COLUMBIA AXLE

I have just put 30 miles on my rebuilt '41 Engine ; put it on the hoist to lube the car,

and found the rear end leaking. The plug came out by hand and will not tighten ; in fact I can

screw it all the way THROUGH. Should this be a tapered plug?

Also, notice the fill line - Is there another place to fill ?

The plug should be tapered, or lock tighted..or teflon taped...

I will post photo of my set up tonight..oil level for 2 speed is higher than without, and has another fill plug I believe

How did she run??

Absolutely perfect! Everything still works, even the radio (and the foot selector).

However, upon the third time shifting into Colombia overdrive , I lost my speedometer. I suspect a broken speedo cable.

Nothin' like the smell of fresh engine paint heatin' up.

37 degrees with the top down is a little cold.

I can find no other filler on the rear axle , which would leave the fill to below the marking on the Columbia side.

HYPOID or NON ???

Hypoid.. I use full synthetic 75-140..My unit has a second plug on the columbia section..I do not touch the big one you are dealing with..

but I have no clear photo hear at work... give me a couple hours..I will post .

The speedo issue can be addressed first at the firewall, chk the lever action, it can be adjusted...or the may not be

seated in the transducer all the way....

Your in the home stretch!!

The Lincoln columbias does not have the second fill plug like the Ford units.

From what I've learned flatcat is correct. Also use the highest hole if you have two holes (guess what mine is, but hey I got one). Fill it up to the hole, drive for 20-30 miles, check and refill, then check again in a few hundred miles. Why two holes on a Ford and the Columbia is lower than the third member, "Only the Shadow knows".

i beg to differ, the added gear unit requires more deeper oil supply..the large plug was removed by me for cleaning only, and has never been out in my 30 year ownership...the smaller plug to right is fill. factory lz columbia

Hmm.. looks like I have some work to do . Tomorrow I will thoroughly check this out ; I brought the car

home so I don't have a lift. I'm sure there is no plug or hole there. Possible to put one there?

It definitely would allow more oil.

Jeff - What does your large plug look like??

Wow, will the mysteries never end. My Columbia fill hole is below the third member hole. It's a Ford unit I've been told. I'll take a pic on Saturday when I return to the shop. I don't know if it's possible but could the the Columbia, yours or mine, be rotated by one bolt hole? Also, I've been told that the Lincoln Columbia's only had one hole. But I'm no expert.

I agree, if you look at Jeff's and mine, even if I put a drain hole in the part with the lettering, that part would have to be rotated to the next bolt hole to make the level the same as jeff's.

A couple of things I had to look up:

1)This Columbia unit was rebuilt for me in California in 2005 (bullet-proofed"), installed in 2006, and driven AT LEAST 5,000 miles

until the engine was pulled in 2008 to be rebuilt.

2) When I removed the large drain plug , quite a bit of oil came out until it reached the bottom of the hole.

call john connelly in cally..se other post about columbias...or google him......he was very cool. helpful and nice

note......36-40 41 maybe different!!

the large plug is female large square just right for a ratchet 1/2 hole..the add plug is a male 3/8 plug pretty

standard pipe thread.. go to lowes / home depot for pipe plug should be perfect..fill and dont over think it

I DID quit thinking about it ; this apparently is how MY original Columbia came from the factory.

Sent pics...awaiting reply from Mr. Connelly. This is not the first Lincoln Coliumbia I have seen without

a filler hole on the assembly.

THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR HELP

Tonite I completed 100 Miles on the rebuilt engine. Time for it's first oil change

My Columbia doesnt have a filler hole either and its not the first one ive seen like that . Every Ford unit ive seen ,and ive seen many, has the extra filler hole. Somewhere in all my literature ive read that the Lincoln units did not have the extra filler hole. It might be that the units that were factory installed did not have the extra filler hole. None of the Fords were installed at the factory but dealer installed, that might explain the difference.

The placement of the differential filler hole may have more to do with the location of the drive pinion and bearing than the needs of the Columbia assembly. The '36 and '37 Zephyrs along with all the Ford/ Merc units did not have hypoid rear axles and probably required a higher oil level to assure good lubrication at the drive pinion/bearing.

After much research, AND help from the V8 website,AND Mr. Peecher, what I have is O.K.

My drainplug is set MUCH higher than others, and I'm OK to run like this.

END OF DISCUSSION

The placement of the differential filler hole may have more to do with the location of the drive pinion and bearing than the needs of the Columbia assembly. The '36 and '37 Zephyrs along with all the Ford/ Merc units did not have hypoid rear axles and probably required a higher oil level to assure good lubrication at the drive pinion/bearing.

Peecher -- I'm late to the game, but I think you are exactly right here. I pulled my Columbia out of a '37 Zephyr that had the factory setup, and it has the extra drain plug, and it is higher than the one on the banjo unit.