The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Drive shaft removal

Hello everyone -

I have never done anything with the drive train of any vehicle but would like to get my feet wet on something simple.

I have two items I would like to take on. The first is to take off the drive shaft so I can replace the u-joints, clean it up and paint it.
The second, more major,is to replace the gasket between the rear differential carrier and rear axle housing. (It is leaking and the PO has almost covered the entire bottom with a permatex like material)

After spending a lot of time looking at the shop manual(s) I see that there are two bolts holding the drive shaft/u-joint to the companion flange. I assume I need to remove those two bolts to separate the back side from the rear end, but I can not find a diagram showing how to remove the front portion. Is it a spline set-up where the drive shaft (including the u-joint) will slide off of the output shaft? I have seen pictures where the output shaft housing was removed. Does this need to be done?

By the way, this is the stock 3 speed hydramatic transmission. I do not believe it has overdrive.

Anyone have some advice for a newbie?

Thanks!

Ross

It,s been many a year since i,ve seen one of these old Hydra-matics, but I believe the yoke should slide out the same as a manual trans. Someone will correct me if i,m wrong. Remove the nuts from the U-bolts & pry the shaft forward enough for it to separate from the flange. Then slide it out. I believe you should take it to a drive shaft shop to have the u_joints put in. If they are not done right or you damage the tube byou will have vibrations. You can remove the pumpkin & put a new gasket in if you follow the directions. You have to remove the rear cover & The lock pin to remove the spider gear shaft. Remove the rear wheels & drums & slide the axles out a little. If the axle seals are leaking now will be a good time to put them in. You then remove the nuts from the pumpkin & pull it out. It is heavy. If you need more help post it & there are plenty of fellow stove bolters to help.

I thought those old Hydramatics were 4 speeds? Maybe not, it's been a while. All I remember is that they shifted real hard.

I didn,t notice that. Yes they are 4 speeds although a lot of people don,t realize it. The 1-2 shift is real soon & you can hardly feel it. Some models don,t start out in 1st unless you pull the selector down a notch. The 4th is not o-drive though. The 2-3 shift is spaced wide & is rough or slips.

1stproject,

I wouldn't tackle either of these jobs as my virgin flight. They both appear simple, and they sort of are, but only if you already have 'wet feet'. The u-joint R&R is straightforward, but you only get one chance at it. If you flop a needle and don't know it...curtains!

Pulling the third member is easy...but if the thrust pin retaining bolt is broken or frozen...more curtains. If you have a friend who is savvy and has done enough mechanical stuff to know when he is ankle deep in the swamp, see if he can mentor you in exchange for dinner or a bottle of fine California wine. Your enthusiasm for work is admirable, but I don't think these are good starter projects without an advisor close by.

Stuart

1stproject,

On second thought, maybe the Stovebolt could be your cyber-advisor...If you had doubts about a certain facet of the project, ask the folks here. Grab your wrenches and git to gittin!

Stuart

atomarc -

Thanks for the wisdom!

I have been studying up on both. I am still looking at the actual pieces and comparing notes. I want to be sure I am not going to screw up something before I jump in.

What do you mean "flop a needle" in regards to the u-joint replacement?

It looks to me like I can unbolt the carrier, slide the shaft forward to disconnect the rear end. It then looks like the front u-joint is attached to the yoke, which is then attached to the output shaft via slines. I have come to the conclusion that the front yoke/u-joint should then slide backward off of the output shaft. If I do it, I am planning on marking the yoke position in relation to the shaft

What do you think?

I do have a friend who will come by and help me with the third member.

Ross

I GOT IT!

I was able to remove the drive shaft with the u-joints and the yoke. I also pressed out the U joints with some sockets and my bench vise.(Boy that was was scary!)

I am now cleaning the shaft and the yoke so I can paint them and then I will reinstall them. Sounds like I have done the easy part and I know to be very careful putting in the new joints and reattaching.

I can not believe I have gotten this far! Oh yeah! I will let everyone know how it goes puttin it back together.

Thanks for everyone's advice!

Ross