Leaking Driveshaft...HELP!!!

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Corbs

Corbs

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Welp, there's one thing I can trust about my '66 Barracuda: that when one thing gets fixed, another thing breaks! :banghead:

And since I don't know squat about transmissions, I need some help on this one! Went out to take her out this morning to discover a giant puddle (could be an understatement - maybe "pond" is the right word) of tranny fluid leaking from the driveshaft right under where about the drivers seat is. Apparently this all happened overnight too. I'm including pictures so you can see where it is dripping from. Like I said, I don't know much about transmissions so I could use some help diagnosing this one!

273 Engine, Automatic 3-Speed Transmission!

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Your rear seal is leaking. Real cheap to fix. I dont exactly rember how to do it but I know its easy and you are going to have to pull the driveshaft.
 
/6 Matt said:
Your rear seal is leaking. Real cheap to fix. I dont exactly rember how to do it but I know its easy and you are going to have to pull the driveshaft.
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Thanks for the reply! MAybe someone will hop on here with a quick how-to to get me started
 
pull the driveshaft out and check to see if the yoke has a groove.....
 
Tranny seal looks dry and so does the front part of the yoke but the u joint is wet. We have ran in to this on other cars before so it might be a possibility here. Sometimes there is a weep hole in the back of the yoke so air can escape as the yoke is installed on the splines. This may not be accurate on a Mopar as it has been quite a few years. The fix is to remove the driveshaft, put bearing grease in the bottom of the yoke and reinstall the driveshaft. I would go ahead and install a new seal plus check the yoke for grooves while I was there.

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?51361-65-drive-shaft&
 

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In the back of the driveshaft slip yoke (see pic above) is a welch plug - kind of like a frost plug. They can, and do, come loose and can leak. Another possibility is as follows - '65 only cars had a vent hole drilled in the middle as mentioned above. This is because 65 was the first year of the slip yoke, and there was, that year only, an internal seal to prevent trans fluid getting into the yoke splines, as the yoke splines were, again that year only, grease lubricated. If yours happens to be a hold over from 65 and has that vent hole, the internal seal in the transmission is finished, allowing trans fluid into the splines and out the vent hole. The output seal, looks to me to be fine, it appears to be coming from the center of the yoke.
 
I think I'm understanding what you all are saying. I need to pull the yoke out to inspect. My next question is where do I even begin to pull the driveshaft? Do you start at one end or the other?
 
undo the Ujoint saddles at the rear end and slide the drive shaft forward to free the ujoint then drop it down and pull it back off the output shaft in the trans . make sure you wrap some tape around the ujoint caps when you pull the joint from the rear end , this keeps them from falling off and the needles getting all scrambled .
 
cannucky said:
undo the Ujoint saddles at the rear end and slide the drive shaft forward to free the ujoint then drop it down and pull it back off the output shaft in the trans . make sure you wrap some tape around the ujoint caps when you pull the joint from the rear end , this keeps them from falling off and the needles getting all scrambled .
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And have a drain pan under the back of the transmission as some fluid will leak out.
 
cannucky said:
undo the Ujoint saddles at the rear end and slide the drive shaft forward to free the ujoint then drop it down and pull it back off the output shaft in the trans . make sure you wrap some tape around the ujoint caps when you pull the joint from the rear end , this keeps them from falling off and the needles getting all scrambled .
Click to expand...

I'm going to get started in the morning and keep everyone updated on what I find, thanks for all your help!
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?51361-65-drive-shaft&
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That is for a gm trans and it NEEDS to be there.

Your plug is probably the issue and is seeping fluid, the welch plug is pressed in and makes a tight seal to keep fluid in and seal, when the slip is splined it's drawn thru and then the plug is added.
You can either visit your local driveline shop and have a new one installed in the slip or you can clean it good and put silicone on the plug
 
As I stated, 65 year (and perhaps early 66) Chrysler products had grease lubricated splines, and internal seal, and a small vent orifice in the center of the welch plug. I dont know about GM's.
 
Welp, this is what that yoke looks like! Also, the "boot" that the yoke end slid into was cracked, but dry... what now!?
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For the record, the yoke looked to be in good shape, no grooves or anything.
 
On the shaft in the trans inside the tail housing there is an oring that seals to the inside of that yoke.
See how shiney the yoke is on the inside before the splines start?
That's where the yoke slides on the oring that seals the fluid in the trans.
They used those yokes on GM trucks to relieve the pressure build of from the yoke having to move in and out on bumps.

We just plugged the hole and the outside edges of the plug with epoxy when we ran across those on cars.
 
Also check for cracks along the splines and around the closed end of the splines.Sure looks like its coming thru the yoke otherwise the tranny side would be wet too.Just to clear up,do you park on a steep incline?The reason I ask is does this happen over night or while driving.If there is a small amount of play in the shaft it may be crocked and letting it seep out overnight.Just a thought.
 
Ill have to get a look at that oring in the morning. Trail beast, are you saying you plugged the vent hole with epoxy? Or are we talking about one in the tail housing?
 
mopar410 said:
Also check for cracks along the splines and around the closed end of the splines.Sure looks like its coming thru the yoke otherwise the tranny side would be wet too.Just to clear up,do you park on a steep incline?The reason I ask is does this happen over night or while driving.If there is a small amount of play in the shaft it may be crocked and letting it seep out overnight.Just a thought.
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I can't say for sure if it happens when driving. Since it leaked I haven't driven it. It leaked out several quarts or so overnight on a pretty level surface.
 
If you look at the second pic you can see the fluid running from the bearing side of the yoke in two spots.Doesn't look wet on top or bottom of the tranny.Leads me to believe its coming through the yoke.I would look very close for a hair line crack.The fact that it dumped a few quarts out over night with out any warning could mean something went bad at once or it was in a bind sitting.
 
TrailBeast said:
On the shaft in the trans inside the tail housing there is an oring that seals to the inside of that yoke.
See how shiney the yoke is on the inside before the splines start?
That's where the yoke slides on the oring that seals the fluid in the trans.
They used those yokes on GM trucks to relieve the pressure build of from the yoke having to move in and out on bumps.

We just plugged the hole and the outside edges of the plug with epoxy when we ran across those on cars.
Click to expand...

Yep - I agree, your yoke has the small hole in the center of the plug. Clearly the internal seal has failed, washed the grease out of the splines, and is now leaking fluid from there. I would think that you will be fine if you plug that hole, and let the trans fluid lube the splines like the 66 and up cars.
 
Corbs said:
Ill have to get a look at that oring in the morning. Trail beast, are you saying you plugged the vent hole with epoxy? Or are we talking about one in the tail housing?
Click to expand...

Yes, clean the oil off of the yoke real well and plug the hole in the yoke with epoxy. (the stuff you mix)
I liked to get the outside first and then drip a little on the inside of the yoke hole also.
I always felt a lot better about a good seal if it had it on both sides.
Just be carfull to not get any on the splines (Or if you do, wipe it off before it sets)
 
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