Re: Re: 1955 Traction 11B “Barn Find” Project

For the leak at the drive shafts, the gearbox must come out and the bell housing taken off, or loosened slightly to get the flanges off. If you just loosen it, you may have oil leaking where it joins the gearbox. Best to take it right off and install new gaskets. The flanges come off pretty easily, take them off and look where the seal rides. If this area shows wear, take the flanges to a machine shop and they can build up the wear by welding and then by turning them on a lathe for a new surface. Or, do what Den did. New drive shaft seals are available.

That bolt behind the fuel pump shield is not going to affect the oil pressure as that part of the block is open. Any oil escaping there is from it splashing around inside the block and sump. Low oil pressure may be caused by a weak relief valve spring in the oil pump itself.

The water pump must come out and apart. Here again, a machine shop can put a new face on the part where the seal rides. I did this with one of my cars that had a steady drip and now it’s fine.

Anyway, congratulations on getting it running. It may not be the beginning of the end, but it’s the end of the beginning as some famous guy said years ago.