Topic: '46 Deluxe Transmission Shifter Housing Removal


51woodie    -- 10-31-2018 @ 9:47 AM
  I need to replace the shifter shaft seals, p/n 7288. I'm not sure whether I can get the shifter housing off the side of the transmission, because of the closeness of the brake shaft and arm. I don't want to try until I know it is possible to get it off and back on, because I would likely break the gasket and then more fun. Has anyone done this and how was it done?


42merc    -- 10-31-2018 @ 3:24 PM
  It can be done. A little tedious but do-able.
If doing from under the car drain the lube & after removing the linkage & bolts, roll the housing down as you pull it away from the trans.
Pay attention to the orientation of the low & reverse shift fork as it comes apart. It's easy to reinstall backwards.
After the seals are installed, glue a new gasket to the cover & like all the manuals say- reverse the steps to install.


supereal    -- 11-02-2018 @ 2:42 PM
  The seals on the shifter forks in the "side winder" transmissions are quite fragile, and easily damaged, but can be replaced without pulling the transmission. After removing the lever from the shaft, pull the old seal out. We use a tool with a hooked end for that purpose. After carefully cleaning the shaft, place a cover made of paper around the shaft, and push the seal into place, then remove the paper. The paper protects the seal lip from any rough surface on the shaft. The part number for the seals is 01A-7288. Most good parts dealers have them. I always order a couple of pairs, as the tend to leak after time, particularly if you use light weight transmission oil.


51woodie    -- 11-03-2018 @ 6:59 AM
  Thank you 42merc and supereal for your responses.

supereal
Removal of the shift assembly may be a good option, because it would let me do the work on the bench instead of laying in the car. The other benefit of removing the side plate is that I could get a look inside the transmission. I have the floorboard out, so I have access from top and bottom. It sure looks like a tight squeeze to get the assembly out. My other concern is getting the shift forks lined up with the sliding gears when reinstalling.

42merc
I like the idea of leaving the side plate (7222) on and just changing the seals. How do you remove the pins that hold the arms on the shift shafts? are they riveted once installed? Also, the pins (7231) are loose on the shift arms, so I either have to tighten them somehow or buy replacements.

All suggestions and tips are appreciated.


42merc    -- 11-04-2018 @ 3:57 AM
  Woodie - I've not replaced the seals in place.
On the bench I grind the heads from the pins & back up the arm & drive the pins out.
You will probably find the holes in the shafts "wallowed" out some, so even a new pin won't cure the loose fit of the arm.
A fix might be drilling the arm & shaft to the next common size & use a new solid or roll pin sized to fit the hole.


51woodie    -- 11-26-2018 @ 4:48 PM
  The trans shifter seals are replaced, thanks to a combination of ideas from 42merc and supereal. No way could I have done the seals in place, as the pins that hold the arms on are riveted. To remove the shifter housing, I removed the floor pan, disconnected the column to trans rods, removed the bolts from the shifter housing and tried to get the assembly past the frame/brake arm parts. No deal. What worked was lowering the housing and tipping the top away from the trans, which allowed me to pull both shift forks out of the shift cams. This allowed clearance to bring the housing up and free. I took the shift fork out to check them. The shift levers are held on the shaft with riveted pins, which I ground and punched out. One of the shift rod pins was loose in the lever, which I tightened by heating the riveted head cherry and peening. The seals I took out were original FORD, and looked like they were leather. New seal installed and shift arms reinstalled using roll pins, in place of riveted pins. Now the trick was to get this all back in place. Put the housing down in place (with gasket glued on) and tipped back at the top to allow install of the two shift forks into the shift cams. Make sure the forks are in the grooves and that the 1st/rev. fork is in the right orientation. It is a bit of a challenge to hold the housing and manipulate the forks into the cams, but worked okay. I put two bolts in the housing then checked for proper shifting. All was good.


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