The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Universal Ball Cover Removal

Hi Everyone,

Got a question for you, but first the specifics: 1953 3100, 3 speed transmission, torque tube driveline. I am starting the work for removing the dead engine that's in my truck, so that I can replace it with a running 235. After following the procedure outlined in the shop manual, I removed the bolts that hold the universal ball collar and transmission support. I also cleaned the outside of the torque tube that the collar is supposed to slide down. I unscrewed the rear cap on the collar and am unable to move, at all, the collar. The collar does not move back and forth, nor does it spin on the torque tube. No movement at all. I remember reading somewhere (but am unable to find it now) a statement about where to place the jack stands when doing this work. My truck has been up on stands for quite a while and the rear stands are under the rear axle. Will having the weight of the truck on the rear axle prevent the collar from moving? If so, where is a better location for the jack stands? I've also tried using a floor jack to put slight pressure on the torque tube, but did not notice any effect on the collar when I did so. I'm stumped at this point and am open to suggestions.

Thanks!

The collar can sometimes be a bear to slide back. You might want to clean the outside of the torque tube up near the collar so it has no grime or grit to compete with when sliding it back. You will want to support the front end of the torque tube when disconnecting it from the transmission. I've used a bottle jack, or chain which is wrapped around both left and right frame rails, supporting the TT. I always raise the front end of the TT up til it's just touching the bottom side of the bed.

Good advice. I have a small scar above my eye as evidence of what happens if you don't.
The deed happened back in the late '60's when I was changing out the tranny on a '54 Chevy Station Wagon. The torque tube was under tension from the springs, sprung loose, bounced off my head and rebounded back toward the u-joint.

Put some stands under the springs themselves or the frame. The torque tube itself isn't too heavy as it's such a long arm when you disconnect but you'll want a stand or blocks to rest it on instead of the ground/floor. I could be wrong but it shouldn't fall until the u-joint is disconnected.

It will slide. Clean the tube shaft and lightly grease. Make sure the cap is all the way loose and off the ball collar. It may help to free it up on the transmission by putting some light upward pressure on it from a jack and block of wood. It maybe stuck there too and add a few light taps all around it. Wouldn't hurt to squirt some penetrating oil around the seal at the end of the cap area too loosen up the leather seal.

Tom’s advice is excellent

I would like to emphasize his first suggestion: “Clean the tube shaft and lightly grease.”
And, suggest that you clean until shiney?

Ok, so it sounds like:

1. move the jack stands from the rear axle to the frame
2. clean the torque tube a lot more, grease it when clean and lubricate the screw cap end to loosen up the leather inside
3. try some pressure from a floor jack and block of wood on the collar to try to loosen it
4. maybe some love taps from a dead blow hammer
5. support the torque tube with the floor jack when splitting the u joint

I won't have time to get into the garage until Friday, weather permitting. So there is still time to add to my list. I really want to get this done so that I can move on to transmission removal and ultimately engine removal. Thanks for the help so far! Wish me luck....

I’ll post a couple pictures tomorrow where I had mine apart last summer sometime. They’re too big on my phone to post right now.

A couple pictures of the pieces involved in case you haven't seen it apart before.

Thanks! I haven't seen it apart before, so this is helpful to me. I'm hopeful that I can get out into the garage tomorrow to try to move my ball cover and press on with my other tasks.

Beg, borrow, or steal the largest channel lock type of wrench too.

For what? He’s already got the rear cap off as he explained it. I have rubber jawed pliers that work great on items like that and don’t scar it up.

Edit: Oh, for the ball itself?

If you can rent, borrow, or buy a strap wrench, wrap the strap around the ball housing just ahead of the threads and twist it back and forth as you pull backwards. A pipe wrench will do the same thing, but the strap wrench won't put big gouges in the tube. I've also used a vise grip chain wrench to get a grip on the tube.
Jerry

A Strap wrench is handy

The strap wrench was the answer. In fact, it was silly how easy it made the job. The collar and cover are now back as far as they can go and the torque tube is raised up as high as it can go and supported with a 2x4 between the frame rails.

The difficulty that I am now having is getting the transmission to slide far enough back to clear the clutch housing. I don't need much more room, but it seems like I might need some. I'm thinking of lowering the torque tube to clear it out of that space and then raising it again, once the transmission is out. Any thoughts/ideas/suggestions on getting the transmission clear of the clutch housing?

On a positive note, the oil that I drained from the transmission was black, but had no signs of moisture in it nor could I find any metal shavings. Based on that, I don't plan to open it up. Just clean it up and reinstall it when I'm ready.

Where are your jack stands located- - - - -axle housing or frame? A friend back in high school was pulling the trans of his 47 Fleetline 2-door to change the clutch, and unbolted the torque tube with the rear end supported by concrete blocks, not jack stands. That put some pretty severe down pressure on the tube. The torque tube slammed down when he unbolted the U joint, and pinned him under it, and then one of the cinder blocks broke. He got away with a few broken ribs and some pretty colorful bruises, and a whole new respect for the weight of a car! Be sure your frame is supported, with the rear end hanging free before you start manipulating the torque tube up and down.
Jerry

Jerry,

Thanks for the heads up. I'll move my jack stands from the rear axle to the frame. Does it make a difference where on the frame that I put them? Sounds like a stupid question, but this is my first time doing this kind of work, so it is a sincere question.

Thanks!

The position doesn't really matter- - -just be sure the springs aren't carrying the weight of the vehicle. With the way torque tube rear axles are pivoted at the spring mount, there can be a considerable amount of downforce exerted on the tube under some conditions. Since it's already disconnected the danger is probably minimal, but if you're going to be moving the tube up and down, it's better to err on the side of caution! Pivoting the axle tubes on the jack stands can also add an unwanted hazard.
Jerry

The jack stands are now located on the frame rails. The truck sits so much lower with them off of the axle! It really cuts down on my movement under the truck. Oh well, no turning a blind eye to safety!

Anyway, it looks like I'll still need to lower the torque tube to make space for the rear of the transmission. As it sits right now, there isn't enough space to move the transmission backward so that the input shaft can clear the clutch cover. If I'm missing something, please someone, chime in! This is all a first for me. I've never separated a u joint, removed a transmission or an engine. So all hints/tips are welcome.

Thanks for all the help so far! This is the year to make my old truck move under its own power!

If you have the rear end off the ground, and jack stands under the rear frame (raising/holding the frame), you can disconnect the torque-tube/u-joint and slide the rear yoke rearwards.

Then, raise the torque-tube out of the way (I use a 2x4 between the frame side-rails to raise/hold the torque-tube completely/safely upwards).

Then, you can remove/install any original 3-sp/4-sp transmission, and easily lower the torque tube (with a jack) and install the u-joint, etc.

How tall are your jack stands? I've always used the "5 ton" capacity ones that have a fully extended height of around 2 feet. If more height is needed for some reason, I usually use pieces of 2X8 or 2X10 lumber cut into lengths big enough to span beyond the stand base legs by a few inches and place two of them side by side to give a solid base for the stand. Stack up a couple of layers or more if necessary. If the surface you're working on is gravel or grass instead of concrete, having that steady base is really important. When I was working on Ed Pruss' big GMC 530 which was too big to fit into my shop comfortably, I fabricated stand bases like that and even assembled them permanently with screws and 2X4 cross braces. They have come in handy several times since then.
Jerry

I faintly remember that when I replaced the rear yoke on my truck I had to remove the rear crossmember.
The rear yoke was twisted off just below the fork portion of the rear yoke.
The rear yoke was jammed tight into the torque tube.
The only way to gain access to the end of the torque tube was to remove the crossmember.
I then was able to lower the torque tube and clamp a vise grip on the busted off piece.
I had to pound on the vise grip pretty hard to get the busted off piece out.

I remember that the repair manual did not specify to remove the crossmember when
replacing the u-joint assembly, but it was a heck of a lot easier to do the job with it out of the way.
It would really help removing the crossmember when removing the transmission..
To remove, I think there are four bolts on each end of the crossmember, at the frame rails..

The last picture: Air conditioned garage with really nice jack stands.

xfiles

Mr. Jorb, was your driveshaft splines buggered up too or did you get away with out tearing into the torque tube and rear end and doing a complete driveline R&R? BTW, I really like your shop, nice and big and look at all those lifts!

The propeller shaft splines and ring & pinion gears where good to go.
Believe it or not, even the front torque tube bushing that the busted off piece was jammed into was still good.

As for the shop, at the time, it was newly built and it helped that the guy that owns it, is a antique automobile fanatic.
It would be nice to own just one of those hydraulic lifts.

Attached: Picture is of the crossmember being removed.

xfiles

I've been following this conversation for the last 2 days, and it has helped me a lot.
Introduction: I have a 1940 1/2 ton truck which I acquired of an old gent who restored it in 1983. I have just fitted new Coker tyres and was giving it a run on Sunday when it developed a terrible vibration when moving off & accelerating. I have dropped the rear cross member, slid the ball back and saw that the retaining screws of the UJ had broken off on one side. All is now removed, and I have the following questions. I assume that there is a seal in the torque tube where the yoke slides in. Am I right? I also now need to acquire a new uni joint with retaining caps & bolts. Are these available? I am in Australia.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Riggles,
Your ujoint is readily available and fits 1/2 ton trucks from 1940 to 1954, there is a pair of bushings and a seal in the torque tube as well. Usually it is only needed to extract the bushing from the end of the torque tube and leave the inner bushing and seal in place then purchase an Oakie bushing to install to the front of the torque tube. Here is a pic of one:
https://www.fillingstation.com/detail/10200/Chevrolet_194050_TORQUE_TUBE_BUSHING_SEAL.html

There is an extraction tool that allows you to remove the outer bushing without disassembling the driveshaft or rear end:
https://www.fillingstation.com/cart/

And finally your ujoint:

https://www.fillingstation.com/detail/4114/Chevrolet_19401954_UNIVERSAL_JOINT_REPAIR_KIT.html

This is a really good company and I'm betting they can get your parts to you the most inexpensive way too.


Cheers,
Steve

When installing a new oakie bushing - make sure that the bushings are compatible with the propeller shaft and the u joint yoke. Although some vendors advertise this oakie bushing for certain model years, the inside diameters of the oakie bushing may require honing to fit.

Check this fit before installing into your torque tube. It will save you from taking it apart and removing the new oakie bushing to hone it. If you are not familiar with this its easy to do - purchase a small diameter hone at a local auto parts store and place it in your electric drill chuck. May take about 10 minutes to do this.

Thanks very much for your help so far, as most of this is new to me. (I'm more used to playing with old motorbikes).
I have got all the front bits out-UJ, yoke off the end of the gearbox, etc. I am now assuming that I need to remove the outer tube to get to the seals & bushes? At the moment, all I see is the splined end of the tailshaft inside the small section of the tube. Where do I go from here?
I am pretty handy at most mechanical work, but I should invest in a w/shop manual? If I get it all good, my boys will not have too many problems when I go to the big truckstop in the sky!
I have recently imported a pickup bed from Jim Carter, which will replace the flat top (tray) shortly. It is at the paint shop at the moment. The plan is to have it all finished by Easter, for a rally.
Many thanks for your patience & help.

The manual is must. This is a relatively straightforward common sense repair and rebuild - using basic tools and sometimes a BFH. Devestechnet.com is a help as well as the Tech tip written here by some experienced Bolter's. For me, it was best to remove and rebuild the driveline with all new wear parts (seals, bearings etc) , including the axles, differential, and the torque tube seals and bushings on my bench. I did this for my 50 Suburban and current 41 truck project. If you have an email address I can send you some pictures of the process. I'll check your profile.

Others will chime in here too.

Tom, your blood is worth bottling!
[email protected] will get to me.
The little truck was restored in 1983 and driven for about 40,000 miles before I acquired it. Modifications include the fitting of a '55 Blue Flame motor, 4 speed gear box and a power brake booster.
If I've pushed the right buttons, there should be a picture of my "little red truck".
Many thanks again.

Something else I need to know- is there a downloadable workshop manual that someone can recommend, or a CD or Book type manual that will cover the 1940 I/2 ton truck?
Many thanks for your continued help.

Here is a website the has a lot of manuals to view.
OLD ONLINE CHEVY MANUALS

They don't have a shop manual for 1940 trucks but they do for the 1938 and 1941 trucks, which are very close to your 1940 if not the same.

1940 CHEVROLET TRUCK OWNER'S MANUAL

1938 Chevrolet Shop Manual for All Passenger Cars and Trucks

1941 Chevrolet Shop Manual for Passenger Cars and Trucks

On the same website there is a lot of info in the Chevrolet Master Parts and Accessories Catalogs also.

1916 - 1929 Chevrolet Parts for Four Cylinder Models (Effective July 1, 1940)

1929 - 1932 Chevrolet Master Parts Price List for Six Cylinder Models

1929 - 1941 Chevrolet Master Parts Price List (Six-Cylinder Models)

1929 - 1954 Master Parts and Accessories Catalog

1929 - 1957 Chevrolet Master Parts & Accessories Catalog

1939 Chevrolet Accessories - Modern to the Minute Brochure

1951 Chevrolet Accessories Manual

1952 Chevrolet Ready Reference Time Saver

1956 Chevrolet Accessories Price List

1958 Chevrolet Parts and Accessories Catalog

You will want to check out Brad Allen's Original GM Salesmen & Mechanics Training Film Strips they are a treasure trove of info.
Note: Under the Album tab there are two pages, scroll to bottom of page, to view page 2.
Most of the film strips were produced using black & white film.

Most of the parts vendors sell these reproduction manuals.

Also, check Jim Carter Truck Parts and Chevs of the 40s.

I've ordered a Shop Manual from Jim Carter, so I should have that in 7-10 days. From what I have read so far, I assume I have to dismantle the diff, withdraw the tail shaft, then remove the old bushings & seals. I then can insert the new type Oakie Bush & seal. It obviously is inserted from the g/box end of the tube.
Am I on the right track? Thanks for all the help so far.

Installing the new OKie Bushing assembly (so named as they were invented and produced in Oklahoma by National Machine Works, Inc), you don't need to disassemble the rear end or pull the OE rear bushing and seal (assuming there isn't already an old Okie bushing installed). For the earlier models like yours, the ball housing is removed, the universal joint disconnected and slid off the driveshaft, the dowel pin holding the front bushing is removed, and the front bushing is driven out using the slot in the torque tube for access. For the later press-fit torque tube bushings (no slot in the torque tube), Jim Carter and Chev's of the 40's have a puller for the OE front bushing that works with the driveshaft in place. Once the front bushing is driven out or pulled, the Okie bushing inserts. It sits in front of the original rear bushing and seal, so they don't have to be pulled. One side benefit of this is that the new seal in the Okie bushing assembly rides on a "fresh" section of the driveshaft.

When installing, be careful that the splines on the driveshaft (which can have sharp edges) don't cut the new seal. Chev's of the '40's has downloadable instructions that appear to be copied from the original National Machine info, as they show the original patent number (2403520). The instructions suggest filing the edges of the splines to remove the sharp edges. Even more trivia... if you want to look at the patent, it's here: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2403520.pdf

More important, there are 3 sizes of the Okie bushings being reproduced, AFAIK. Chev's of the 40's has the ODs listed. Make sure you get the correct one by the dimensions (there have been people in various forums who had issues after receiving the wrong size bushing assembly, or bad repro's made in India that were slightly off in dimension).

Here's a good post that shows the bushings for various model years: https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1024864

This is motivating me to install the Okie bushing I have on the shelf for my '53!

Here is a non-photobucket linked POST of the same photos, I also have modified and added more photos.
The 1st photo in the post, is the front & rear yoke and u-joint, used with 4 speed transmissions that use a torque tube.

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.
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.

If you have a dowel pin holding in your front bushing you don't need the front bushing puller.
Just drill out the dowel pin and fabricate a hook to pull out the front bushing.
The old rear bushing and oil seal stays inside torque tube.

The below info may or may not apply.
I don't think your 1940 I/2 ton truck has the elongated slot on the Torque Tube.
The elongated slot is on the top of the Torque Tube facing the underside of the cab.
You wouldn't see it until you slide the ball housing off.

The Filling Station’s
Chevrolet Tech Article
Torque Tube Bushing Replacement Shows elongated slot on Torque Tube
The benefit of this was the ability to replace bushings & oil seal while Torque Tube remained in truck.
My hunch is the reason they did away with the slot was to eliminate oil leaks or to gain strength in the Torque Tube.

1934 Chevrolet Repair Manual
Slot in Torque tube Lower RH corner of page.

jorb & drdoug, you blokes have made my day! I've been trying to find an old mechanic who may have worked on these vehicles, but no go at present. I will crawl under the truck tomorrow & see what I can find in the way of slots, dowel pins, etc.
I am a retired civil engineer by trade, and also managed a large earthmoving fleet so I spent a good deal of time in the workshop watching, listening & learning. An old boss once told me that anyone could do any job, as long as they were shown the right way. You people have done just that, so I feel confident of tackling the job now.
As I have previously posted, I have purchased a step side pickup bed from Jim Carter, the panels are at the paint shop at the moment, and I am hoping to have it all together by Easter. I'll stick a picture on the forum when it's done.
Once again, many thanks for all your help & advice.

You are welcome. Keep in mind, if there is a slot in the torque tube, it will be inside the ball housing, so you won't see it (or the dowel pin) until the ball housing is removed.

Riggles,
I did this job maybe 15+ years ago. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Lots of help here.

In This illustration
After removing the front torque tube bushing or rear yoke bushing.
I noted to weld the dowel pin hole or fill with epoxy (liquid steel) to close it.
If you weld the hole closed, do not weld with the Okie bushing sleeve in the torque tube.
Otherwise you might not be able to remove the sleeve for repairs later on.

Closing the hole is just to help prevent oil leaks. The ball housing will cover the hole anyways.
Also you may have to use the hole to dowel pin & peen the sleeve in place, if it isn't sufficiently tight. Read # 5 attached

xfiles