fordomatic leak from linkage inlet

B

bfdinardo

Member
All,
After a fresh motor rebuild (trans stayed in the car and was not touched) I re-installed and attached the motor back into the car and to the trans. Once all buttoned up I filled with all 3 fluids (oil, trans fluid, coolant) in prep to get her back on the road. the next morning I found a small puddle of trans fluid that was coming from where the linkage arms go into the trans from the gear shifter and what I believe to be the kickdown lever. This leak was not there before the rebuild so not sure what could be causing it? Any ideas if this can be remedied? is there a rubber seal of some sort that could be replaced if I get those arms out? It's a 1956 Fairlane Victoria with fluid cooled FOM. any ideas would be appreciated. thanks very much.

Brian
 

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Re: fordomatic lead from linkage inlet

yes theres a seal there.when you pulled the motor weight must have been on the shifter and damaged it
 
Bear in mind that the proper procedure for filling fluid in a Ford-O-Matic is this: Start engine and leave gear select lever in "Neutral". With engine idling, check fluid level at the dipstick. DO NOT Overfill. Overfilling can result in blown trans seals.
I always run mine with fluid halfway between the "low" and "full" marks on the dipstick. Never had any trouble and they run pretty much maintenance-free for decades. Dexron/Mercon fluid is recommended if type "A" fluid is not available.

Yes there is an O-ring seal at the shift lever. Keep in mind that if a trans sits idle for a long period of time, rubber seals can dry out, even eventually cracking and cause leaks. Among worst offenders is probably the front pump seal and those shift lever O-rings.
 
if you decide to replace seal you will need to drop the pan to access the seal.if you have a manual it should detail the procedure.
 
Before you tear down the trans, try a bottle of Lucas trans seal conditioner. It's magic in a bottle.
 
Thanks for the insights guys! So I noticed that there was a bit of a side load on one of the links so I adjusted the linkages from above and it seemed to stop or significantly slow the leak. That being said, I'll keep an eye on it and consider Lucas trans sealer. It's easy enough to drop the pan so maybe I'll look to replace the seal soon.
 
There is a relatively small seal there for the throttle shaft and a larger seal for the shift shaft but the levers are secured together inside the housing. Stuff can fall out when you withdraw the shafts so a person has to be on the ball about what is there and how it goes back together. Definitely check the oil level. If it's too high, it may leak out from several locations even if the seals are good.

I would get a copy of the Ford-O-Matic manual for your year model or later revision. The Cruise-O-Matic came out in 1958 so it's a dual rage unit but they are still similar. The Ford-O-Matics were around for a while longer until 1959.
http://www.mre-books.com/ford/transmissions/d10170_1956_57_fordomatic_transmission_manual.html
 
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Does anyone know the part numbers of the two linkage seals? throttle shaft seal and manual shaft seal.
 

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IMO ... :rolleyes:

Find a large TRANS SERVICE SHOP in your area. They should have a parts room. Ask if they have or can order the seals so you know you will get quality parts.
 
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