53 special gearbox leak

[Pilgrim65]

I have ignored a small drip of gearbox oil on garage floor for sometime now, but now its larger and worrying so must attend to it ,

have had the car up on a ramp and it is wet around the prop shaft end entering the gearbox , I imagine there is a oil seal there .

i have looked at my manual and can't find a part number , I wonder if the were a standard part for all straight eights with manual gearbox .

would welcome some suggestions were to purchase and because the total amount of oil that may be lost need to top up gear box , so wonder what modern oils are suitable .The sort of information I would like is there any knowledgeable  Buick car parts stockists out there who know the Buick gearbox on the nailhead who can say you need this item without me providing a part number   I apologise  for being a novice , which must frustrate if my questions are obvious to the experienced.

however I do greatly appreciate the responses .

 

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2017 by Pilgrim65 (see edit history)

[Pilgrim65]

Gets worse , put Ruby on the ramp today to top up gearbox oil , took half a litre , but noticed another small leak at differential end of prop shaft. , so now need 2 oil seals.!?

[JohnD1956]

Don't panic yet.  If the transmission torque ball seal is leaking, and the drive shaft seal (at the transmission end of the torque tube) is bad, then the trans oil can travel into the torque tube.  The rear axle has a seal to prevent the rear axle oil from getting into the tube, but the tube does not have a seal on the driveshaft side, so trans fluid in the torque tube can leak out at the rear axle. 

 

Key to me would be disassembly of the torque tube to verify the rear axle seal is holding.  

[Pilgrim65]

Cheers John ,

had the torque tube bearing replaced last year , so seal should have been replaced too , not impressed. so going to raise car onto supports and hopefully drop shaft to gain access to oil seal and try to match locally otherwise Ruby will spend weeks in car port while I identify part and order from states.

hopefully back on the road in September , in time for some cooler cruising weather. 

having a steep learning curve in the joys and tribulations of our hobby ?

Edited July 26, 2017 by Pilgrim65 (see edit history)

[Pilgrim65]

Starting to understand a bit more thanks to John and  a very helpful guy called Bill at Bobsautomobilia , going to order a torque Ball boot and seals , while waiting for parts to arrive in Cyprus will monitor and top up but keep cruisin ?

 

[Beemon]

Just remember Pilgrim, the Torque Tube and associated parts is what separates the men from the boys.