Muncie Shifters

[Roscobbc]

I guess the following will mainly apply to those cars fitted with Muncie transmissions so C2's and earlier C3's (up to '76).
Google's AI gives this explanation (which is functionally correct)

Key Differences: Hurst vs. Stock Mounting

• • Stock Shifter: Mounts to a separate bracket attached to the transmission cross-member/frame. This can cause the linkage to bind during hard acceleration because the engine and gearbox rock on their mounts while the frame stays rigid.
  • Hurst Shifter: Uses a special adapter mounting plate that bolts straight onto the transmission tail-housing. Because the shifter moves with the gearbox, it eliminates binding and provides a much more positive, shorter throw.

All this is true - and comparing a stock well worn shifter with a Hurst Competition Plus unit can be like night and day. Issues with shifter 'buzz' seem to be eliminated and gear-shifts are significantly improved - adjustable 'bang' stops also allow you to be as brutal as you wish when going through the ratios with 'menace'.
However like so many American performance brands customers report issues with the product quality compared with earlier years. I bought mine in about 2005 when the company was owned by Mr Gasket and B & M, selling a few years later to Holley Industries. Have to say that mine unit is great except perhaps for the fit of the shifter arms on the selector spindles (possibly due to wear and tear being an original Muncie part).
It seems 'the' place to buy your Hurst shifters in the 'States is Paul Cangialosi of Super 661 / 5Speeds (5Speeds Transmission Home Page)
Paul manufactures a kit of upgraded shims that reportedly transform the shifting of an old Hurst unit or one of the later units (mentioned above) - or will sell a brand new and upgraded unit.
I particularly like the idea of his of hardened steel bushings for the ends of the shifter rods - something which should improve shifting quality.

 

[Forrest Gump]

I particularly like the idea of his of hardened steel bushings for the ends of the shifter rods - something which should improve shifting quality.

Much is made of the upgrade to steel bushes - but they're only going to improve shift quality if the “standard” nylon ones break-up and then allow some slop. I wonder why Hurst don’t include them in the first place if the nylon ones are no good? I fitted a new kit on my car and put in the supplied nylon bushes. All is good at present but I’ve probably only done a couple of thousand miles so only a few hundred gear changes.
That area of the car gets pretty hot with the heat from the exhausts so anything plastic is potentially going to suffer, so perhaps that’s the real benefit of the steel bushes.

The one thing that did fail within minutes of my first test run was one of the wire retaining clips popped off. That meant a shift rod came adrift and left me stuck in third gear (flexibility of the engine meant no problem getting home). Lost one of the nylon bushes in that moment too. I then changed all the crappy wire clips for split pins and a thin washer. Not impressed with them in a kit that cost several hundred dollars. Maybe the clips that come with the upgrade steel bush kit are better but I still wouldn’t trust them over a split pin.

 

[Roscobbc]

Paul Super661 makes much of the poor retaining spring clips in one of his of his tutorials and suggests the use of/and offers his own fractionally thinner but improved hardening spring clips, commenting that these plus his bushes will help linearity of the linkages and shift action. Tbh I would have thought that correctly sized split pins (as you've used) would be a better answer...... except perhaps for the relatively soft mild steels resistance to wear?

 

[Forrest Gump]

Thats why I put a thin washer in - so that the moving parts don't actually touch the split pin and cause it to wear, and it's all greased too. As long as you use aircraft grade parts everything should be fine .

 

[Forrest Gump]

You expect a good gearshift for this money, and has gone up another couple of hundred dollars since I got mine!

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