VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Universal ball joint packing 1930 engine&rear

I guess that's what I need to replace to stop the fluid from leaking back to the rear axle. Is this a fairly straight -forward proceedure or are there a few things I should know before jumping in? Figured I'd do a new driveshaft bushing while I'm at it.
Am I correct in assuming that I can do all this by unhooking the ball cap, sliding the spline back and can then get to eveything I need to? I know I need the u-joint gaskets, the seal and bushing and probably rent one of the pullers. Am I forgetting anything?

Hello Verd,
I have not worked on the ball housing, u-joint, propeller shaft bushing and seal yet, so I'm interested same as you to learn. This is what I think needs to be done:
1. Unbolt ball collar and slide ball housing aftward to expose u-joint.
2. Separate u-joint and allow the ball housing/torque tube/propeller shaft with rear half of u-joint to lower away from the transmission. Support torque tube as necessary.
3. Slide the u-joint half and ball housing off the front of the propeller shaft and torque tube and set aside.
4. Pull the propeller shaft out the front of the torque tube and set aside.
5. Measure the depth at which the propeller shaft bushing and seal are located within the torque tube.
6. Remove old propeller shaft bushing and seal.
7. Verify new bushing and seal inner and outer dimensions are correct before installing in torque tube.
8. Clean and lube everything and reassemble.
Is this correct, or am I making any mistakes or wrong assumptions? What side of bushing is the seal on? Can bushing and seal be located in another position if propeller shaft shows wear at the original positions? Appreciate all clarifications. Thanks

I need to do this as well so keep up the great thread and we all can benefit. Excellent.

Mac

Unless the 30 is different than a 32 the propeller shaft does not remove from the torque tube. It is fastened to the pinion drive gear at the rear by a pinned sleeve. To remove the shaft it is necessary to remove the assembly (tube, shaft and gear0 from the carrier housing and the gear set will need to be checked for proper clearance when re-installed. The bushing and sleeve for the prop shaft are removed with the shaft in place. You can then install the new sleeve assy., but be sure to check the shaft for wear. If it is worn it will have to be removed for repair or replacement.

Like Steve said, the prop shaft stays in place. It's not too difficult to replace the bushing and seal. I did mine about 7 years ago, and the most difficult part was getting the U-Joint bolted back together. Here are some discussions on the topic y'all might find helpful:

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...e_Drive_Shaft_Bushing_removal#Post118400

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php...e_29_drive_shaft_and_rear_dif#Post101198

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php.../Re_removal_of_front_bushing_31#Post8015

https://www.fillingstation.com/articles/torquetubebushingreplace.htm

Happy Motoring,

Dan

Thank you Dan for those links. The way I search these threads that would have taken me just short of a month or so.

And it was perfect timing as my '30 is apart as we speak.

Larry

All these replies are a big help. Thanks everyone

I replaced the prop bushing and seal for my '31 recently. In order to get access to the prop bushing & seal it is necessary to pull prop free from U joint splines. To do so it was necessary to block up car, unbolt ball housing retainer, remove rear spring u-Bolts (and any other rear-end connections (such as brake rods and shocks), and slide rear end back a few inches, being careful not to drop the torque tube end. When the prop is out of Ujoint, then the ball housing can be pulled off torque tube and set aside. The bushing can now be removed from torque tube as well as the old prop seal. After checking for unusual wear, install new FS seal, and new bushing as per FS instructions. Then install new seal on end of ball housing before reinstalling on torque tube. Finally, there is a FS gasket kit for the ball housing retainer, including a cork one for ball area to prevent excessive leakage from UJoint.

While at this job, check condition of U Joint as is easy to access when rear-end is out of the way.

BTW, I took my rear-end completely out of the car and set it on a sawhorse type stand as I was also changing the rear bearings and inner and outer axle seals. This is also a good time to check the rear-end gears for general condition. While I pondered a long time about tackling this seemingly big job, it went fairly well once I decided to do it.

Thanks everyone as these replies and info are just what I needed. Best to all.


Mac

Hello to All,
Thank you also. I did not know that the propeller shaft does not slide out the front of the torque tube. When it comes time to address this area on the 31 Coach, I will consider doing the same method that Gunsmoke did. Removing everything aft of the transmission in one unit to deal with internals and clean and paint everything seems like a good idea. Appreciate the links and Filling Station article.

It is not necessary to disconnect the rear end assembly from the springs to replace the front bushing and seal. You can drop the torque tube down far enough to take off the ball housing if you take the bolts out of the brake cross shaft and the support then let it hang down on the rods. That gives enough room to slip the housing off. It is necessary to drill out the pin holding the bushing in place. Then a cape chisel to tap out the bushing. The original seal is cork which can be picked out with a wire. Install the new seal, push in the new bushing, install the retaining pin, stake it in place and put everything back together. It is best to check the propeller shaft for wear, replace the ball housing gaskets/seals and adjust the housing with shims at the same time.

Using the above has limited room so can be a bit tedious to do. As has been suggested removing the propeller shaft with ring and pinion as an assembly is a good idea if there is any doubt about the condition of the parts or adjustment. That can be done leaving the rear end assembly in place. It is common for the front pinion bearing to be bad. Setting the rear end gears is a trial and error process but can be made easier if the parts are marked and cataloged during assembly.

Rather than working on a creeper under the car, my choice would be to slide the rear assy. back and then out from under the car. It will be a lot easier to work and inspect the shaft and also the ujoint can be left intact as the prop shaft will just slide out of the yoke. I found it easier and quicker this way than fumbling with the ujoint bolts.

Took the front and rear covers off the rear end to let all the fluid drain out. Looks real nice inside until I jacked up one wheel and had a friend spin a tire. It looks like the rivots on the ring gear are loose. That can't be good. Looks like some major work ahead. Do you replace these with rivots or bolts? This car is starting to become a much larger project than I had anticipated.

Rivets are best if they can be installed correctly. If not then tight fitting bolts are a good alternative.