MTFCA Forum

Does anyone have a guess as to why my 27 touring would have 3 ball joint gaskets between the pan and ball cap? This has me puzzled!

I'm puzzled, too. What is a ball joint gasket?

That is what Snyders calls it in their catalog. It is the gasket between the back of the pan and the ball cap. The point where the U-joint matches up with the transmission. Round gasket with 4 holes for the bolts.

Should be only one gasket on the 4th main surface against the crankcase/hogshead to prevent oil leaking at that joint.


Only can guess a former owner had loose fitting torque tube ball and figured it would be snugger with more gaskets? That isn't the way, if the torque tube ball is worn, you are best served by using the accessory shims, that fit around the torque tube ball and held by the U-joint ball cap, and take up that excess play of a worn ball.



No gasket between the U-joint ball cap and the 4th main.

My thought is the oil pan isn't located properly, and the gaskets acted as shims to push the ball cap backwards. The centering flange would be about 3 gaskets wide.

It does have the round soft metal shim around the ball also. I just cant figure out the reasoning for 3 gaskets. My fear is that there is a problem that he was trying to compensate for. I am just not sure what that would be or how to identify it.

Simple test to check for wear in the ball cap area is to pull the hand brake lever back & forth rather quickly several times in succession from the forward position to engage the clutch throw-out bolt and watch the ball end to see if it is actually 'walking" in & out of the collar - if so, install the shaped metal shim mentioned above.

I use both - paper gasket & a small bead of black RTV on both sides.