The main seal on my '73 tranny is gone and on the advice of this group I've ordered the complete gasket set from PP. I'm wondering about the "main" gaskets for front and tail housings. Is changing these really something that the average guy can do without screwing up the innards of the tranny? I'm just afraid of having something in the internals slip and I won't know how to get it back together.

I've done just about everything else mechanical on this car, including building the engine. Am I just being overly cautious? Are there some things to watch for to make sure nothing gets messed up?

i did mine after dave-o helped me rebuild the gearbox (did it for me).

if i can do it, then you can.

It's so easy, I didn't even break a sweat watching Brant do it.

I wouldn't bother with splitting the transmission apart. I usually just do the input seal, output seals, shifter seal, and the speedo seal & oring (seal isn't part of the kit).

That was my son's advice too and it makes sense to me. Thanks for the tip about the speedo seal and o-ring. It was a little challenging to find both of those on the PP site. I would have missed the seal if you hadn't mentioned it.

Here's hoping that I won't be leaving a trail of oil spray on the way to RRC09!

Ernie, you will do fine. The speedo o-ring IS part of the set, the internal speedo drive seal is not and usually does not need attention. If it does, you can tell. Harbor freight has a seal puller tool for like $5 that works well at pulling the input seal. The out put seals are easy

I ended up not getting the kit and just bought individual seals (duh! - it never occurred to me to ask if you sell parts). The seal I got is #25 on their parts diagram (999-113-356-50-OEM, Radial Sealing Ring, BA 10 x 18 x 6). If you've got the seal that I really need, I've got PayPal.

Any recommendations on what kind of sealant, if any, to use on these seals?

Doc may have other advice, but I've always installed them with a little trans oil and that's it.

Sure! No sealant at all. Rubber seals are meant to go seal-to-metal. I lube the seals, inner side and outside, with a slathering of motor oil, and press them into place. Make sure they're in evenly and all the way. Use the marks left by the old seals as a guide if you're in doubt. The Cap'n

That's what I expected, but it's always good to make certain. Thanks!

Oh, here's my homemade input shaft seal installer. I can mail it out to you if you want. It's sitting idle for awhile.

Hmmm... Impressive tool! I'll keep it in mind, but I'm guessing I can get by. So can you point me to a resource for the "speedo seal" that you mentioned before? It seems the one I found on PP might not have been the one you meant.

As stated, no sealant is needed on the case for any seals

PM me if you have parts needs, I have a bin of new gear box seals (all types).

PM Sent