1957 Front Seal Leak Repair | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models
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1957 Front Seal Leak Repair

  • Thread starter Thread starter Oldhog
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Oldhog
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1957
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FordOmatic....Has anyone had the front seal replaced and it worked? I talked with a large tranny repair shop in central CT and he told me you will never stop that leak permanently.
Any advice is appreciated.

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When you post, your subject should be a short summary of what your post is about, which in this case is a front seal leak. Your title "1957 Leaking FordOmatic" has been edited to reflect what your post is about.

model-year.jpg
 
FordOmatic....Has anyone had the front seal replaced and it worked? I talked with a large tranny repair shop in central CT and he told me you will never stop that leak permanently.
Any advice is appreciated.
They used to say the same thing about the GM old Powerglides, but I had many that didn't leak....maybe get a second opinion.

HAVING SAID THAT - I've been an anti 'silver bullet' additive guy for 50 years...but, out of desperation I have tried some newer formulations of some 'stop leak' products such as Blue Devil - it completely stopped an annoying rear main seal leak in my 63 Corvette; they make a version for transmissions and there is no downside to giving it a try:

 
Thank you for the info, I was never a fan of additives either especially in transmissions , where I worry about the small passages in valve bodies getting gunked up and restricting the pressure needed. or the filter as well. That said, I am starting to get desperate. The front seal is new with only a couple hundred miles and it leaks so I don't think the seal neoprene is hard and the input shaft is not grooved from wear either, I think the additive is to soften the neoprene?? Or, does it make the fluid that much thicker and less likely to seep??
Thank you Frankie!
 
If you have a new seal the additive may not help but they won't clog up anything, they rejuvenate the seals ad the 'plasticizer' components in an attempt to stop leaks. You may just have a munged seal, which sucks and means it'll never stop leaking ..
 
I agree they should not leak if properly repaired. Now to find a good mechanic willing to split the tranny and repair.
Thanks for the feedback.
 
If you have a new seal the additive may not help but they won't clog up anything, they rejuvenate the seals ad the 'plasticizer' components in an attempt to stop leaks. You may just have a munged seal, which sucks and means it'll never stop leaking ..
I have never been a fan of “Mechanic in a Can” to stop transmission leaks. If the seals are worn and have hardened the transmission needs to be overhauled. Not only can worn/hardened seals leak externally, but they can also leak internally. The fluid pressure required in drive is 130-150 psi, while the fluid pressure required in reverse is 175-190 psi. When seals leak internally, the required fluid pressure can’t be reached and that is when damage to the bands and clutches can occur.

When you replace the front seal, you also must check the seal surface on the torque converter and pump bushing that is behind the front seal. The bushing holds the pressure off the front seal, so it doesn’t blow it out or leak. Whatever fluid gets past the pump bushing drains back into the pan through the hole behind the front seal. Whenever you replace a front seal because it is leaking you should also replace the pump bushing. Another thing that can damage the front seal and cause it to leak is rocking the converter when you install it in the transmission.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue
 
I replaced my "new" seal because it was leaving a puddle on the floor the size of a small dinner plate, not a drop or two. There are wrong seals. The photo shows to identical diameters, different widths. The smaller one on left was put in by the tranny shop. It leaked. I pulled it and put in the "correct" one. And don't try to bang it on over the shaft with a soup can or something goofy like that. Impossible to keep it straight. I took a 4x4 block of wood 6-8" long and drilled out a 1.5" pilot hole in the middle on a drill press. Slides right over the shaft, has a large flat surface to mate against the seal, and you can tap it on with a small sledge against the wood. I also replaced O-ring and gasket for the torque converter while it was out. I do get some drops on the floor immediately after driving. I may have over-filled the tranny a little, too. But I always get some drops, but not a puddle. I keep one sheet of pig-mat on the floor under the tranny and it all seems ok. But I don't think I'll ever get it to be bone dry.
 

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I have never been a fan of “Mechanic in a Can” to stop transmission leaks. If the seals are worn and have hardened the transmission needs to be overhauled. Not only can worn/hardened seals leak externally, but they can also leak internally. The fluid pressure required in drive is 130-150 psi, while the fluid pressure required in reverse is 175-190 psi. When seals leak internally, the required fluid pressure can’t be reached and that is when damage to the bands and clutches can occur.

When you replace the front seal, you also must check the seal surface on the torque converter and pump bushing that is behind the front seal. The bushing holds the pressure off the front seal, so it doesn’t blow it out or leak. Whatever fluid gets past the pump bushing drains back into the pan through the hole behind the front seal. Whenever you replace a front seal because it is leaking you should also replace the pump bushing. Another thing that can damage the front seal and cause it to leak is rocking the converter when you install it in the transmission.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue
I don't disagree, the point of the recent anti-leak formulations is to 'unharden' the seal, but they may not always work.
 
I have never been a fan of “Mechanic in a Can” to stop transmission leaks. If the seals are worn and have hardened the transmission needs to be overhauled. Not only can worn/hardened seals leak externally, but they can also leak internally. The fluid pressure required in drive is 130-150 psi, while the fluid pressure required in reverse is 175-190 psi. When seals leak internally, the required fluid pressure can’t be reached and that is when damage to the bands and clutches can occur.

When you replace the front seal, you also must check the seal surface on the torque converter and pump bushing that is behind the front seal. The bushing holds the pressure off the front seal, so it doesn’t blow it out or leak. Whatever fluid gets past the pump bushing drains back into the pan through the hole behind the front seal. Whenever you replace a front seal because it is leaking you should also replace the pump bushing. Another thing that can damage the front seal and cause it to leak is rocking the converter when you install it in the transmission.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue
Make sure u replace 2 seals in the torque convertor and pressure check convertor mine was a pores torque convertor that leak
 
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