My 69 Grand Prix Restoration - 8

By: Charles E. Giannetta




May 29, 1999

Spent most of this HOT day cleaning the power steering gearbox and the steering shaft. Painted both and then installed them. Later I was able to paint my headers with a high heat paint from Eastwood Co.

May 30, 1999

Well I was going to clean up my transmission a little more, so I had tilted the tranny onto the bell housing. A few minutes later, I saw gear oil dripping from the input shaft. I didn't think that was normal. I got my service manual and verified that there should be an oil seal on the shaft.

I took the front housing off and found that supposedly a reputable transmission franchise, again, messed up. The oil seal has a gash right through the side, just below the external tension spring. It looks like a screwdriver went through it. I GUESS that's why it leaked. I spent some good money and thought I was getting a good job. Also the rear seal was never replaced, and they used silicon sealer to button up the job. Does anybody REMEMBER how to MAKE a gasket out of gasket material. They do still sell it!!!!! Oh WELL... I guess if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself!!!

Well, later that day I decided to media blast the motor.



June 2, 1999

All I'm going to say is that I got my transmission Back from supposedly being repaired the second time. I picked it up after hours, due to heavy road construction enroute. They had told me if I didn't get there soon enough, it would be left in a certain place. I got home, not surprisingly to me any more, and found that the rear seal STILL wasn't changed. It looks like I'll be doing it myself just to save aggrevation on my part. You didn't think this would go smooth, did you??? Needless to say, that's the last time I will ever go to that franchise again!!!

It's all part of restoring a car YOURSELF!!

June 4, 1999

Guess What!!! I got the damn rear tranny seal at a local auto parts store for under 3 bucks. I thought it was irreplaceable or made of gold or something as to why that franchise didn't replace it!!!!!



Page 8