Stovebolt.com Forums The Shop Area Driveline Torque Tube oil leak

Good evening guys!

Just throwing this out for some discussion.

So, back in the summer when I pulled the 235 engine out of my 54 Chevy pickup for overhaul, before reinstalling it, I cleaned up the torque tube and when the engine / tranny went back in, I installed a new gasket in the torque tube u joint bell, and new packing in the retainer with the 2 metal washers on both sides.

Got everything back together and drove the truck a few times and the torque tube was dry as a bone, then I had a transmission problem and had to replace it recently, and since getting everything back together and driving it a couple hundred miles, I now have a leak at the u-joint bell retainer.

Not sure if I should unscrew it and try to see what's going on, but looking for some thoughts.

Thanks!!

Kevin

Is it leaking at the ball or the knurled nut which you have circled?

Hey Carl!

Sorry if I wasn't very clear. It's leaking at the knurled nut where the packing and 2 metal washers is. The question is, how would you address this leak, since everything is new?

Kevin.

Mine did this and I grabbed a pair of large channel lock pliers and tightened it a little more. Now my 216 provides all the ground markings saying I have been there.

Chris

That part is called a Torque Tube Retainer. U-joint ball assembly
The ball seat in the photo is for the Hydra-Matic and Powerglide trans.
The manual trans ball seat is machined into the Tail Housing.
Manual trans. uses a 4 bolt hole ball collar.
HM & PG trans use a 6 bolt hole ball collar.

There are several reasons why the Torque Tube Retainers start to leak.
1. Missing O-Ring steel washers, 2 are required Picture and HERE
2. Retainer is not threaded on tight.
3. End of Torque Tube is scored and is tearing oil seal.
4. End of Torque Tube O.D. is wore down. Look at slides 35 thru 46 GM film strip.
5. Universal Ball housing I.D. is wore down. Replace
6. Oil seal does not have enough sponge tension to keep the Retainer tight. Rubber oil seals have better sponge tension than cork.

Tightening the retainer makes the seal bulge, pushing down onto the end of the torque tube, making a seal.
When the rubber or cork oil seals gets old and hard, they loose tension and don't bulge any more, and there
is no longer any back pressure on the threads, which keeps the retainer cap from loosening.

Parts illustration
Graphite grease might help
Torque Tube in Living Color

There is also a lot of down pressure at the u-joint ball housing / torque tube
connection from weight, torque and when applying the brakes.
You could give the ball housing a Girdle
Picture 1 , Picture 2, Picture 3, Picture 4
It clamps around the tail of the U-Joint ball housing and the torque tube.
Its soul purpose was to prevent the torque tube from drooping/sagging downward.
But that's a band aid.

check attachment

xfiles

Awhile back someone mentioned that National #327 O-ring might fit the bill. Haven't tried it but maybe someone else has.

It seems I read somewhere one time about using an o-ring. When I replaced all the gaskets recently, I just used that cork gasket in the retainer between the 2 washers and it was leak free until I had to remove the transmission and apparently when I put it back together this time, it went to leaking.

Kevin

Because parts of that whole assembly are prone to leaking, especially when doing a "reseal" with used seals/gaskets, whenever I disconnect the enclosed driveline at the u-joint, I spend the $$ on the gasket kit:

https://www.classicparts.com/1935-54-U-Joint-Ball-Gasket-Seals/productinfo/92-111/

The seal at the knurled nut on the tube is compressed by tightening the knurled nut, making a tight seal. Unless the seal is cracked, just tightening the knurled nut will stop your leak.

I agree, once the seal has been broken, you are better off to start fresh again.
Sad but true.


That advice will work only if the seal is still supple.
To bad there isn't away to just replace the retainer oil seal, without removing the the ball housing.

Example: Unscrew retainer cap, slide 1 washer froward, take out old oil seal,
cut and put in new oil seal, slide washer rearward, screw on retainer cap. Done
But you would have to figure out away to reconnect the splice in the oil seal.