John:

That boot isn't really necessary.  They were usually part of the rear seal, some seal manufacturers left them off.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

You should be able to get 3/8 steel lines in different lengths from your parts store and fab up a set of cooler lines. A trick that I use is too take gas welding rods and bend it up until I get a pattern that I like, then use a tubing bender to bend your new tubing to match it.  You don't have to make the full run out of one piece of tubing, bend up a front section and a rear section and use a union to connect the two. Takes a little time, but not too tough a job.

Glen Henderson



Freedom is not Free

Letohatchee, AL

Ok, the good news is I managed to pipe from the trans all the way to the cooler using the stock holder with 5/16" pipe/fittings and then used about 12" of rubber to connect to the cooler.  I'm real happy with how it came out and it looks pretty slick, and no leaks so far.  I started the car up straight headers... it was LOUD!!!  too loud...  I got a video, but I have to put the exhaust back on, I can't drive like that. 

The bad news is that I've got a leak at the bottom of the trans where the case meets the tail housing.  I tried to tighten those bolts on the back but they are solid.  After about 5 mins of running the motor at about an idle and shifting through the gears there was a decent spot on the driveway.  Any thoughts - Really don't want to have to drop the trans again.

Also, the kickdown rod seems about .5-1" too short.  With it set the same length as when I took out the FOM, it doesn't quite reach the hole.  If I adjust it longer, it doesn't seem like there is enought thread holding it.  I mounted it as is, but then the throttle linkage was too short and when I adjusted that, I'd have to press the gas down about 50% before anything happened.  So, my only guess is that I have to lengthen it. (possibly by straightening it some?) Or adjust the attachment location on the throttle linkage. 

I'm getting close.  Any help always apprecaited.  - john

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.

John:

I know exactly why your trans leaks.  The FMX tail housing gasket was used with the FOM housing.  One of the lower corners of the FOM housing is a rounded square corner, the FMX corner has a 45 degree cut corner.  The FOM gasket will seal, the FMX will not.  You can change it without pulling the trans, you can pull the tailhousing off.  Or, if you feel lucky, loosen the tail housing, move it back about 1/2", stick a piece of gasket material in the suspect area, and bolt it back up.  A dab of RTV wouldn't hurt.  You should be able to do the above without even taking the driveshaft out.  Be sure the 1/4" plate between the case and the tail housing stays against the case so the rear thrust bearing won't drop out of place.  Or contact your trans rebuilder and see what he wants to do about it.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

All I was told - "Its possible there is some difference in the gasket. The trans uses the FMX pump so the leak is most likely between the ext housing and pump. I would just pull the ext housing and put some sealer on it." 

So nothing more than I've already been told and I'm on my own to fix it.  What can I expect when I pull that off?  Is there a lot that I'm going to have to disassemble or something that could fall out of place...  I'd like to try and loosen it up a hair, slide in some gasket material and some RTV and tighen it back up.  John you said if I feel lucky...  is that too risky a move?  I assume either way I've gotta drain all the fluid, and I can't reuse it correct?

Thanks as always for all your help!

- John

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.

John:

My thought is, it's worth a try to slide it back a little and slip a piece of soft gasket material in with some RTV.  You wouldn't have to unhook anything.  Just don't let the 1/4" pump plate back away from the case, nothing will drop out.  The fluid level will probably be below this point, but a little fluid will be inside the tail housing.  Put a pan under and let it drip while you work.  If, worst case, this doesn't work, you are not out anything.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Thanks John - pulled it back a smidge, put a bead of RTV, and seems to have sealed it right up. I shifted through the column with the car on blocks and forward/reverse was all good. So I took it for the first test drive and all seemed well except... it wouldn't shift. I made sure I wasn't in 2nd or anything like that. The kickdown lever is not hooked up because of the forementioned problem with the length, but I didn't think that would make a different. I have a feeling there was a problem with how I hooked up the vacuum modulator... would that result in the lack of shifting. I'm slowly making progress, but got rained out this evening.



Edit: I've answered my own question: I did some research online and now fully understand the purpose of the vacuum modulator. So basic yet so valuable... I gaurentee its my vacuum line. Thanks!



- John

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.

I'm sure everyone is getting tired this topic on my trans, but believe me that I am too.   

When I first put in the trans the kickdown rod was too short to connect from the trans lever to the control lever on the throttle linkage.  (even though I never changed anything when I pulled the FOM)  So I tried to lengthen the rod, but then my carb linkage wasn't right and it wouldn't returnn to idle.  So adjusted that, but then the carb blades weren't opening fully with the gas pressed all the way.  So I played with the springs on the linkage, and found some middle ground so everything SEEMED to fit together. 

So I go for a test drive and the trans seemed ok doing under 30 and feathering the gas. Then i pulled out on a main road and I hammered it.  The thing reved up to about 50 in first gear and wouldn't shift until I let off the gas entirely, and then as soon as I would add the smallest amoung of throttle at 30-40 mph the car would immediately down shift until I let off, and shift back up - this would repeat so the car was really jerky and shifting down/up, down/up, down/up.   Basically, the kickdown is "kicking in" all the time.  So I took off all the springs and connections to see how it "should be" but, there doesn't seem to be enough travel in kickdown lever on the trans to match the amount of travel required by the throttle linkage for it to work properly.  Does this make any sense?  I've read the shop manual, looked over other threads and I can't get this to work right.  Could there be something with my trans that this just isn't going to work properly with the FOM linkage, or is this a normal thing that I'm just stuck with, at this point I'm about to just forget the kick down.  All help always apprecaited.. - John   

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.

John:

Sounds like your kickdown rod is too long.  You can start with it adjusted so that when the carb blades are at full open and the kickdown lever all the way down at the same time.  That should eliminate it downshifting without full throttle.  You could also unhook the kickdown rod to see if the trans behaves, though the shifts may be a little soft without the rod.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

I believe I've got everything adjusted correctly, but the kickdown still isn't right.  It down shifts at around 50% throttle.  It is clear that there either isn't enough travel in the lever on the trans, to match that of the throttle linkage, or there is some setting in the trans so that it is down shifting before the lever is pushed all the way down.  It's not horrible, but it is kind of obnoxious, and I think it will hurt gas mileage quite a bit. 

Oh well

- John

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.