Gearbox sleeve

[Violet Elizabeth]

After discovering some oil in the footwells, redline tell me that the sleeve (?) at the back of the gearbox has moved forward, and is causing gearbox oil to leaking into the tran tunnel, and thence the footwells.

 

Could someone give me a simple idea what this is. Just want to get my head round what has gone on. Is this sleeve just something that "steadies" the propshaft as it runs to the back of the car ? They did say something about the propshaft "flapping" which sounds nasty, is the thing it is running in full of oil of something.

 

Many thanks.

[Chelspeed]

Never taken this bit apart so I really am guessing here.

 

I know the propshaft end slides into the back of the ally extension housing on the gearbox. I know there's an oil seal pressed in here to seal the oil in.

 

Guessing starts here. It would be extremely bad engineering practice to run the steel propshaft in bare aluminium. The seal just seals and doesn't support the propshaft at all. So I am guessing there is something fitted into the inside of the end of the ally extension housing in which the propshaft is supported. Could be a bearing. But as it's quite lightly loaded, no sideways forces, it's quite likely it's some kind of metal sleeve pressed into the alloy housing. Probably made of something bearing'y, bronze or whatever. Pretty similar to the cam bearings pressed into the cast iron block on a crossflow.

 

If this is the case then if this sleeve moves the propshaft could "flap around" in the slightly larger hole in which the sleeve should be fitted, in this situation the oil seal could not be expected to seal and you would leak a little oil. More importantly the propshaft will be wearing the alloy housing, if you leave it too long the housing may be too worn to refit the sleeve.

[Violet Elizabeth]

Ah yes. I think it was a brass sleeve.

 

Thanks Chelspeed, think I get the picture now. Will have to wait to see what damage has been done.

[John E]

Check that it isnt coming out of the breather.