VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc torque tube seal

I have a 35 1.5 ton chevy truck with a closed drive shaft and need two ball tube seals 2 inch inside dia. anyone have a clue as to where I can get them OEM or other thanks

Filling Station part number FS-125 should work. It's the same one I used on my '38 car. The listing says car or truck-all. You also should be able to get it at your FLAPS and save the shipping.

are half ton and one and a half ton the same seals

If the ball tube seals you are referring to are similar to the 1/2 ton trucks, with the round screw-on packing nut, you can use a 1-7/8" X 2-1/8" X 1/8" O-ring to seal the joint.

Note that the ball tube has a slight chamfer on the ID at the back end. When the O-ring is squeezed into this chamfer by the packing nut, it seals between the ID of the ball tube and the OD of the torque tube snout. However, because the ball tubes are a two-piece assembly, welded together at the factory, you have to smooth and blend the welds in the ID of the ball tube at the back end where the chamfer is, so the O-ring has a smooth, continuous surface to seal against. It doesn't have to be perfectly round, just so it's smooth with no bumps or grooves from the welds. A Dremmel tool with a small stone works well for this.

If you use the O-ring, you need to leave the original felt packing assembly (a felt packing ring sandwiched between two steel washers or slip rings) in place to serve as a filler piece to push against the O-ring.

To assemble, grease the snout of the torque tube and the O-ring. Slide the packing nut (with the original packing assembly inserted) onto the snout of the torque tube, followed by the O-ring. Then slide the ball tube over the snout of the torque tube. Bring the O-ring and packing nut up to the ball tube and screw the packing nut on hand-tight, so the ball tube will slide easily on the torque tube snout. After the U-joint and ball tube collar are made up, tighten the packing nut as tight as you can get it with your hand--no tools. This should seal the joint leak-tight for many miles.

You may be able to get the O-ring at a regular hardware store, or, for sure, a hydraulic supply or repair shop will have it.

Mark

I feel bad that you did agreat explanation of replacing the seal, But I must not be on the same page. or even better know what I'm talking about The seals I'm refering to are the ones for the u joint shaft assy,between the trans and rear drive shaft tube they consist of u joints and ball tube On my ball tube the end has a cork seal about 2 inches inside dia.that must slide when suspention moves I can send a pm picture as I dont know how to do it on this site

That's the seal he's referring to. Have you purchased a repair manual? One source.

I have used O-rings for both the seal on the ball end (replacing the wedge shaped cork) and the torque tube end. I have sandwiched an O-ring between the metal plates that originally held the cork seal. Get my O-rings from Motion Industries (an industrial bearing supplier).

yea Tiny I do have a repair book but don't see a way to remove the seal other than picking out the old cork seal, is that how they come, just the cork and not a metal ring like the modern seals come. I have a bearing place close by I'll see if they have seals. does anybody sell the cork seals yet. thanks chipper

I keep rereading marks post but mine does not have a packing nut, it just slides over torque tube,I think the cork holds the oil in. mine is for the bigger trucks. and how much oil should be put in and what kind

I have one of those ball tubes without the screw-on packing nut. I bought it as a spare for my truck and didn't realize there were two different types of tubes. Mine is an aftermarket part made by Balkamp. It appears that the rear retaining lip that holds the cork ring in place was rolled over at the factory, after the cork ring was installed. I don't see any way of replacing the cork ring on this tube that I have. The ideal fix might be to machine the rear retaining lip out, then make a press fit bushing with a radial groove to carry a 1/8" O-ring and press it into the back of the tube. When the O-ring wears out, you'd just have to pick it out of the groove and install a new one. The problem is, these ball tubes present an interesting challenge in how to hold them for machining the rear end of the tube. By time you paid to have the tube bored and a bushing made, you'd have quite a bit of money tied up in the repair.

Thanks Mark I see your point I think when the seal needs replacing its time to replace the whole thing, kind of like it is now when time to replace buy more than you need. there is a kit from obsolete chevy parts, I'll let you now if it works.