VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 41 oakie bushing

I'm in the midst of changing the torque tube bushing with an oakie (tired of draining the rear end) dropped the tube only to find it was changed in the past with a oakie bushing (seems to be one) I can't figure how to get it out the instructions show a slot on top of the tube to help drive it out mine doesn't have that is there a puller for this? I'm getting desperate thinking of cutting a slot.

https://www.chevsofthe40s.com/detail/13138/Chevrolet_Tool_Bushing_Puller_For_Driveline.html

Rent it. Maybe? If it's a oakie bushing already in the tube, it's going to be difficult to remove. Most of them are driven in with a hammer.

I don't think this has been addressed before. Certainly that tool was not meant for the Oakie bushing. Personally I would remove the tube as outlined in the manual.

Hi ken,

A lot of us have been where you are. Take a deep breath and let the comments by our members trickle in over the weekend.

We have had a lot of discussion about Oakie installations over the years. To get an over view of what you need to know you should review some of them. I would go back at least 3 years to read some of them. You can do this by doing an Advanced Search under the word "Oakie." Fill in Display Name Search using the name "Mike Buller." The Date Range should be newer than "3 years" and older than "1 month." This will give you a good discussion of Oakie bushing issues.

If you already have an Oakie bushing in your differential you may have to take the propeller shaft out to remove the bushing. Then you could use a hack saw blade to cut the Oakie bushing to loosen it.

If yours is not an Oakie then you should differently use the tool mentioned above. Good luck, Mike

Thank you Mike and all the others for helping, I just replaced the whole front end suspension and steering components and never had a problem like this one. I slid a wire along side the bushing it bottomed out at about 6 inches and I know the original is only a few inches long so I am assuming its an "oakie" T he tech article from filling station showed the top of the tube with a slot, that seems like it would be a big aid as to removal I was wondering if I would damage anything by cutting a slot. By the way I think I was taken on a oakie I bought off ebay it said for 37-39 the seller said 40-48 my luck.

Hi Kevin, Just want to check in and see how you are doing with your driveshaft project? I included some pictures to help with your decision making process. The first picture shows two dowels that anchor the original bushings in place. If the first one has been removed then your assumption that you already have an Oakie Bushing in place is correct.




The next picture shows the placement of the two bushings in the driveshaft.




The last picture shows the position of the dowels and seal.



I got the manual pictures from the Chevs of the 40's parts catalog which I highly recommend you get a free copy of by going to their web site. They have very good pictures for understanding the part assembly process, and correct names for parts.

I stick with my previous recommendation to remove the propeller shaft from the driveshaft housing to get the old Oakie out. I am not sure that cutting a groove in the housing will maintain it's strength in the area where the new bushing would go? Good luck, Mike

Thanks Mike for that info that was a great help I was wondering what the second pin was for on the tube now I know I did replace the bushing yesterday and found it was the original bushing, the oakie was fairly hard to drive in. I haven't road tested it yet I want to change out the front motor mounts once I figure out if I can change the top bolts without pulling the radiator thanks to all.

ken

Hi Ken, You don't mess around when it comes to getting things done. I am replacing my frame so am taking the front sheet metal off today. I will drag over my engine hoist to see if it might work with the radiator in to lift the engine an inch or two? I never do any serious engine work without the front sheet metal off, but then it is a real pain to get the sheet metal lined up right when I reinstall the engine.

I would also replace the rear engine mounts with those shaped in the form of an "M." Also replace the rubber parts on the transmission mount and the gaskets on the Universal Joint Ball and its collar. See a picture of the ball in my second picture posted earlier. The gasket kit also comes with a rear seal for the Universal Joint Ball.

I will be out all afternoon watching the Lions while taking the car apart. Good luck, Mike

If you got any questions call me at 989-832-7634

Hi Ken, I really think you are in for a real challenge trying to get to the motor mounts without removing at least the front grill. I think you can get the hoist to lift the engine for enough clearance, but the top motor mount bolts are going to be very hard to get at. The second picture shows the end of a box wrench on the left side bottom of the radiator shell. If you could extend the wrench with a pipe you may be able to loosen the top bolts?

Why don't you remove the whole doghouse? It took me 40 minutes to remove mine. There's no problem with alignment that way and it gets the radiator out if the way. There's only two bolts under the radiator to remove and then the rear fender bolts to remove. Get two friends to help you lift it off.

Thanks Mike and Brandon those were great photos, frame looks so clean, previous owner done a frame off on mine but neglected the suspension and steering components. Mike I think I will remove the grill to get to the mounts I have a rechromed grill to install anyway might as well do it now.

ken

Hi Ken, I have a couple suggestions for you before taking off your grill.

The first is to start a new post. When you change topics in a post it is clearer for future users of our chat site to know all the info in your post is related to one topic. So please repost your motor mount question to a new topic heading like "41 Motor Mount Replacement."

I like Brandon's idea of taking off the entire front end of sheet metal at the same time, but I work by myself so it is not practical for me to do it that way. Because I don't do it Brandon's way I do struggle each time with alignment issues. For me it just takes a lot more time and patience.

To remove the grill on a 41 start at the top and work down. Put some marks on the sheetmetal that the plate for the hood latch rests on and is screwed too. Do it with tape, Magic Marker, or pencil. The more you mark where the plate lines up the easier it will be to realign the latch correctly. There is nothing more frustrating than closing your hood and finding it will not reopen. I always prefit my latch plate before reinstalling my grill. This way if it doesn't line up right I can reach under the latch to reopen it if it sticks close.

I once bought a parts car that came with several hoods. One of them had the complete front nose cut off with a torch to get to the latch. The only other way to get to the latch is by removing the inner fender panel the horn mounts on. This is very tedious and still requires you to reach up with an 18" screwdriver and a long skinny arm to pry the latch open. THIS IS NOT FUN, and you can not see what you are doing.

I would not disconnect the cable release from the latch plate, unless you think you can better align the cable length to make it easier to open the hood latch.

I would probably do some cable maintenance before removing the latch plate. I would oil it thoroughly. If you are really adventurous I would take the complete cable off the latch plate when the plate is off. This means also unscrewing the cable mount under the dash. I would then lubricate the entire mechanism. A lot of cable problems are caused by a lack of lubricant, especially in the area under the dash. With the cable out of the car reattach the lock at the end then pull the knob end of the cable out and lubricate the two inches of rod the knob is attached too. You could even soak the entire cable in your favorite cleaner then lubricate it thoroughly with oil.

My comments should give you some help. If you need pictures or more specific info let me know. Good luck, Mike

Thanks Mike for the tips I will certainly keep them in mind I do think I will remove the grill and go from there.

Ken