driveshaft yoke

S

stbart

Junior Member
Hello, I am working on my 56 Mercury Montclair. I replaced the transmission tail seal due to leaking. After driving some miles it is leaking again. I notice that it is not leaking from between the housing and seal, it is leaking from between the yoke and the rubber of the seal. I removed the driveshaft again and inspected the yoke, it does have a wear ring where the seal rides. A couple guys had told me to replace the yoke. The problem I am having is finding a yoke specifically listed for a 56 Mercury.
Has anyone had to replace their yoke on this model car? If so, do you have a company name/part number?
If anyone has any suggestions, I would surely like to hear.

Thank you.
 
If there is a bushing inside the tail shaft casting, to locate the yoke, a speedi-sleeve may not pass thru the bushing
 
Usually the seal leaks because the bushing is worn. Should replace both at the same time. The grooved yoke needs to be replaced also.
 
I am sorry that I forgot to say, I have the Merc-O-Matic transmission. It is a 16 tooth spline. There is no speedi-sleeve on the yoke now, and I don't see any sign of one having been on there. I measured the outside diameter with my caliper to be 1.682. The 1 5/8 sleeve lists the diameter range 1.622 - 1.628. I will try to clean/polish it some more to see if the measurement changes.
 
fordor41 said:
If there is a bushing inside the tail shaft casting, to locate the yoke, a speedi-sleeve may not pass thru the bushing
Click to expand...

That just necessitates driving the sleeve closer the the u-joint. It might be necessary to remove some of the sleeve material prior to installation. That could be a plus because sometimes there is considerable friction. Covering the wear groove is the objective.
 
SKF Speedi-Sleeve

This thin-walled sleeve [0,28 mm (0.011 in.)], developed by SKF, is simply pushed in position over the worn area, providing a counter-face surface that is optimized for radial shaft seals.

There is no shaft disassembly or machining involved and costly downtime is minimized. Since the same sized seal as the original can be used, there is no need to search for other seals, or keep a stock of different sizes.

No special equipment is required since the installation tool is supplied with the sleeve. A mallet and a pair of pliers are all that is needed for the installation.
Click to expand...

Didn't know it existed. THANX! for the heads-up ;)...
 
That 16 tooth spline fits late 40's trucks through the 50's pickups, if you can find one with all the same measurments at yours, new ones can be had.
 
Thank you. I will be checking on the part numbers with the companies. I can't seem to find a speedi sleeve for 1 11/16 inch shaft and I don't know if turning it down to 1 5/8 would be a good idea. I will update with what I find out.
 
No, don't even think about turning it, that would totally defeat the purpose. I have a '97 Dodge/Cummins work truck. It has speedi-sleeves in the front spindles, the rear axles and the engine cranshaft snout. All because the seals have worn a groove into the rotating mass. Speedi-sleeves have a range of what they fit. 1.682 needs to fall within that range. Their website is a mess right now. For some reason I can't get the correct part number based on inches.
 
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well I ordered a speedi sleeve today! Hopefully it will be here in about 5 days. I will report on how it goes for installing and if it cures the ATF leak. Thanks for all the info, I sure appreciate it. It sure makes working on this car a lot more fun when you have others for help and tips and to share in the excitement of fixing things!
 
While you are waiting for it you'll need to source an installation tool. It can be PVC or a metal pipe/tube that will slip over the yoke shaft, the closer the better. You will also need a lubricant to coat the shaft, I use bearing grease.
 
Update: I finally got my speedi sleeve installed. I had a delay because after I received the sleeve that I ordered, I realized that it was not wide enough to have both lips of the seal ride on the sleeve, so I ordered a second one. I measured and installed them so that they are just a hair apart and now each lip of the seal is riding on a sleeve.
Due to rainy weather, I was not able to drive the car today. I am looking forward to seeing if this solves the ATF leak!
 
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