The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline HELP! Transmission fluid leaking into the rear end.

HELP! I have a 1949 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup that is leaking transmission through the drive shaft into the rear end. What would be causing this? Every time I take it out on the road I have to drain the rear end, and fill the transmission. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

At the forward end of the torque tube is a bushing/bearing, and, behind that bushing/bearing is a seal.

There are two ways to fix this, but the easiest way is to use an Okie bushing that pushes back the original bushing and seal - here is installation diagram/instructions from Jim Carter.

Wait to hear from others on this.

The other way to fix it requires taking the torque-tube rear end apart (remove gears and drive shaft).

Google "okie bushing installation" and you'll see what Tim's referring to.

You only have to remove the front bushing to install the Okie bushing/seal. The original rear seal/bushing is 6 inches back, but the Okie bushing/seal is 5 3/4, so you'll end up with both in there. Disclaimer, my truck is a '52 so there may be a slight diff in dimensions.

Look around, you should be able to get the Okie plus the tool to remove the old front bushing for less than $200. One vendor was about $90 for the bushing and $65 for the puller if memory serves.

Relatively easy if you've been into the driveline of one these trucks a time or two. Even if you haven't but can follow instructions, are patient and use common sense it shouldn't be a problem.

I have corrected my earlier post and added a link to installation instructions.

Here is another set of okie bushing installation instructions from The Filing Station.

I think you are lucky because the Oakie bushing assemblies have become available from the vendors again, I believe. They have officially been out of stock for years.

In the front end of the torque tube there are two bushings and a oil seal. Picture A
The bushing on the very front end of the torque tube is for the rear u-joint yoke to ride on.
Just before where the torque tube diameter becomes larger (Picture B ) there is another bushing for the propeller shaft to ride on.
On the back end side of the propeller shaft bushing there is a oil seal.
The oil seal is at the end of the line in the torque tube, its sole purpose is to prevent tranny gear lube from entering the rear axle.

There are two ways to fix the problem
The Okie bushing sleeve way or the GM stock setup way.
The Okie bushing was created by the long gone National Machine Works Inc in Oklahoma, hence the name Okie.
It shortened the time and effort to repair the torque tube bushings and oil seal.
If you did it the way GM did it, you would remove the entire torque tube from the rear axle housing.
Remove ring & pinion gears.
Pull out the propeller shaft from the torque tube.
Use special tools to remove and replace the bushings and oil seal.
Then reassemble everything. Pain in the Butt.
With the Okie bushing you just pull out the front bushing.
Then from the front of the torque tube you push in the Okie bushing sleeve, which has the Front bushing,
Rear bushing & Oil seal inside the sleeve. Less Work.
You leave the old rear bushing and oil seal in the torque tube.

Okie bushing sleeve way Pic 1
GM stock setup way Pic 2

The 1949 Chevrolet 3100 Pickup bushings were slip fit and dowel pinned to keep them from spinning inside the torque tube.
If you go the Okie bushing sleeve way, you need to drill out the front yoke bushing dowel pin.
Fabricated some kind of hook and slide it between the bushing and propeller shaft and hooked the back side of the front bushing and slide it out.
You might need a bushing puller if it is in tight.

Where to find Okie bushing sleeve & bushing puller Vapinc.com or gennieshifter.com (same company)

GM Film Strip 1952 Rear Axle Overhaul 1/2 ton & passenger car The GM stock setup way.

Note: If the Okie bushing sleeve is not sufficiently tight in the torque tube you will have to Dowel Pin it using the existing front yoke dowel pin hole.
If it is sufficiently tight mix up some JB Weld 2 Part Expoxy and fill the unused dowel pin hole.