transmission shaft retainer bar

[Jim M]

My 1929 roadster is leaking transmission fluid over night. In checking it out it appears to be coming from the shaft retainer bar. There was a lot of blue silicone around the nut and over the bar. I cleaned it off and removed the bolt and bar. Transmission fluid came out for a while and there was not a lot of fluid on the floor when it eventually stopped. There was no gasket under the bar and in checking my Les Andrews manual it does not appear to have one. Any ideas on how to stop this leak? Is the transmission over filled? I did not take out the fill plug to see if anything came out it. Any ideas how to stop the leak or is this just part of the beast. Thanks, Jim

[Tom Endy]

Most of the suppliers sell a small casting that fits over the end of the two shafts. It is an after market Band-Aid, but it works.

The other option is to remove the transmission and replace the two shafts (cluster and idler) with ones that have been modified with an O-ring at the back end. Most suppliers carry them.

Tom Endy

[JohnLaVoy]

Make sure the vent hole in the shift tower is open and not painted closed. If not open you will build up pressure and the fluid is forced out the shafts causing the leak you are experiencing.

[Rowdy]

The main problem with the repop shafts is they only sell them with the notches for the thinner, later 30-31 retainer. Not sure why the suppliers don't make them for the earlier, thicker retainer bar. Will be looking for NOS or NORS shafts with the wider notches some time in the future. Rod

[Jacksonlll]

John, where is the vent hole in the cover?

[Mike V. Florida]

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Originally Posted by Jacksonlll

John, where is the vent hole in the cover?

There is a small vent hole on the backside of the
tower just above the floor level. The hole is prone to
plugging up with debris. Check this hole
periodically and make sure it is kept open. When
the hole is plugged it will allow pressure to build up
inside the transmission, which may cause oil to be
forced out the rear of the transmission past the main
shaft bearing, the cluster shaft, and the reverse idler
shaft.

[Roger V]

As an aside, I would like to know how anyone can install the new shafts with the groove and O ring without shearing the O ring due to sharp edges of the groove as well as the hole in the case? Since it was originally intended for the cluster shaft to be installed from the front due to that hole being slightly larger and sealed by the gasket at the bell housing, the O ring would shear inside the case. If you drive the cluster shaft through the rear slightly smaller hole (to help reduce leakage) there's a chance of galling the shaft, opening the hole more, but still shearing the O ring. Looks like you would need a small version of a piston ring compressor........ I guess just silicone the after-market "cap" Tom mentioned 'cept for show.

[Tom Endy]

I use a round or tapered stone on a drill motor and break the sharp edge on the two holes at the back. For installation of the cluster shaft I remove the O-ring and insert the shaft from the front and push is slightly past the back hole and reinstall the O-ring. I coat the hole and the O-ring with Vaseline and use a pair of vice grips clamped onto the shaft and rotate the shaft as it goes in.

I have noticed that some shafts being supplied are slightly larger than the hole and go in very tightly. For these I use a small brake cylinder hone and hone the hole slightly.

I have also noticed that depending on where the shafts came from the groove for the O-ring may not be deep enough. Some can actually push the O-ring off the shaft.

A slight shearing I don't think is a problem.

Tom Endy

[Y-Blockhead]

I used this so called "Band-Aid and haven't seen a drop of oil since. Fits over the ends of the shafts.

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