Robert Engle Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 I finally found out how to dismantle the transmission. The top shifting plate is easy, the front input shaft can be pulled out the front. It turns out that there are two holes on the back plate that are threaded and once I cleaned them out, I put jackscrews in andthe entire rear plate with 3 the three shafts, output, counter gear shaft and reverse gear shaft. all came out the back. All the gears dropped out inside the case. On the top plate, to remove the shift lever is a challenge. After removing the dome attached to the shift lever, there is a stamped part that is pressed onto the shift tower. I had to make a plate that fit snug to the tower and then I could drift the piece free of the tower without damage to the piece. The shift lever is held into a cross pin by a taper pin. the cross pin was trapped by the stamped part. These transmissions are really tough. The only wear was the front edge of the gears from clashing at missed shifts. I dressed the gear edges with a stone and now need to make gaskets, clean everything and reassemble and I'll have a good spare trransmission. Bob Engle 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 Great post, neat photos. I'm suprised how small the gears are......what series Buick? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Engle Posted March 18, 2021 Author Share Posted March 18, 2021 The parts are from a 1918 D45. They are the same as my 1917 D45. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Bob, you said that the transmission is from a 1918 model. This would have a Cast Iron transmission case? My early 1916 D-45 has a very good-sized Cast Aluminum case. I am not sure when the switch was made from Aluminum to Cast Iron with the D-Series models. Is your 1917 transmission case Cast Iron? Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 There is something that I would like to relate about the transmission that is in this car we have. My son-in-law helped me get it off the back of the engine and out from under the car. When we got it out in the open and into the light of the day, his first words were, "this thing looks like it came out of a ton and a half truck". When looking at things up close it was amazing that there were still tooling marks in the gear teeth. When I drained the case before removing it, what came out didn't look all that bad. With the clutch cone still in place, the bearings were smooth and quiet when rotating the input shaft. All I did was flush the case very thoroughly with Kerosene. Once everything went back together I used 600W Lubriplate SPO-299 Gear Oil and I added 1 tablespoon of #2 Flake Graphite before I closed the case back up. Sometimes a person gets lucky with one of these old automobiles and I believe that I have had more than my share of good fortune with this restoration. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Engle Posted March 19, 2021 Author Share Posted March 19, 2021 Yes my 1917 D45 serial #191818 has a cast iron case. Does your aluminum case have the threaded holes on the back plate for jackscrews? You can see the 2 holes in teh above photos. Bob Engle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Bob, if you will go to the AND THEN THERE WERE THREE topic and go to page 11, you will see the photos that I posted while cleaning up the transmission case. There are several real good photos looking at the rear of the case. I am just not real sure what you are referring to, so you will have to be the judge as to whether we have the same features on our cases. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Engle Posted March 19, 2021 Author Share Posted March 19, 2021 I just looked at your photos. the one showing the back plate on the transmission does show the two holes. there are four studs that that hold the back plate to the case. Just below the bottom studs you can see a boss on the casting with a hole in it. I believe if you look you will see that they are threaded. I'm sure you won't be tearing your gearbox apart as it is in excellent condition. the one I tore apart had oil that was thicker than grease. It would not flow flow out with the top removed and the the gearbox turned upside down. The junk chassis that it came off of sat in a shed in upstate New York for over 50 years. I am happy that the gears, shafts and bearings all turned out to be in excellent condition. I did see that your back plate is cast steel. Just the case is cast aluminum. Bob Engle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden_hunter Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 9 hours ago, Terry Wiegand said: I am not sure when the switch was made from Aluminum to Cast Iron with the D-Series models I assume the war was making aluminium expensive so it was probably a mid year switch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 The scarcity of aluminum due to the war was definitely an issue. Hupmobile "N" crankcases became cast Iron in the 1917 model for that reason. It stands to reason Buick would have had similar difficulty sourcing aluminum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Dye Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Robert, What did you have to take loose in order to remove your transmission besides bell housing bolts and torque tube. Do the threaded collars, one with the keeper ring near the clutch brake need to be moved also? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Engle Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 I had to thinking to remember my process 4 or 5 years ago. Remove differential. Remove brake and clutch linkage from the pedals. Remove emergency brake linkage from lever. Remove the top plate with shift and E brake lever. Remove clutch linkage at the bell housing. Remove the bell housing bolts. Put you jack with wheels aligned with centerline. Begin to pull the transmission back and keep rotating the clutch shaft to lift the fork at the throwout bearing. Keep moving the transmission rearward until the clutch fork clears the throw out bearing assembly. Pull back to clear the throw out assembly and lower the transmission to the floor. I hope this is understandable. photo shows the fork that must rotate to clear the throw out assembly. Bob Engle 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Dye Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Thanks Bob! And I thought I was a mechanic.. Sometimes simple is overlooked, always learning! Should be easy now and on to replace that front trans seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Engle Posted February 3, 2022 Author Share Posted February 3, 2022 Check the linings on the input shaft brake while you have it apart. Setup of the clutch and input shaft brake are important. For all the travel of the clutch pedal you end up with about 1/4 to 3/8 inches of travel at the input shaft to be divided up between clutch release bearing slack, clutch release, free space and input shaft brake. Bob Engle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Dye Posted February 3, 2022 Share Posted February 3, 2022 Transmission is out and looks like it's way past time for a U joint and to replace a nonexistent front seal! Looks like Buick had not gotten around to using them yet. I will have to do some machine work and install one as the clutch brake keeps getting oil soaked. How impossible is it to get a u joint with end bushings I wonder. Thanks for all of the great suggestions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Engle Posted February 4, 2022 Author Share Posted February 4, 2022 (edited) Let me look at what I have. Pictures of the needed parts will help. Bob Engle Edited February 4, 2022 by Robert Engle (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Dye Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 Thanks Bob for looking. OD is .750", length is 3.600". Brass bushings have an O.D. of approx 1.75" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Engle Posted February 4, 2022 Author Share Posted February 4, 2022 I don't have a spare. If it were mine, I would spend an afternoon on the lathe and turn the parts on centers till they are concentric. Then I would take some 1040 stock and turn bushings undersize to the concentric parts. I would then heat them and install for a heat shrink bond. Then turn the final diameters and make bronze bushings to complete the project. Bob Engle 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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