Transmission / Overdrive: The farther I go the behinder I get: flight-o-matic headaches

[bhapner]

I started a thread a week ago about my leaky transmission. Well, I pulled the trans and it appears to be leaking around the control shaft, the front pump seal and the rear seal. I figured I could do the o-rings and gaskets myself, but now?... Oh, the trans drove and shifted ok when last driven 3-4 years ago. '63 289 GT
Here's my problems:

1. I used a transmission jack that only contacted the flange, no weight on the pan itself. After I dropped the trans the input shaft will not turn regardless of where the shift lever is positioned. I'm not a trans guru but it seams to me that if the trans is in neutral the input shaft should be able to be turned by hand. I didn't try to turn it until I had it upside down on my workbench.


2. After cleaning years of crud off the case, I find the tail housing is aluminum and the trans case itself is cast iron. Is this the way the factory did it?

3. The aluminum tail housing casting has lots if tiny cracks, looking much like paint "crazing." They are sufficient to catch on the scraper blade I used in the de-crudding process. I've seen some lawn mower motor castings with some of the same thing, but this seems excessive.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
bhapner

[Studebakercenteroforegon]

What you are seeing on the die-cast aluminum tail housing are not cracks in the part but witness marks of "heat checking" on the die casting die surface. The surface of a casting die is constantly being cycled from contact with 1200 degree molten aluminum and then room temperature water based mold release spray. The die surface fatigues and cracks, but the witness on the part is positive, not negative as a crack would be.
I retired from the die casting industry and I had to explain this to more than one alarmed customer.

[53commander]

The smaller splined shaft should turn, the larger splined shaft is the stator support for the torque converter and is part of the front pump and doesn't turn. Sometimes it is hard to get a good grip on the shaft with your hand to turn it, try putting it in gear and turning the tailshaft. I don't think you could have done anything wrong just by removing the trans.

[bhapner]

Thanks. Learn something new every day. In this case 2 things

[Steve Winzar]

Hi-
If it's any use to you, I have freshened-up my Flightomatic about 18 months ago and wrote a Blog on how it comes apart. There are lots of photos included. Bob Johnstone has kindly linked it on his studebaker resource website (scroll down the right hand side) but my Blog direct link is http://studebakerflightomatic.blogspot.com.au
BTW I'd really like some feedback if it's useful to you. Note that it's not quite finished but the info so far will get you 90% there.
Regards, Steve Winzar