Hot Rods Ford V8 Torque Tube Question

I tried to do a search to get my answer but didn't come up with anything conclusive. In an early ford v8 torque tube I am wondering how the front ujoint gets lubricated. Does it get oil from the trans? Or from the rear end? Or? Thanks.

 

Hmmmmmnnnn beats me but in answer to your question yes it does.
There that'll get 'em started for ya. LOL

 

The oil from the banjo rear migrates up the tube into that area. There is also grease fittings on the lower side where it connects to the tranny. The grease fills up in a shell around the u joint. Unlike a modern u joint. It's externally lubricated.

 

Also a good idea to pack them with grease before you mate the tt to the joint. With the lower half of the clamp in place, you can put quite a bit in there.

 

When all else fails read the instructions. The lubrication chart says "Universal joint grease (Cylinder Oil Soda Soap Grease)" each 1000 miles (from the chart "Lubrication and Maintenance, Ford V8 Cars, 1932-1936 inclusive" as printed in the Service bulletins for November 1935). I always use pressure gun grease like the Model A instructions say. Not stated but obviously it goes into the zerk fitting on the clamshell around the u-joint.

Charle Stephens

 

All good!

 

Right behind the U-joint is the speedo drive and a bearing, behind that a seal oriented to stop goo from leaving the U-joint area and going down the torque tube. By the V8 era, Ford was recommending special grease for that (see Charlie's post), but probably most of them actually got whatever grease was being used on the plethora of other Zerks down there because it had that sort of fitting. If the gaskets and seals behind the joint and at the u joint bell are working, that area will hold its lube. Most greases seem too thick to get anywhere into the joint, but obviously the system works since most old Ford U joints still have good bushings. One theory on this is that whatever you put in there, it will be diluted by the 90 or 140 weight trans lube, since there isn't anything to stop that from sloshing out into the U joint area, and so everything gets whipped into a nice flowing goo that does the job. Ford never envisioned 90/140 from rear end getting there, since he installed his torque tubes uphill from the rear, but of course rodders bollix that up by lowering. Seal is inefficient in that direction, so this can allow all the rear end lube to overfill trans.