Do you have an open driveline of a torque tube? I seem to remember 54 being the beginning year for open drivelines. There should be a fair number of the SM-318 open driveline transmissions available for a swap instead of digging into yours and repairing it.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!