72 Fury III ENGINE OIL LEAKS ANS TRANS REMOVAL

MBar

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72 Fury 360 auto

Transmission needs a rebuild. I've also had to epoxy the bottom of the oil pan due to pinhole leaks and now the rear main has a bad leak. Also have some seepage at the front.

Option A: pull motor and trans and replace engine gaskets and freeze plugs and seals. I will have a replacement trans ready to go.

Option B: swap trans and change rear main seal with engine in the car while trans is out. Just the oil pan removal alone looks like a pain. Seems like it could be a lot less work. (maybe)

Is it a simple thing to just pull both out together? Can the rear seal even be replaced with engine in the car? I've seen some YouTube stuff but there's a point-of-no-return that's scary. Also, the length of time that I busy the garage is limited.
Looking for advice. Thank you
 
The hood will need to be removed and a long reach engine hoist will be needed to remove the engine with or without the transmission. This is at least a 2 man job. Your call on the rear main seal and oil pan.
 
The hood will need to be removed and a long reach engine hoist will be needed to remove the engine with or without the transmission. This is at least a 2 man job. Your call on the rear main seal and oil pan.
Thank you.. is the oil pan and rear seal something that can be done with the engine in the car?
 
If you are not in a hurry, I would pull the tranny and then the oil pan. It is not that bad to do the rear seal. I think the 72 360 uses a molded seal instead of a rope seal. They are not that bad to do. I would try to get another oil pan if you can find one. I have changed quite a few rear main seals with the engines in the cars with good results.
 
and now the rear main has a bad leak
Often, the oil sender leaks and the oil runs down the rear of the engine, mimicking a rear seal leak.

It's worth looking at that before you replace the rear seal.
 
If you are not in a hurry, I would pull the tranny and then the oil pan. It is not that bad to do the rear seal. I think the 72 360 uses a molded seal instead of a rope seal. They are not that bad to do. I would try to get another oil pan if you can find one. I have changed quite a few rear main seals with the engines in the cars with good results.
Getting that oil pan out without pulling the motor seems like a bit of a challenge.. looks like I might have to remove some suspension pieces or exhaust pipe and at least lift the engine up
 
If you are not in a hurry, I would pull the tranny and then the oil pan. It is not that bad to do the rear seal. I think the 72 360 uses a molded seal instead of a rope seal. They are not that bad to do. I would try to get another oil pan if you can find one. I have changed quite a few rear main seals with the engines in the cars with good results.
What's the best way to drop the pan without pulling the motor?
 
Do the oil pan removal before you remove the transmission as jacking up the engine just a little bit makes things way easier.


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What's the best way to drop the pan without pulling the motor?
If you have single exhaust you will have to disconnect the Y-pipe from the manifolds and can be troublesome for some with rusted nuts & bolts, I just torch them off unless they look brand new to use a impact wrench on. Don't waste your time with soaking with oil if they look very rusted. If you don't have cutting torch you can try and get a nut cracker up there. Always put new high grade nuts and bolts on there when putting it back together. You will have to drop the center link too.
Consult the FSM (factory service manual) it is your friend...

1972.360.FSM.OIL.PAN.jpg



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If you have single exhaust you will have to disconnect the Y-pipe from the manifolds and can be troublesome for some with rusted nuts & bolts, I just torch them off unless they look brand new to use a impact wrench on. Don't waste your time with soaking with oil if they look very rusted. If you don't have cutting torch you can try and get a nut cracker up there. Always put new high grade nuts and bolts on there when putting it back together. You will have to drop the center link too.
Consult the FSM (factory service manual) it is your friend...

View attachment 573824


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Exactly what I need. Thank you haven't looked since I posted but hoping for the best with those bolts as this has mostly been a dry California experience... About those suspension parts... Do I need to get a fork tool or what's the best way to get those off?
 
Do I need to get a fork tool or what's the best way to get those off?
There's a couple ways to take them off. One is with a pickle fork. You can buy those that you hit with a hammer or better yet, get the one that goes in an air chisel. The problem is that using it destroys the rubber boot.

Another way, and this works well most of the time is to use a big hammer (or as I call it a BFH) and you loosen the nuts several turns. Then you take the BFH and give a quick, sharp rap on the side of the link where the tapered bolt goes through. It may take a couple tries, but the link will pop off with the rubber boots intact. I've used a pry bar to pull down the bar and sometimes that helps, but most guys don't bother.

I found this on YouTube.


 
Exactly what I need. Thank you haven't looked since I posted but hoping for the best with those bolts as this has mostly been a dry California experience... About those suspension parts... Do I need to get a fork tool or what's the best way to get those off?
Yeah in another thread we saw an example of what happens if you jack up the engine with a fan shroud (it breaks)
So if you jack up the engine, make sure you disconnect the shroud.


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There's a couple ways to take them off. One is with a pickle fork. You can buy those that you hit with a hammer or better yet, get the one that goes in an air chisel. The problem is that using it destroys the rubber boot.

Another way, and this works well most of the time is to use a big hammer (or as I call it a BFH) and you loosen the nuts several turns. Then you take the BFH and give a quick, sharp rap on the side of the link where the tapered bolt goes through. It may take a couple tries, but the link will pop off with the rubber boots intact. I've used a pry bar to pull down the bar and sometimes that helps, but most guys don't bother.

I found this on YouTube.



I cringe whenever I see a claw hammer in a mechanics toolbox, ballpeen hammers are the go to hammer for mechanics, and not just one size or weight but multiple sizes in pairs just for a job like this. Notice this guy with the claw hammer said on the first go it took "like 30 hits" to separate the 'it's not a ball joint' but a tie rod. Beating on a critical steering part that many times is ill-advised as you may start a crack that may let loose somewhere further down the highway.

My best luck at 'rapping' tie rods, Idlers, and steering arm center links are with 2 same sized ballpeen hammers with a sufficient hit from both sides at the same time. Pop goes the weasel as they say, if you don't get it in two or three raps go to the pickle fork. If the seal get damage that is why you save the old joint seal from the ones you replaced that came off easy. Then there are proper push/pullers, ie steering arm to steering box puller, but even with those sometimes with a stubborn one you have to give it a rap to break it loose.

I think I hear the guy mentioned something about "it'd be better have a ballping", (some people talk way to fast).


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I cringe whenever I see a claw hammer in a mechanics toolbox, ballpeen hammers are the go to hammer for mechanics, and not just one size or weight but multiple sizes in pairs just for a job like this. Notice this guy with the claw hammer said on the first go it took "like 30 hits" to separate the 'it's not a ball joint' but a tie rod. Beating on a critical steering part that many times is ill-advised as you may start a crack that may let loose somewhere further down the highway.

My best luck at 'rapping' tie rods, Idlers, and steering arm center links are with 2 same sized ballpeen hammers with a sufficient hit from both sides at the same time. Pop goes the weasel as they say, if you don't get it in two or three raps go to the pickle fork. If the seal get damage that is why you save the old joint seal from the ones you replaced that came off easy. Then there are proper push/pullers, ie steering arm to steering box puller, but even with those sometimes with a stubborn one you have to give it a rap to break it loose.

I think I hear the guy mentioned something about "it'd be better have a ballping", (some people talk way to fast).


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You know... I just grabbed that video as a short, here's where you hit it deal. All the others went into 20 minutes of BS about other BS.

I missed the "30 hits" part though... Yea, that's not good.

Point being to give him an alternative to buying and using a pickle fork for one and trying to keep the seals in one piece.
 
You know... I just grabbed that video as a short, here's where you hit it deal. All the others went into 20 minutes of BS about other BS.

I missed the "30 hits" part though... Yea, that's not good.

Point being to give him an alternative to buying and using a pickle fork for one and trying to keep the seals in one piece.
Yea John the double hammer trick is a skill that takes time to acquire, me thinks (without digging through the FSM's) he would be better off searching out the proper tool.

Mopar tie rod remover tool.duckduckgo.com.jpg


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Yea John the double hammer trick is a skill that takes time to acquire, me thinks (without digging through the FSM's) he would be better off searching out the proper tool.

View attachment 574307

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I've used two hammers by placing one on the object to be smacked and then the other strikes it. A friend showed me that trick for some AC fitting "nuts" that were frozen in place. Worked great for that... and I seem to remember trying it (with success) on a stubborn tie rod.

Hitting two hammers at once? I'm not coordinated enough.... I'd hit myself in the face with one or something like that. I got enough scars and replacing missing teeth isn't cheap (scheduled for a replacement eye tooth next week!) so I don't see myself trying that.

Never seen the factory pullers in real life. I think somebody was making them in small quantities for the Mopar market though. Those would be the more expensive alternative although if done right, you can probably keep the seal intact. IIRC, the idea was to pre-load the tie rod end (or ball joint) with one of these pullers and then smack the tie rod with a hammer for the same result. There may be a universal type puller that your nearest Advanced Auto Zone will rent, but I never looked into it.

You can always just buy claw hammer at Harbor Freight for $10. :poke:
 
I've used two hammers by placing one on the object to be smacked and then the other strikes it. A friend showed me that trick for some AC fitting "nuts" that were frozen in place. Worked great for that... and I seem to remember trying it (with success) on a stubborn tie rod.

Hitting two hammers at once? I'm not coordinated enough.... I'd hit myself in the face with one or something like that. I got enough scars and replacing missing teeth isn't cheap (scheduled for a replacement eye tooth next week!) so I don't see myself trying that.

Never seen the factory pullers in real life. I think somebody was making them in small quantities for the Mopar market though. Those would be the more expensive alternative although if done right, you can probably keep the seal intact. IIRC, the idea was to pre-load the tie rod end (or ball joint) with one of these pullers and then smack the tie rod with a hammer for the same result. There may be a universal type puller that your nearest Advanced Auto Zone will rent, but I never looked into it.

You can always just buy claw hammer at Harbor Freight for $10. :poke:
Well I still remember my Junior High metal shop class teacher teaching us hammering skills in blacksmithing, something about when you hit the red-hot steel you were supposed to let the hammer bounce on the anvil surface several times with a ringing sound. I can't remember if it was to develop hammering rhythm or to expel some of the energy, but he had some logic for it and if you have been in a big 'smith shop you will hear a lot of ringing going on with the hammers.


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Well I still remember my Junior High metal shop class teacher teaching us hammering skills in blacksmithing, something about when you hit the red-hot steel you were supposed to let the hammer bounce on the anvil surface several times with a ringing sound. I can't remember if it was to develop hammering rhythm or to expel some of the energy, but he had some logic for it and if you have been in a big 'smith shop you will hear a lot of ringing going on with the hammers.


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I was told a long time ago that the master smith would hit the anvil to tell his apprentice to hit the red steel with a bigger hammer and then hit it again to tell him to stop.

I took a one night course in blacksmithing last year. Made a bottle opener I'll probably never use, but it was a lot of fun. When the instructor handed me a file and I started using it, he said something about "where did you learn that?" (I was rounding off the end). So then I had to give the instructor a crash course in how to file nice corners.... A skill learned back while still in vocational school as a teenager.
 
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