Drain plug in clutch housing?

T

Tim B.

Senior Member
There's been quite a bit of discussion lately about making sure the bellhousing drain hole is clear and that a cotterpin is installed. I'm finishing up on my "while you are there you might as well do list" and crawled under to adjust the clutch and checked the drain hole in the bell housing & I found a sizable bolt that looks like a drain plug where I expected a small hole. Not sure why its there & whether to pull it or drill it to allow it to weep. Am I correct to assume there was a drain hole directly at the bottom of the bell housing? Anyone know of any farmer fixes that would have installed bolt in this location? I assume the bell housing was tapped but don't know for sure and don't want to undo something and have to pull the transmission now that I've got thecar back together. Car is a 29 Tudor, 31 engine of questionable lineage but purrs like a kitten. thanks Tim
 
Interesting. I would guess that someone must have thought that it shouldn't be dripping out of the hole and tapped it and put a plug in. I would get it opened up again. If it is a big plug then drilling and tapping a hole large enough for a cotter pin would be one way to go. I wouldn't want too large of a hole left there for dirt and grime to get in.
Pictures of it???
 
Its probably only speculation why someone would drill and tap that hole. It doesn't need to be, or shouldn't be, unless maybe its being used for crossing cricks or oceans.
I doubt the cotter is really needed today due to the big change in road quality, but, since its supposed to be there why not put it these when the opportunity arises.
 
I think Greg is probably right. Previous owner probably dropped something. He was big on farmer fixes. If the nut had enough thread to not fall off he was good to go and if the axle key was broken & too short nothing a few washers on the wheel lugs wouldn't take care of!

Plug is as big as (and similar to) the oil pan drain plug. Would take the mother of all cotterpins fo fill the hole if I pulled it. I checked the bell housing from the top and no puddle of oil. I pulled the dipstick to make sure there was oil in the engine to make sure that wasn't the reason there wasn't any in the bell housing. It was full so I think for now I will not mess with anything.

Thanks for the feedback. Tim
 
That hole is needed because there is no seal at the rear main bearing. Instead there is a tube on the flywheel side of the bearing boss that drains leakage back into the oil pan. Some can drain into the bell housing though, especially if the car is driven up a steep grade. Or if it was a farm truck that unloaded its grain at an elevator that tipped up the whole truck at one time.
A few years back I sold a 1930 Tudor to a guy out-of-state. He contracted a car hauler to pick it up. The trucker showed up with a semi-trailer car hauler that would hold six cars on two levels and insisted on putting the Model A on the top level, last position to the rear. It was painful watching him try 8 times to drive the Tudor up the steep ramp. Finally he had me put a 4x4 behind the rear wheel when it was as far up the ramp as he could drive, smoking the clutch, beating the poor thing almost to death. Then he winched it up the rest of the way.
This thread reminded me of that situation because oil was streaming out the bell housing drain hole as he was blasting up the steep ramp. I got a call from the buyer after delivery saying that the engine was shot and the clutch was also slipping bad, problems that weren't there before it got on the car hauler. Not happy. Neither one of us.
So that hole is important. I would not leave the plug in place or you may find that your clutch suddenly is full of oil and not working too well. Or you could also just drill a 1/4" hole through the plug for drainage.
 
Appreciate the info. I plan to drill a hole just wasn't ready for another adventure today. Brought the car home 2 years a go & figured I'd check the brakes and check the bearings and frontend before putting the family in the car, glad I did. I was just finishing up the last of the loose ends so I can finally put it on the road, Off the jackstands and into the sunlight tomorrow. Thanks to all. Tim
 
Is the hole in the bottom of the bell housing or the bottom of the flywheel housing? The latter should have a cotter pin in it; the former shouldn't be there at all.
 
"Is the hole in the bottom of the bell housing or the bottom of the flywheel housing? The latter should have a cotter pin in it; the former shouldn't be there at all."

Its the one with the hole in it that has the cotter pin in the hole. :)
 
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