I used to make a point of checking trans fluid every now and then. One day it was empty so I checked the differential fluid and it came pouring out. The seal had gone. My nightmare.
Got the Okie assembly and pulled out the original bushing and drove in the assembly using an old u-joint shaft.
It was not a difficult job but when you are lying on your back on a concrete floor in winter it is a pain and time consuming. I found that if I took out the transmission cross-member (4 bolts each side) it was easier.
That was about 10 years ago and I forgot a lot of what I did but do know that if I do it again I will try to get it on a hoist. Having said all this I sort of lost faith in the seal and I would again check the fluid in the trans more frequently and it seemed okay.
Lately I have been finding a lot of gear oil under the trans and don't know where it is coming from. The differential is normal. It could be where the paper shims bolt to the ball housing, the large O-ring on the front of the ball housing or the smaller O-ring inside the knurled knob.
I believe it states in the shop manual that several paper shims/gaskets should be used to assess the movability of the u-joint assembly in the ball housing. I used the maximum number specified - 4.
I understand that the reason for the paper shims is if it is leaking at that point one can loosen the attachment bolts and literally tear out a shim at a time. This is supposed to tighten the leaking seal.
In my case I have leaked fluid at various spots on the transmission case. It could be somewhere else and moved to the lowest point. It seems like I will have to investigate those areas and this time I have access to a hoist.
Last edited by Sedgewick; 08/22/2016 3:10 AM.
