I've got a 38 chevy coupe thats 95% orginal and it has a oil leak in the enclosed driveshaft connection towards the transmission where the part called the BELL is located. I can't find anyone that knows how to repair the seal(gasket,whatever) that it takes to stop the dripping. A guy said they use to put a small piece of cloth and tie it around that part as a temperary fix. It doesn't turn and it doesn't get very warm. Anyone ever heard of this?
Lots of good knowledgeable hot rodders in your state, before this thread is through, you will have to chose from several who know the repair, or at least have all the info and part #'s you need to do it yourself. Thanks to Ryan and the H.A.M.B., BDM
Try Chevs of the 40's.They list gasket kits in the '09 catalog. They probably still have them. You will have to separate the U-joint to replace them. Not too big a job.
Chevs of the '40s 2010 catalog still has the gasket and seals. Page 112 part #3764394 price shown for the kit is $16.75 I have bought lots of parts from them and they are good guys to deal with.
There's a gasket kit available, but sooner or later it'll start dripping again. I wired in a kotex under the bell and change it a couple of times a year. Keeps the drip off my friend's driveway.
If it's like my '37 Buick and it's leaking at the seam where the torque tube bolts to the back of the transmission it's a relatively easy fix. You'll have to jack the rear of the car up, remove the bolts holding the flanges together. Then you'll have to remove the nuts on the axle spring U bolts, drop the rear axle and pull it back about 8". I pulled the axle on my Buick when I got it when I got and it was a rotted pile of rust. It wasn't all that hard. Many modern repair shops don't like to mess around with old cars for a few reasons. First, many of the new techs only know the new stuff and anything old is completely alien to them. I had a guy question me about how to remove the calipers from the stock '49 Ford truck he just got and he was a certified auto tech. My nephew works in a repair shop and can tell you about every electronic do dad under the hood but is totally lost as to how to tune up the flatties in my trucks. Second, with old cars if you start working on one needed repair it could lead to another and then another. Take your car for example, you have to pull back the rear axle, in doing so the rust parking brake cable you never noticed gets moved, and because of the rust, snaps off. Now you need a new cable. Then while putting everything back together something else gets jostled and a seal is broken and another problem starts. The vast majority of the parts on your car are 20-50 years old. If this chain of events starts to happen the customer could start blaming the shop owner for screwing up a car that was operating perfectly when it was brought in. Third, many shops want to do repairs quickly. You can usually get a part for a newer car in a day, with a 50+ year old car you could wait a week or more just in having the part shipped. Not many shops want a car sitting around for a week or two. Add to the fact that you just brought your pride and joy in and the shop is going to have have it sitting outside because they can't waste the valuable inside space for storing your car. I doubt if most of the places you took your car to don't know how to repair it, they just don't want the h***le.
Curious did you have to use the one with wings? and would a super absorbent be better for this application? Thanks
Fel-Pro still lists the gasket set. Grab one. Then take a trip to your local bearing dealer - ask to get into their O-ring selection. Find one exactly the same size as the beveled cork gasket that rides the back of the ball in the recess & use it instead. Be aware the thickness of the flange gaskets determines preload on the ball, so set it up before you bolt it all together.
Patrick's Antique Auto in Case Grande AZ has the gasket kits. Give your local NAPA parts store a try.
you don't have to pull the rearend on a chevy....just slide the ball cover back after removing the bolts on the ring at the rear of the trans...the u joint is simple inside just be sure to lock the tabs on the u joint bolts when putting it back together...there are cork seals at the rear and the front of the ball/bell cover
the gasket around the bell flange is 3 or 4 gaskets. with a razor blade split and remove a few this tightens the rear gasket around the bell. that was the intent 80 years ago anyway... but by now the gaskets are probably just old and need replacing.
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