The 59 transmission is currently being resealed as we speak. As a "get it while its out" repair I'm opting to replace the trans bushing. Who makes the most accurate/correct one?
Also looks as if I need a rear main seal. Please point me to the right vendor when available.
Fatsco has always been the name I have heard for vintage transmission parts.
https://www.fatsco.net/catalog
I'll give em a ring for the trans mount. How about a rear main seal?
If you mean the rear min seal on the crank, FelPro used to be the go-to when I built mine. It was a 2 piece rubber seal that you had to off-set in the block and cap, so it would remain butted together. The 'book' tells you to use rubber cement on the ends.
Good luck getting the upper section out unless you drop the crank just a hair. Use plenty of Lubri-Plate to get it back in and on the rubbing area of the crank.
Ug is the top portion of the seal really that bad? I'd hate for them to drop the pan too. If they have to then so be it and I'll also redo the pan seal too.
The seal is in the main bearing cap so the pan needs to come off. If the old seal is rope, the crank will come out. If the old seal is rubber, you can try to push the upper portion out but you'll most likely end up dropping the crank slightly as stated.
Recently, I could buy a transmission mount by Terrill Machine.
To Dan: 1959 has the rubber seal. The change was mid-58.
I'm not sure its ever come out before. Car is dead original. It still had most of its original exhaust less the last half which was replaced in 1968 (Kmart). If its that huge of an effort I'm worried about digging that deep.
I think the case of replacing the engines rear main seal when the transmission is out comes from the 80's and later when they went to once piece seals. From what I remember the transmission being in place doesn't make that much difference on the 2 piece seals. There was enough flex in things that you could drop the crank enough to sort of get the clearance to force a new seal in there. Maybe a manual with the pilot bearing would be less movement but the autos seem to have some slop in em.
Anyway you do it, the pan has to come down. Then each main cap must be loosened enough to drop the rear of the crank just a 1/4" or so for work-ability. The upper half in the block is just plain hell to get out. It seems to shrink to fit. Even with the little metal shoehorn they give you in a kit for re-installation, it's not that easy.
On a new rebuilt engine, I had to replace the rear main because it wasn't put in correctly. It was put in with the ends flush with the block and the cap. It leaked. I even gave the FSM to the rebuilder so he could reference it for things such as this.
Good news. The seal is fine as is but I'm doing the pan seal anyway and cleaning the bottom of it for gunk. They're also going to clean/paint the pan while its out. The trans etc looks incredibly clean. The original owner really took care of this old girl!