Rear Transmission Seal

[Smooth_One]

Please tell me there is a way to replace the rear seal on my 28 trans without pulling the rear end back to remove the bolt??

[redmodelt]

First where is it leaking? There is no real seal in the back of the transmission. The original bearing as caged but open on both sides, there is a slinger on the inside shielding the bearing front is the same.
What work has been done such as any bearings replaced, etc. They do make a cap that can be added to cover where the shafts come thru the case while the engine is still in the car. Also keeping the U-joint housing full of grease helps some with lube migrating to that housing.
Bottom line ether the engine or rear end has to be pulled to do any work on the tranmission.

[Marshall V. Daut]

If you are referring to the aftermarket exterior seal kit, the bolt is of the length that it can be removed WITH the metal cover. It cannot be removed by itself because it will hit the U-joint clamshell housing. Simply unscrew the bolt as far as it will go to disengage it from the transmission threads and drop it with the cover.
If someone installed a longer bolt while rebuilding the transmission, then you may be out of luck. It may be too long to unscrew and be removed with the cover. In such a case, you will have to remove or pull the rear end back a bit.
Marshall

[Smooth_One]

It's leaking from where the bolt goes through that metal plate at the back.
The car sat for over 30+ years and not sure when or if the trans has ever been out or if bearings have been done.

[Smooth_One]

Originally Posted by Marshall V. Daut

If you are referring to the aftermarket exterior seal kit, the bolt is of the length that it can be removed WITH the metal cover. It cannot be removed by itself because it will hit the U-joint clamshell housing. Simply unscrew the bolt as far as it will go to disengage it from the transmission threads and drop it with the cover.
If someone installed a longer bolt while rebuilding the transmission, then you may be out of luck. It may be too long to unscrew and be removed with the cover. In such a case, you will have to remove or pull the rear end back a bit.
Marshall

Marshal I think that's the case because I've threaded it all the way out and it's still got some thread to go and it bottoms out on the U-joint.
Great...

[Smooth_One]

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It's leaking pretty bad and 1 I don't want it to stain the floor and 2 I don't want to run it out of fluid while on the road somewhere.

[larrys40]

Originally Posted by Smooth_One

It's leaking pretty bad and 1 I don't want it to stain the floor and 2 I don't want to run it out of fluid while on the road somewhere.

Marshall gave good advice on above. If it is the earlier style thick retainer plate it probably has a longer bolt and won't back out with the rear bearing retainer in place.

As Marshall said.. if it's leaking profusely you can pull the rear axle back to service the back of the transmission. You will have to remove the U-joint, rear bearing retainer ( Held on with 4 wired bolts in the grease at the rear bearing retainer. Then do the operation at the rear shafts.
If you're not familiar with the "A" driveline and transmissions this might be one to hire out or get someone who's schooled at this.

Just a suggestion.. I have done some best effort fixes before when they had the earlier style and/or longer bolts. I cleaned the back of the trans with brake clean very well ( watch your eyes - wear eye protection) and have carefully coated the back end of the shafts around where they meet the case with black RTV and tried to work it in and make a nice smooth best effort seal at the shaft ends and rear of the case. I have been successful several times on this. It's a lot easier and you might want to try it first.

Honestly The A is going to leak so you just will have to know that. Either or all of the following: out of the rear main, trans, U-joint- and possible rear axle. When I restore a component I do my standard fixes during assembly to thwart leakage.... but most cars have some so don't sweat it.
If is not pouring out you aren't going to run dry but you should check your fluid levels from time to time.

As I said you might try my easy fix first. If it doesn't work you might resort to the rear trans fix or even a rebuild at that point. That way you can use the o-ring shafts and do the proper restoring/rebuilding and make it better all the way around.
Larry Shepard

[Marshall V. Daut]

"Larrys40" has the correct terminology in his first sentence: rear bearing retainer. The U-joint clamshell housings that I wrote are on the other side of that part and bolt against it. 'Best to keep the proper terminology straight to avoid confusion. Thanks for the catch
Marshall

[Ray in La Mesa]

If the bolt is too long to remove, screw it out as far as you can and hack saw it off so you can screw out the remaining part then put in the correct length bolt. No need to remove rear end.

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Ray in La Mesa

If the bolt is too long to remove, screw it out as far as you can and hack saw it off so you can screw out the remaining part then put in the correct length bolt. No need to remove rear end.

thats what I was thinking... hate to ruin a good original bolt but at the same time there is nothing rare about it...hacksaw off the least amount possible so if it comes down to it you can still have a nub to get vicegrips on incase it gets hard to unscrew by fingers.

[tinkirk]

Snyder's part # A-7111-S or clean it up and goop it up as Larry's 40 has mention that has work on two so far and the last one i installed the above part number so far so good

Tinkirk/Terry

[Big hammer]

Larry's got the right idea! Clean well and see where it's leaking. If from the shaft holes, how about RTV and a patch of gasket material, old piece of inner tube, maybe aluminum fit to the case and glued on with RTV!

[Smooth_One]

Originally Posted by larrys40

Marshall gave good advice on above. If it is the earlier style thick retainer plate it probably has a longer bolt and won't back out with the rear bearing retainer in place.

As Marshall said.. if it's leaking profusely you can pull the rear axle back to service the back of the transmission. You will have to remove the U-joint, rear bearing retainer ( Held on with 4 wired bolts in the grease at the rear bearing retainer. Then do the operation at the rear shafts.
If you're not familiar with the "A" driveline and transmissions this might be one to hire out or get someone who's schooled at this.

Just a suggestion.. I have done some best effort fixes before when they had the earlier style and/or longer bolts. I cleaned the back of the trans with brake clean very well ( watch your eyes - wear eye protection) and have carefully coated the back end of the shafts around where they meet the case with black RTV and tried to work it in and make a nice smooth best effort seal at the shaft ends and rear of the case. I have been successful several times on this. It's a lot easier and you might want to try it first.

Honestly The A is going to leak so you just will have to know that. Either or all of the following: out of the rear main, trans, U-joint- and possible rear axle. When I restore a component I do my standard fixes during assembly to thwart leakage.... but most cars have some so don't sweat it.
If is not pouring out you aren't going to run dry but you should check your fluid levels from time to time.

As I said you might try my easy fix first. If it doesn't work you might resort to the rear trans fix or even a rebuild at that point. That way you can use the o-ring shafts and do the proper restoring/rebuilding and make it better all the way around.
Larry Shepard

Thanks for the info for sure. I do all my own repairs on the car, I know these cars put out quite a bit of fluid and I understand why, if I don't see a puddle of some kind of fluid under it I get nervous because something is empty but this is a lot of fluid coming out of the back of that plate just overnight sitting so I know that is not normal.
I was thinking about it this morning what I am probably going to do is back the bolt out as far as I can and cut it off at the head so I can unthread the rest of the way with my fingers so I do not have to pull the rearend and torque tube out to replace it.

[Smooth_One]

Originally Posted by Ray in La Mesa

If the bolt is too long to remove, screw it out as far as you can and hack saw it off so you can screw out the remaining part then put in the correct length bolt. No need to remove rear end.

Thanks Ray I just thought of that this morning and just saw what you wrote ha ha. I'm going to try that and see what happens.

[Smooth_One]

Originally Posted by tinkirk

Snyder's part # A-7111-S or clean it up and goop it up as Larry's 40 has mention that has work on two so far and the last one i installed the above part number so far so good

Tinkirk/Terry

Thanks for the part number I had not looked it up yet. I'm sure the advice on using the RVT works but I like replacing things rather than "it might work for a while" fixing it.

[Smooth_One]

As I have never done this before and haven't really looked into it yet I am guessing the larger rubber seal goes on the inside of the case correct?

[Smooth_One]

As I have never done this before and haven't really looked into it yet I am guessing the larger rubsaid tber seal goes on the inside of the case correct?