MTFCA Forum

Today I decided the clean up the rear outer wheel bearing and fit new seals on my 27 Coupe.

Left hand side leaks a bit but the right side doesn't so I tackled the right side first.

I have a set of Neoprene inner seals on hand so I pulled the hub off and dug in.

Once I got the sleeve out I discovered there seemed to be no inner neoprene or felt seal at all yet this side doesn't leak.

I shone the torch in and look what I found!

Took me about an hour to get it all out.


Has anybody else ever seen this method?



[attachment=0]Nylon oil seal.JPG[/attachment]


Looks to be a set on Women's Nylon stockings!

Tomorrow I will do the other side, maybe I will find the Bra and knickers.....

Never seen that kind of a mess but with these cars anythings possible.

The neoprene seals work great in my not so humble opinion.

When you install them just be sure to THOROUGHLY clean the axle tube "rim" inside where the seal will set on, then smear a line of oil resistant black RTV around that mating edge of the seal, press in firmly, then leave set overnight before doing anything else.
Just my method anyway.

The remains of the Ford felt washers (multiple).

Yes, Women's stockings were a common fix for the T axle in this part of the country.My friend Heath Hahn ,was a member of MTFCA for decades, had about 8 model T's and all had stockings for axle seals. You wrap them in the direction so that going forward keeps them wound,

I knew a Model T owner here in Minneapolis who wrapped the axles with nylon stockings to eliminate oil leaks. He was a good mechanic and had other antique cars in addition to his Model Ts. He passed away a few years ago.

The T didn't come with an inner seal. Just the outer felt one. The earlier T's had the filler plug for the rear axle pumpkin about 1 inch above the fill level. Also, sometimes the seal in the universal joint leaks and oil from the engine runs down the tube into the rear axle raising the level. The higher level will cause a leak. The inner seals I have used need to grind off a small amount from the inside edge of the outer axle bearing sleeve. Just enough to allow the sleeve to settle into place with the dimple in the hole in the tube.
Norm

My Dad & Grandpa & Great Grandmother were full of stories.
Majority of folks did their own maintenance, or had no money for mechanics, and effected their own repairs, or did what they could to forestall to keep em going.

Stockings/socks/fabric for seals, bailing wire, pork hide for bearings, leather for gaskets, sawdust or oatmeal for radiator leaks.... it's no wonder the curiosities we encounter with these old gals.

I listened to the stories, I myself cut out the tongue of my hiking boot to make a gasket for a blown water outlet in my 68 F250 when out in the middle of nowhere...that gasket was still in place when I sold the truck 5 yrs later.

Daisy Mae wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:29 am

My Dad & Grandpa & Great Grandmother were full of stories.
Majority of folks did their own maintenance, or had no money for mechanics, and effected their own repairs, or did what they could to forestall to keep em going.

Stockings/socks/fabric for seals, bailing wire, pork hide for bearings, leather for gaskets, sawdust or oatmeal for radiator leaks.... it's no wonder the curiosities we encounter with these old gals.

I listened to the stories, I myself cut out the tongue of my hiking boot to make a gasket for a blown water outlet in my 68 F250 when out in the middle of nowhere...that gasket was still in place when I sold the truck 5 yrs later.

Kurt,

Good examples of getting by with what you had. In his youth, my dad would push an inner tube, (minus the stem), into a differential to quiet down a noisy rear end. Ground-up cork was also a choice.

Yeah, I remember sawdust being put in the rear end to quiet ithings down

Reminds me of a 51 Chev my friend bought in the 70's.
The gearbox gave up after a month or so and we discovered it had banana skins added to hide the noise.
Obviously and short term fix to make a sale.

1926-27 had the pressed steel washer with fingers that used a leather seal.

That sounds like what I found on the other side yesterday, this side was leaking badly.

I followed the TWrenn advice with the Neoprene seal and will nail it up today.

[attachment=1]DSCN5043.JPG[/attachment]


[attachment=0]DSCN5044.JPG[/attachment]

Now where did I see the diagram, (actually a drawing), of the axles being wrapped with felt “rope” in a screw pattern to wind the diff lube back into the pumpkin? There was a right and left method to the wrap so that forward motion would wind the lube back to center. Isn’t that what we’re looking at here in the first pic?

Probably but this isn't felt rope, a pair of lady's nylons. I guess it works the same.
They have been in there from the mid 90's at least with no issue.

You can get the new modern seals at ecklers for $2.99 a pair!

ThreePedalTapDancer wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 27, 2024 9:22 pm

IMG_3773.jpeg

Hubba hubba!

Yeah when they look good in black and white they must have been hot stuff in color.

Use caution if using the Ford type leather & steel finger seals - after the leather wears down, one has steel fingers attempting to groove the axle shaft and we all know what happens at that point !

Here are some pics of one of my 1924 rear axles after the Ford style leather and spring steel seal cut a groove into the axle, creating a place for fatigue cracking to start.