Jump to content

1953 L6 265 Fluid Torque Drive...Thinking About Pulling The Engine


keithb7

Recommended Posts

My 1953 Windsor is in the garage for the winter once again. I love working on it and there is no better time than winter up here in Canada, to get at it. I have been babysitting a rear engine oil leak. I am pretty sure it is the rear crank seal. There are also send & return oil passages from the block to the torque converter and back. Could be leaking there too I suppose. Yes I have the 13 qt oil change, engine fed torque converter system. M6 transmission.

 

I am reviewing my original 53 Chrysler manual, looking at the engine pull instructions. It does not tell me to drop the tranny first.  I thought I had read in a few different threads somewhere on the net, that the tranny should be pulled first. Should I be dropping the tranny first?  I am ok with doing that.  I don't have a full car lift,. I comfortable working under it and dropping the tranny I think. The M6 tranny is fairly heavy. I assume my strapping son and I can lift it back into place upon reassembly. 

 

If I pull the tranny, I believe the torque and clutch assemblies and housings stay on the engine. Correct? I'll use an engine hoist to lift those 3 components out together & assembled I suppose. I'll pull them off once the assembly is out, and bolt the block to an engine stand. How far I'll get into this, God only know at this point. Flip it over pull the pan. Check bearing clearances.  Maybe re-ring it! Lol. I know I have 2 valve guides that are worn beyond spec. Thinking I should pull the head, measure all guides and replace worn ones. May all? I do suck in some engine oil and burn it when coasting down long hills. Measure crank thrust. Not sure I want to do a full rebuild with block machining. The engine makes about 100 psi average compression. If I clean up the leaks, maybe do the front crank seal too and cover gasket, while I have it out...I could very likely get another 10 or more  years from the engine. I did a valve grind and  new valves summer of 2017. That was a big improvement. Pull the water pump and check the water distribution tube? See where that takes me.

 

Re-seal and re-gasket the tranny while it is out. Measure clutch disc and replace pressure plate springs and throw out bearing?  Inspect the park brake. 

My Motors manual says that unless you have specialized clutch tooling, to replace the pressure plate assy with another complete unit. It claims the friction disc can more easily be changed.

 

Sounds like I will likely get into many, many things. Not sure. I like to plan my jobs ahead of ripping and tearing. Just thinking out loud here I guess. Your comments and experience are welcome as I read through all the manuals I have, (4). My goal is get a good grasp on the tasks I may tackle and the required tooling.

 

As she lays now in the car:

 

7vVMdOZvpYC2D6JCC5KmWTOxnI_Lnd52aeWkOP3D

Edited by keithb7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Keith, my engine and transmission  are totally different than yours so it was a different operation.  My transmission weighs about 70 lbs, a friend of mine just grabbed it and carried it across the floor when we unbolted it from the engine.  I really can't give you any advice on pulling yours, but I will say this: as long as you have the engine and transmission out, do as much work as you can afford and feel comfortable with, that way there are no regrets once you have it back in.  Maybe it doesn't need a full rebuild, but do all the other things you mentioned and do them right.  You'll be glad you did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think your rear cross member is removable so you can leave the trans on when pulling the engine.

Yes you probably should replace the adaptor plate O-rings and FTD seals for sure..... maybe a rear seal on the trans plus the shift cover O-rings

If you are going to take the trans apart to do the three gaskets be careful to assemble the sleeve and blocker ring correctly. Otherwise it will not upshift.

Maybe check the timing chain too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Terms of Use