Mating 1942 transmission to engine

[Garrett Brown]

I've got a quick question. When I parted my transmission from my engine, I remember there being a paper gasket between the transmission and the bellhousing. I'm looking through the service manual, and I don't see anything that references any kind of seal between the transmission and the bellhousing. Should I put a paper gasket there, or some RTV, or just leave it bare?

[Doug Houston]

The only paper gaskets that you need to worry about are the one on the crankshaft flange to the flywheel, and the one betwen the flywheel and the torus housing. I'm not sure that RTV is a good choice for substitution, but maybe it will work.

[Garrett Brown]

Between the crankshaft and the flywheel? I've never heard that before. This isn't a hydramatic transmission, it's the manual/standard trans.

[Doug Houston]

 OK, OK. Bad assumption here. As a rule, transmission installation on a post-'41 car is a Hydra-Matic.

A new gasket would be easy to trace from the front face of the transmission. I've seen them both with and without gaskets. The choice is yours.

[Garrett Brown]

Alright, I'll try it with a gasket since I remember one being there. If something doesn't seem right, it should be pretty easy to remove.

[Bob Schuman]

On a manual transmission, a gasket between the front of the transmission and the back of the bell housing is essential. Without it, you will have lots of transmission oil on the garage floor. That gasket is easy to make from 1/16" gasket paper, using the transmission for a pattern.
Bob Schuman,CLC#254

[Garrett Brown]

Great, that's exactly what I needed to hear! I already made one doing what you said, using the transmission as a template. I just wanted to double check that it should be there. Thanks again!

[J. Friedman]

Besides making one yourself as Bob suggests, you can buy a new ready-made gasket from Olson's Gaskets, (360) 871-1207; they also have a web site.  It comes in a 3-gasket set along with the 2 transmission gaskets, costing about $20.  

You may want to put a small amount of gasket cement between the gasket and the transmission to hold it in place while you are busy wrestling the front shaft of the transmission into the clutch splines.  (When installing my own transmission I've forgotten to install this gasket first more than once.)  

Jay Friedman

[Bob Schuman]

Garrett,
I forgot to mention, if you make your own gasket, the part of the gasket between the big hole for the front bearing and the small oil return hole just below it must be cut away. This allows oil that lubricates the front bearing to reach the return hole and flow back into the transmission.
Jay's suggestion is excellent-Olson's Gaskets can supply just about any gasket needed for most old cars.
Bob Schuman

[Garrett Brown]

Alright, I'll double check that I have that cutout. I'm pretty sure I do, but I'll definitely check it. I'm about an inch and a half away from having it bolted back together. It feels like a million below in the garage, so I'm gonna warm up first.