56 T- Bird Removing the Transmission?

Old Redneck

Old Redneck

Well-known member
OK what involved in removing the Transmission its Air Cooled. When the T-Bird sets for two weeks it leaks pretty bad. I got the Seal Kit From Hill's. Can I remove the transmission without removing the engine? I need help on this. The Transmission shift very well no slipping at all. It5 just leaks?
 

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Old Redneck said:
OK what involved in removing the Transmission its Air Cooled. When the T-Bird sets for two weeks it leaks pretty bad. I got the Seal Kit From Hill's. Can I remove the transmission without removing the engine? I need help on this. The Transmission shift very well no slipping at all. It5 just leaks?
Click to expand...

Where is it leaking? If it's at the output shaft where the driveshaft is inserted, that doesn't require the removal of the transmission.

I removed and then just reinstalled my engine/transmission as a unit, and have read that that's the best way to do it. But I've not tried to remove just the transmission by itself. So you have a transmission jack?

There are also "stop leak" options that you can add to the transmission. If you haven't tried that, I'd suggest that first.

Just some thoughts.
 
I removed my eng & auto ****** as a unit. I was told several years ago you can't remove the transmission w/o removing the eng. I've also heard you can partially disassemble the ****** in the car to make repairs. This is what I've heard not done.
 
IF... you can find someone who's willing to disassemble the transmission in place to remove it, repair and then reassemble it in place under the car... it's technically possible.
But their bill will reflect the trouble and they may not speak to you again for a long time afterward.
 
I hate to pull the engine and transmission. I have put a lot of work installing the Air Conditioning. Plus repainted the car, fixed the doors where they close like they should.I am not sure what to do. You know if I pull the engine I will screw up the paint and god knows what else.It really upset me.If I half to pull the engine I am going to put a automatic with overdrive in it.
 
I’ve watched guys pull engines on show cars. You protect everything with soft pads and bubble wrap. Lots of blue painters tape to hold it in place. Giant pain, but not complicated or expensive with materials. When I’ve pulled the engine in my bird (no where near as nice as yours) that’s how it was done. It takes a big cherry picker (or an overhead rail with a hoist) to pull the engine with the Fordo. It’s a big heavy unit. But you can do it without damage. Might even be able to hang the compressor and evap unit without opening the a/c lines. Some guys I believe say you can pull the engine alone without pulling the radiator, but I never tried that.

On the other hand, if it’s not spraying oil all over under the car when running, just leaking, I’d buy drip pans and live with it. How often you adding oil to top the trans off?
 
The first order of business is to identify exactly where the leak is coming from. When a transmission sits for a few days the torque converter partially drains into the oil pan of the trans and causes the fluid level to rise, which then leaks from any compromised seal or gasket.
Maybe the particular area can be identified and repaired in place, saving a lot of trouble. Cross your fingers....and raise that on a lift for a close inspection.



Terry
 
Old Redneck said:
OK what involved in removing the Transmission its Air Cooled. When the T-Bird sets for two weeks it leaks pretty bad. I got the Seal Kit From Hill's. Can I remove the transmission without removing the engine? I need help on this. The Transmission shift very well no slipping at all. It5 just leaks?
Click to expand...

OR, there's a U Tube video where the guy replaces some leaking seals with the transmission in the car. These are the ones around the side shift shaft. It looks a little complicated because of the internal parts that have to be removed to get at the seals, but he does it.

My '56 is like yours. Shifts great, but does have some leaks....but not as serious as yours sounds. Thinking in my case, I may just keep wiping up the ATF that winds up in my drip pan under the car.

Best of luck! Yours is a beautiful car, as is the rest of your collection!!

Dick.
 
Well I got a tub under it so that takes car of it tonight. I did put it on the Horst for two weeks and it did not leak one drop. Then I put it back in the garage at the house and it leak all over the floor. Ok I am going to put it back on the Horst and leave it there so I can see where it leaking. Up at the shifting leaver it a ***** to get to not much room there.A old Man once told me all old Fords leak oil. He say show me a old Ford that don't leak oil and I bet there no oil in it. Then laugh at me.
 
Redneck, i have a similar issue, a leak at the shift shaft. if i top the fluid off to the top of the mark on the stick, it will leak. But if i leave it it will get to a about the middle of the range on the stick then rarely leaks. not fixed but useable. paul
 
Bingo, sounds like oldbugger has the solution. Worth a try. Again, how often you been topping it off?

I’ve got an OT transmission that lays up all winter. When I put it up on the hoist for storage, it’s dry. By spring I have a small amount of oil in the drip pan on the hoist (big drip pans, my bird is stored under it for the winter). 25 miles of driving, the leak at the driveshaft stops, doesn’t leak again until it goes up for the winter. Just that seal drying out.
 
Any of you ever put a Automatic Overdrive in a 55 or 56 T-Bird? If so what year Ford Transmission did you use and did you half to do to make it fit? Right now I am just going to change the seals and gaskets without pulling the transmission. Then if it still leaks this fall I will pull the engine and transmission. I will keep the washtub under it for now. I am going to put Stainles exhaust with a deep sounding mufflers but not too loud. Also this fall if I pull the engine I am going to change the cam a nice hydraulic lifters. Nice headers stainless if I can get them.I like to dream a bit on what to do to the little Bird.
 
Check to see if it is coming from the flare on the dip-stick tube. Mine was. I jacked it up so the fluid went ot the other side, and removed it. Cleaned it, and the fitting it goes into. Then put a wrench on it, and pecked it with a hammer to make sure it is tight.

Changing over to a modern unit is not the cake-walk that you might think. Since your car is effectively done, and very nice I'd rethink that. Air-cooled trans tells me it is an early car.
 
The best Ford AOD's are 1980-93. These are the non-electric ones. Starting in 93 the electric operated ones came out so watch what you get if a 93 trans. If you want to figure out the electrics, then go with the AODE

A friend of mine did an AOD swap in his 56 Bird. You have to do some grinding on the frame to make it fit. Nothing major I understand, but you need some extra room. A new rear mount must be fabbed and you have to set up the controls which is not a major job, just a pain so I understand. The proper set up of the controls is very important. If not done correctly, bye bye trans.

Hydraulic lifters in a factory Block. Never happen. The block is not made to do it - unless there is something new that I have not heard of.

The stock exhaust manifolds flow pretty good, especially if you have the better 57 ones.

Old Redneck said:
Any of you ever put a Automatic Overdrive in a 55 or 56 T-Bird? If so what year Ford Transmission did you use and did you half to do to make it fit? Right now I am just going to change the seals and gaskets without pulling the transmission. Then if it still leaks this fall I will pull the engine and transmission. I will keep the washtub under it for now. I am going to put Stainles exhaust with a deep sounding mufflers but not too loud. Also this fall if I pull the engine I am going to change the cam a nice hydraulic lifters. Nice headers stainless if I can get them.I like to dream a bit on what to do to the little Bird.
Click to expand...
 
I’ve had both Red’s Tri Y’s and the FPA 4 tube headers on my bird. Pretty highly modified, aluminum heads, 10.5+ compression, more cam than recommended for an auto. It regularly sees 5000rpm. In my opinion, headers really aren’t worth it with a full exhaust system on a pretty much stock motor.

I’d be inclined to do the 57 manifolds with a 2” exhaust system (mines 2 1/2, pretty tight) with probably Porters or Smithy mufflers.

Here’s a link to Ted Eaton’s exhaust test. His mildly modified 312, open exhaust.

https://www.eatonbalancing.com/2021/01/17/ford-y-block-exhaust-testing/

On the AOD. I’m a believer in o/d autos, I’ve done 3 of them in OT cars. But to really take advantage of them you need to do a lot of highway driving. I’ve almost always changed the rear end for a lower ratio, 3.7’s to 4:11’s or so. That isn’t simple or cheap with the Dana under your 56.
 
Guess I am looking at a can of worms. First I will just change what gaskets and seals I can do with the transmission in the car. I hope that stops the leaking. We will see. I just take the Bird to local car shows. Been to 4 shows and got a trophy each time. Ladies like the car. This coming Sat. I am taking the 40 Conv.. It hasn't been out for a couple years. Maybe longer. The older I get the slower I get. Do more dreaming then working on the cars these days.
 

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The date on the picture looks like 2013 and the last time I showed the 40. Boy does time go fast the older I get. I did change the gas and new Battery. It started right up and runs very nice. Will let the T-Bird rest a little this week.
 
I removed both the engine and transmission as one unit from my 56 Tbird several times
with no problems about 20 years ago. Removing just the transmision with the engine still in place will be more work.
 
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