After leaving the hotel in Vicksburg on the second day of the way home, the 400K transmission in Betty's car let go. It was spectacular. It looked like the race cars you see on TV blowing an engine, a HUGE cloud of smoke behind it. We pulled off and looked underneath. The input shaft seal on the trans let go.

Well, this morning I pulled the trans and disassembled it. It is more than just the seal....

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Click to view attachment

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The input shaft bearing failed. There is damage to the threads on the input shaft so I have to replace it.

What isn't pictured is the damage to the ring and pinion when something went between them. So I have to replace the pair too.

Here's what it's going to take.

Input shaft

Ring gear

Pinion gear

input shaft bearing

Input shaft seal

Gasket kit.

And time setting up the ring and pinion in this trans case.

Yes, I will be reusing the trans case, tail cover, and as much of the original trans as possible. Betty wants it to be as original as possible. I have all the parts, bearings and seals already here, so tomorrow I get to clean and reassemble the gear stack. I have a differential and matched pinion shaft, and plenty of input shafts, so I am all set. It is just a bunch of work that I wasn't planning on.

Got your money's worth from that one.

I think you qualify postumously for the jack stand award.

That stinks. How'd you get it home?

Bummer about the damage, but you definitely got a lot of miles out of it.

Just curious, how do you set up the tranny's R&P? Do you have the special tools, or is there another way to do it?

We had Elwood, the blue six, up on a trailer. We dropped Elwood off the trailer, and put Frody on it. Gassed up Elwood, and she drove it home.





Prussian blue on the ring gear, spin the transmission, open it back up and check the mesh pattern. Repeat until you get it right.

Here's a picture of the pattern....

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I spent today assembling the gear stack. All new sliders, syncros, dog teeth and bearings. Finished up by setting the shift linkage up in the cutaway trans case.

Probably won't get anything more done until we get back from Rennsport.

Finished up Betty's transmission today. With all the travelling about the country, I have not had time to get out to the garage to finish it. All new guts in the same old case. Bearings, syncros, differental, ring and pinion, everything but the output flanges were replaced.

Got done about 4:15. Took it for a short test drive, and it ran and shifted great. At 400K, the old trans was whining a bit. The rebuild fixed the whine, and it fixed the worn second gear syncro.


Off for another trip tonight. This was is to Denver at 8:30 for business.

I am getting tired of travelling so much. Okteenerfest, Rennsport, Hallett club race, now Denver. Too bad we don't have a dragging ass smiley.

Met the mechanical limits of metal and physics...

No, but at least we have someone who has heard the line: “I suggest you put on a tie.”

double post

When I was a kid I saw a mechanic setting up the rear end. IIRC, he was using some of that old "carbon copy" paper to mesh between the gears. Is this the method you referred to or was your product a spray dye?

This works nicely and doesn't stain your hands like Prussian Blue

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Fluid-105235...d/dp/B00BK7MFC8