Newly rebuilt transmission leaking too much?

drfromnc

Senior Member
Is my newly rebuilt top shifter trans leaking too much? It appears to be seeping about a tablespoon of oil in a 6 week period of time. I’m using Macs 600w oil and it is has not been driven yet. Just installed in chassis. I know these old Fords like to mark their territory but wondering if this is too much?
 
A common cause is overfilling. Use the fill plug at the side of the case while installed in the chassis, which prevents overfilling. Some also fill to just below the fill plug.
 
Doug where is it leaking? If it’s the pin that locks shaft in rear. Pull it out. Brake clean or even better spray oil free with lacquer thinner. Get a tube of 3M weatherstripping adhesive. The yellow works but the black looks better. Drain oil prior to doing this. Now squirt the adhesive in where the pin goes and end of shaft. Install pin and secure it the more 3M around ends. Give it a few days to dry. Put oil back in.
 
Doug where is it leaking? If it’s the pin that locks shaft in rear. Pull it out. Brake clean or even better spray oil free with lacquer thinner. Get a tube of 3M weatherstripping adhesive. The yellow works but the black looks better. Drain oil prior to doing this. Now squirt the adhesive in where the pin goes and end of shaft. Install pin and secure it the more 3M around ends. Give it a few days to dry. Put oil back in.

Yes, Tony, the pin and I think from drain plug. Will give that solution a try. Thanks!
 
You may also use the yellow teflon tape or Permatex thread sealer on your fill and drain plugs. I would also talk with Mac Van Pelt about running that oil. Tim
 
Doug where is it leaking? If it’s the pin that locks shaft in rear. Pull it out. Brake clean or even better spray oil free with lacquer thinner. Get a tube of 3M weatherstripping adhesive. The yellow works but the black looks better. Drain oil prior to doing this. Now squirt the adhesive in where the pin goes and end of shaft. Install pin and secure it the more 3M around ends. Give it a few days to dry. Put oil back in.

This. Install the pin so the head is facing downward. Use extra goop around the head and use tape or something else to hold it in place as it dries. This tip was pass along from Mac VP.

Agree with using a good thread seal tape on the plug as well.
 
This. Install the pin so the head is facing downward. Use extra goop around the head and use tape or something else to hold it in place as it dries. This tip was pass along from Mac VP.

Agree with using a good thread seal tape on the plug as well.

Plumbers use Tape. Car guys I suggest to use sealant.
 
You may also use the yellow teflon tape or Permatex thread sealer on your fill and drain plugs. I would also talk with Mac Van Pelt about running that oil. Tim

I bought Van Pelts book before doing the rebuild and just reread the General Notes that only states to use regular GL4 and GL5 stuff. Guess I will give him a call next week.
 
permatex non hardening sealer on the plugs, also if the reverse/counter shaft ends are leaking then clean off oil and coat with the sealant helps to stop that drip
 
permatex non hardening sealer on the plugs, also if the reverse/counter shaft ends are leaking then clean off oil and coat with the sealant helps to stop that drip

I haven't had luck with that. I've also tried ARP sealant. Tape worked for me with the bottom plug.
 
i thought my plug was leaking but it was that pin and back of the two shafts which i sealed with silicone when i rebuilt trans. a leak there runs foward and collects on plug. it took three tries before i got leak stopped. also went to 140 wt. trany fluid gl4.
 
I emailed Van Pelt this morning to ask them about gear oil recommendation.

Further inspection on where the leak is coming from and it appears to be coming from the area of the rear bearing retainer plate. I do remember that I forgot to use sealant on the bolt threads for that retainer. Ugh. I don’t want to pull the engine.

Is it worth a shot to drain all the fluid, degrease the ends of the bolts inside the case and try to seal them with RTV or thread sealant from the inside? Or is it too little room to get to bottom bolt(s)?
 
I never got email reply from VP sales and I get it, they are busy. I called them this morning to discuss which gear oil they recommend as well as to discuss my leakage. They recommended Sta-lube’s 140w or 75w90 but also said it’s getting harder to find. I went to my local NAPA store and they are getting me a gallon of the 140w. I couldn’t remember how much the ****** took plus I figured after my buddy’s employee discount I wouldn’t be too much more.

Also I drained all the 600w oil from the case, unbolted the top shifter and popped it off to take a look at the rear bearing retainer bolt holes to see if I could degrease them and smear some black RTV on the inside of the case BUT low and behold I put enough RTV on the retainer that I can see that it sealed the bolts too. Now I am thinking I may have leakage at the back end of the countershaft or idler shaft.
 
NONE of my old Ford transmissions leak at all since the cases now have O ring grooves in the perfect locations. No goop for me, just a little gear oil on the O rings prior to inserting the shafts, Lock pin stays dry. The case has several very large openings, and I don't believe the small grooves make any difference to the strength of the case. If you are racing with one of these, you are just asking for trouble, get something stronger. I am using Redline GL4 MT line (manual transmission) in the gear boxes, GL5 in the rear ends.
 
Well I just got home from picking up my engine hoist so I can pull engine/trans to try to find leak from the rear of the trans.

Thinking out loud, is it possible that the John Deere corn head grease is leaking (although not sure JD grease can liquify) from the torque tube/Ujoint clam shell and some how looks like the transmission gear oil leak?
 
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