Goodness! What have we here?

[starlightchamp]

This morning, I noticed a brown,oily patch on my driveway and leaking down
the right rear tire. My guess is it is differential oil.Too heavy to be brakefluid.
Is it likely the axle seal? I have a mechanic that would replace same but
I think it wise to replace both sides with seals and bearings. I have the chassis manual
to get part numbers. I would like to pre-order the parts needed so the mechanic can
do the complete job from parts on hand. Do any vendors sell a complete axle rebuild
kit for 63 Hawk? What else to order beside bearings and seals?
...Dick Curtis

1950 Champion Starlight
1963 Hawk GT
Santa Barbara
CA

[starlightchamp]

Looks like this.

[Roscomacaw]

Was this thing sitting on level ground? The way the seals are, they usually don't just go belly up![xx(]

Miscreant adrift in
the BerStuda Triangle


1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe

[studeclunker]

Golly![:0] I wish the underside of my cars looked that pretty![^]


Home of the famous Mr. Ed!
Lotsa Larks!
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Studebaker!
Ron Smith
Where the heck is Lewiston, CA?

[rockne10]

Put your nose to it and if it makes you back away it's gear oil. Light it on fire and it's brake fluid. NO, NO, NO, don't! Just kidding.
Seriously, gear oil has an odor that can be confused with no other.
I once had a gear oil leak because the mechanic who inspected my car jammed the key in the hub and split the keyway. It only leaked when the car was parked with the driver's side downhill.



Brad Johnson
Pine Grove Mills, Pa.
'33 Rockne 10, '51 Commander Starlight, '53 Commander Starlight

[PlainBrownR2]

That almost looks like brake fluid by looking at where the seepage is at. It appears to be seeping out from behind the drum or backing plate. Either that or there may be a pinched line back there and its very slowly leaking through that. I would check the level of the fluid in the reservoir just in case. Brake fluid has another quality to it and I discovered it when I POR-15'd my springs and axle and I had a pinched line. It will eat through the paint and just about anything else that is in a thin coating. Differential fluid on my Lark has a habit of leaving the front pinion seal. It is reddish, and has a very kinda heavy, burnt, oily, vile smell to it. This is really noticeable if you add or change fluid in the differential and it gets on your arms, hands, and clothes. I know I have found this out a number of times when I had to add fluid to mine.


1964 Studebaker Commander R2 clone
1950 Studebaker 2R5 with 170 turbocharged
[img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/DSC00003.jpg?t=1171152673[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/DSC00009.jpg?t=1171153019[/img=right]
[img=left]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/DSC00002.jpg?t=1171153180[/img=left]
[img=right]http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t102/PlainBrownR2/DSC00005.jpg?t=1171153370[/img=right]

[50starlite]

Dick,
I have the same problem on my '50 Champion. It just started in the last couple of weeks. I'm sure it must be differential oil even though it's not low on oil. (But it doesn't smell like differential oil.) My MC is full to the top so it's not brake fluid. Next I'll pull the wheel and check it out. I've had it off before so it's no big deal. I'll let you know what I find out.

Dick Lee
Mountain Home, AR
http://livingintheozarks.com/studebaker.htm

[sbca96]

Ick! If thats inside the brake drum (most likely is) you are looking
at brake shoes too! Strange that it burped like that. Had you been
driving it recently, so that it could have run out that way, then run
down the parts after sitting?

Did you get your axles checked for cracks? I seem to remember you had
a wobble in one hub? If you are going to go through the trouble of
doing all the seals, you might consider a Fairborn flanged axle kit.
It comes with new seals, and maybe Fairborn will throw in the other
seals you need. Might give them a call and check. Just a thought.

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: 97 Z28 T-56 6-spd, Ported heads w/SST full flow valves, 'R3' 276 cam, Edelbrock AFB Carb, GM HEI distributor, 8.8mm plug wires

[Dick Steinkamp]

quote:Originally posted by sbca96

It comes with new seals, and maybe Fairborn will throw in the other
seals you need. Might give them a call and check. Just a thought.

The Fairborn kit comes with ALL the axle seals. The inner gear oil seals, the outer grease seals and the outer gasket. New outer bearings are already pressed on to the axles. Pretty quality kit.

[sbca96]

Pinion too?[]

Tom

quote:Originally posted by Dick Steinkamp
The Fairborn kit comes with ALL the axle seals.

[starlightchamp]

Thanks all for the help. Mr.Biggs mentioned if the car was parked on an incline and the answer
is "YES". The driveway slants about 15 degrees and the oil runs out the lower side. I moved the car to a level
area and left it for several hours with no seepage. The rear end does have a deep rumbling noise
when driven that sounds like tire/road noise. Anyway I need to have it looked at.
Tom, the flanged axle approach sounds good. Does anyone have experience with installing the Fairborn Kit?
Could a 75 year old shade tree mechanic do it with out a lot of trouble? I'll give them a call.
BTW, took both studes to the Wheels and Waves Car show yesterday. Drizzle rain but a large turn out
and I had lot's of interest shown in the cars.
"Oh my dad had one of those." " I learned to drive in a Studebaker." " Studebaker was owned by Tucker."
...DIck

1950 Champion Starlight
1963 Hawk GT
Santa Barbara
CA

[acolds]

If it will wash off with water its brake fluid if you touch it with your hand wipoe it off then wash hand with soap if it still smells iys gear lube hard to wash smeel from hands

[sbca96]

I have not done the Fairborn kit (yet), but I do know a local guy who
has done them, he also has a GT Hawk, he is one of the guys included
in the EMail I sent out tonight - "Paul". He was kind enough to let
me "borrow" one of his old axles left over from the upgrade.

Tom