From: home
Default

Don't M22's have a drain plug and 20's and 21's do not?
Reply
Old Jan 12, 2019 | 10:09 AM
  #11  
keithinspace's Avatar
keithinspace
Drifting
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,908
Likes: 129
From: Fredericksburg Virginia
Default

In my limited experience, many who say they have a "Rock Crusher", don't. It is a fairly rare transmission. Like 4-speed C3's being wrapped around trees and plunged into ditches at a far greater rate than the automatics.

Check the 1st gear rotation as ascribed above. M20 is the more likely outcome.
Reply
Old Jan 12, 2019 | 10:12 AM
  #12  
joewill's Avatar
joewill
Safety Car
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
Default

no, 70 and newer muncies all have drain plugs, 69 and older do not have drain plugs.. doesn't matter if they are m20, 21, or 22

most people that think they have a factory m22, do not... it is a rare tranny.

i bought a car from a kid once who swore it was a m22 due to the gear whine... i knew it wasn't .. it was dry of oil.. that was the gear whine...
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2019 | 08:29 AM
  #13  
brennano1's Avatar
brennano1
Thread Starter
Advanced
 
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From: Olathe KS
Default

Originally Posted by stingr69
Raise rear wheels....put car in 1st gear.....put mark on drive shaft...rotate engine exactly 1 revolution...check mark on drive shaft to see how far it rotated....if driveshaft rotated slightly more than 2.5 times around it is a M-20....if it rotated slightly less than 2 and a quarter turns, it is an M-21.
I’ve already got her on jack stands since I’m doing a full brake job. I’ll spin the motor a revolution to see how many times the driveshaft spins.


Thank you everyone for your responses.
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2019 | 10:15 AM
  #14  
joewill's Avatar
joewill
Safety Car
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,458
Likes: 331
From: Indy Indiana
Default

Actually isn't it the other way around?
rotate the engine 2.2 or 2.52 times to get one revolution of the driveshaft... in 1st gear?
my brain hurts...
Reply
Old Jan 14, 2019 | 12:06 PM
  #15  
stingr69's Avatar
stingr69
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 7,474
Likes: 1,495
From: Little Rock AR
Default

Originally Posted by joewill
Actually isn't it the other way around?
rotate the engine 2.2 or 2.52 times to get one revolution of the driveshaft... in 1st gear?
my brain hurts...
Yep, Mine too.

Good catch - Count ENGINE ROTATIONS per one rotation of the driveshaft. Close ratio M21 Muncie is 2.2:1 ratio and wide ratio M-20 Muncie is 2.52:1

M-22 is close ratio as well.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To M21 or M22?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:38 AM.

story-0
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-2
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-9
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE