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**Roscomacaw** · 08-14-2009, 02:50 PM

The question foremost in my mind is why you can't discern exactly where this Fligt-o-Matic leaks from[?][?][?] Surely, there's got to be a trail of oozing fluid to trace.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

**jimmijim8** · 08-14-2009, 03:06 PM

Front seal. pan gasket, rear seal, shift shaft seal. Leaking fill tube to tranny pan threaded junction. Hole in the tranny syndrome. jimmijim

Stude Junkie+++++++Do it right the f$$$$ Time. Never mind. Just do it right. When youre done your done. You'll know it.

**Dick Steinkamp** · 08-14-2009, 03:27 PM

If you are currently having your car repaired by a shop, can I assume the swap would be done by a shop?

If so, a swap is going to cost you an arm and an leg [^]. First you have to find a shop experienced with Studebakers and with such a swap. Identifying the needed parts and finding them will be a fairly major task. The swap itself is daunting, and if done by someone that can't seal up a Flightomatic, impossible.

Parts are probably closing in on $1500 (more if you want a modern 5 speed). Labor is probably going to be in the $2000 range IF you can find that mechanic familiar with the swap.

The cheapest (maybe best) way out is to get that Flightomatic sealed up. Have you talked with the folks in your local SDC chapter to help find a competent Stude mechanic?

Dick Steinkamp
Bellingham, WA

**S2DSteve** · 08-14-2009, 04:41 PM

Going from an automatic to manual is always a daunting task, unless you have complete donor car to get all the misc parts. Then you'll need an adaptor and a number of other specialized parts to upgrade to a modern 5-speed.

A GM automatic (TH350, 700R4, 200R4 etc.) using any one of several adpators available would be considerably easier/cheaper, although still typically more difficult/expensive than fixing the original.

Steve Hudson
The Dalles, Oregon
1949 "GMOBaker" 1-T Dually (workhorse)
1953 Commander Convertible (show & go)
1953 Champion Starliner (custom/rod project)
1954 Champion Coupe (daily driver)
1960 Hawk (future project?)

**HUB** · 08-14-2009, 05:39 PM

Hello Mr. Biggs - the whole bottom of the tranny looks wet if the car is up on a hoist. Maybe I should get the underside steam cleaned and then take it straight in to the garage?
Appreciate your comments Steve and Dick - not being a mechanic myself I've got little idea what's feasible/economical but enough experience of having vehicles and machinery repaired to know that one sometimes,"opens a can of worms", that leads from one expense to the next.
Shift shaft seal and fill tube junction - next oil change I'll have my mechanic look for those items if he hasn't already jimmijim.
I switched to Hamilton Chapter this season but we're about three to four hours away from the Hamilton area and I rarely have a weekday free.
With all the time I spent in high school learning stuff I've long forgotten I often kick myself that I didn't take auto shop instead!

Allan - Ontario, Canada
1963 GT Hawk
1964 Daytona Convertible

**sbca96** · 08-14-2009, 06:27 PM

The swap can be done cheaper IF you can do it yourself, the Hawk frame
has a crossmember already there that with a simple mod can be used to
mount the 700R4 trans.

BUT, what I would try FIRST is when the trans is a quart low, add a
quart of "TransX". This stuff is actually amazing. Retorque the pan
bolts to the factory spec and drive the car 5 miles per directions. I
did this on my wifes '78 Camaro that wouldnt move and leaked like it
was a road oiler .. 'solved' the problem for years!

Tom

'63 Avanti, zinc plated drilled & slotted 03 Mustang Cobra 13" front disc/98 GT rear brakes, 03 Cobra 17" wheels, GM alt, 97 Z28 leather seats, soon: TKO 5-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires

**buddymander** · 08-14-2009, 06:55 PM

Get under the car and bring a roll of bounty paper towels with you. That's how you find a transmission leak. And then find yourself a different mechanic. What kinda yayhoo can't fix a transmission leak; much less find it?

**Roscomacaw** · 08-14-2009, 07:41 PM

Allen,

From the tone of your last post, it's obvious (forgive me if I'm wrong) that you don't likely skin your knuckles on your Studes. Nothing wrong with that so long as A: you can afford such an approach, and B: you've got capable folks to do the work for you.

When you said maybe you should HAVE the underside steam cleaned before taking it to the shop, I gathered you don't do your own wrenching. But bear with me here. You say the whole pan is wet. I don't doubt what you say, but my approach would be to slide under this Hawk, taking a bottle of spray cleaner (409 or Fantastik or the like) and some fresh rags. I'd spray and wipe as much of the tranny as possible and then leave it be for awhile. Say a half hour or an hour or so, then slide back under it with a good flashlight and see if you can see WHERE this fluid's coming from. It doesn't just jump out and flash coat the bottom of the tranny - it's leaking and it should show you where.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1963 Cruiser
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

**Bud** · 08-15-2009, 06:13 AM

The only reason for a leak that I can think of at the moment is there a crack in the transmission case, torque convertor or pan. If the reseal job was done correctly, the trans shouldn't be leaking. Bud

**studebaker-R2-4-me** · 08-17-2009, 03:24 AM

My 64 Hawk powershift transmission leaked until I had it rebuilt. Most of the transmission oil leaks from the transmission shift arms. Plain and simple for your transmission the seals have shrunk the oil pours out of them.

I find now the rebuilt I have will leak out of the propeller shaft. I have a small pin hole in it. It starts the leak when the torque converter drains after sitting for 5 or so days.

I know of a retired transmission rebuilder in Southern Ontario but you have to get that transmission out of the car. He does not do that, he is strictly a bench mechanic.

All of my stuff is in storage right so passing on his number is out of the question. If you are doing a rebuild this fall/winter and want his number I can help you out when my stuff is out of storage...

Allen

1964 R2 GT Hawk

1963 Daytona Convertible
Oakville, Ontario.
Hamilton Chapter
See you in Cedar Rapids Summer 2009

**DEEPNHOCK** · 08-17-2009, 04:18 AM

We are here to help you Allen....

My advice?

Fix it.

Having a 45 year old car leak is not uncommon.

Tossing out a leaking trans for a swap on 'a driver' is going to be expensive.

You will be money ahead having your trans rebuilt with all new seals.

Then, you will have a trans that will probably outlive you, and you won't be leaking all that trans fluid...

And your Hawk will be back out on the road sooner.

IMOHO
Jeff[8D]

**DEEPNHOCK** · 08-17-2009, 04:26 AM

What crossmember is that, Tom?
Got a pic?
A 700R4 swap will also mean an adapter plate kit, a driveshaft change/mod/swap, and shift quadrant mods, and shift cable mods...
Not so easy for 'a driver'.

Trans-x (or whatever the soup dejour is) basically swells all the rubber stuff up inside.
It does what it does, and can work, but I'd only consider it in my Studes as a last resort...
(might fit Allen's situation)
A straight Stude trans for Stude trans swap would be easier and faster....
A straight up rebuild would be fastest and probably cheapest...

quote:Originally posted by sbca96

The swap can be done cheaper IF you can do it yourself, the Hawk frame
has a crossmember already there that with a simple mod can be used to
mount the 700R4 trans.

BUT, what I would try FIRST is when the trans is a quart low, add a
quart of "TransX". This stuff is actually amazing. Retorque the pan
bolts to the factory spec and drive the car 5 miles per directions. I
did this on my wifes '78 Camaro that wouldnt move and leaked like it
was a road oiler .. 'solved' the problem for years!

Tom

**WCP** · 08-17-2009, 09:37 AM

Allen, sounds like the front pump seal is bad. The trans will have to come out to replace the seal. There should be a shop near you that can handle the rebuild. A friend in Burlington could probably recommend a rebuilder - I'll ask him. If the trans were out of the car, I could handle the rebuild, but being in Kingston isn't much help, unless you can get the tranny to Napanee. E-mail me and I'll try to get a shop recommendation near you. Bill

**sbca96** · 08-17-2009, 10:50 AM

quote:Originally posted by DEEPNHOCK

What crossmember is that, Tom?
Got a pic?
A 700R4 swap will also mean an adapter plate kit, a driveshaft change/mod/swap, and shift quadrant mods, and shift cable mods...
Not so easy for 'a driver'.

Trans-x (or whatever the soup dejour is) basically swells all the rubber stuff up inside.
It does what it does, and can work, but I'd only consider it in my Studes as a last resort...
(might fit Allen's situation)
A straight Stude trans for Stude trans swap would be easier and faster....
A straight up rebuild would be fastest and probably cheapest...

The crossmember is the one that runs from a-pillar to a-pillar. The
mod is to remove it, and remove about an inch from the front edge in
the area where the pan is, then weld flat stock back in. I just cut
the edge off to the factory weld and moved my engine forward roughly
1/4 inch. I used an early 70's Chevelle driveshaft that fit perfect.
I think it was 15 bucks? I used a B&M shifter, and since this swap
is quite common among brand X cars, there are a lot of retro shifters
out there to finish it off nicely. I did the swap while driving the
car daily, and on a mininum wage budget. The adapter price is almost
the same still, the TH700's are about a 1/3 the cost they used to be,
and all the trimmings are readily available from multiple sources.

The TransX works the best out of any I have seen or heard about. I was
refering to a last resort type fix. Worst case, it DOESNT work and it
still means pulling the trans and having it rebuilt.

Tom

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Transmission swaps in GT Hawks

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