66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

[Rod M.]

I pulled the clutch cross shaft to rebuild it. there was a washer between the frame side stud and the bracket. The rebuild kit from Corvette Central has two felt seals that apparently go on both ends of the shaft. My shaft did not have these felt seals to begin with and the Assembly manual does not show them either. So what is the correct shaft setup suppost to be? Should I install the feft seals?
Thanks for any help in this matter.

[Joe L.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

I pulled the clutch cross shaft to rebuild it. there was a washer between the frame side stud and the bracket. The rebuild kit from Corvette Central has two felt seals that apparently go on both ends of the shaft. My shaft did not have these felt seals to begin with and the Assembly manual does not show them either. So what is the correct shaft setup suppost to be? Should I install the feft seals?
Thanks for any help in this matter.

Rod------


The felt washers were originally used. The outer felt washer was GM #3743360 and is shown in the assembly manual.

The inner felt washer, GM #3743355, was part of the stud assembly, GM #3752863. As a result, it's not shown separately in the assembly manual. However, in most cases one does not need to replace the stud so the felt washer is supplied separately in SERVICE.

[Peter J.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

There is only one felt washer used, I got one of the rebuild gets pictured below that had two felt washers (they all do) and John Hinckley pointed out that there is only one used originally and that is what my 66 had when I disassembled it - just the one.

[John H.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

Most of the vendors have the "kit" wrong. There are only two Delrin ball seats (at the frame end), one felt washer (at the frame end), and there's NO felt washer at the engine end - that end has a square-section O-ring that was part of the ball stud assembly as received from the supplier at St. Louis (photo below).

[Joe L.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

Most of the vendors have the "kit" wrong. There are only two Delrin ball seats (at the frame end), one felt washer (at the frame end), and there's NO felt washer at the engine end - that end has a square-section O-ring that was part of the ball stud assembly as received from the supplier at St. Louis (photo below).

John-----


I agree that the seal was supplied as part of the engine-mounted ball stud assembly. However, GM specifies that the seal was also available separately in SERVICE, was of GM #3743355, and was of felt material. It's very possible, though, that the material for this seal changed over time, although the part number never did change.

I have some NOS examples of these seals but finding them is something I don't relish the thought of right now. It might not mean too much, though, even if I found them because I would not necessarily know just how old they are.

[Rod M.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

I really appreciate the quick feed back and want to say Thanks for the help. Its great to know that there people like you who so much about these cars.

[Joe R.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

John,

Joe is correct as I have provided a pic clearly with part numbers and the felt washer supplied by GM (in 70's) and presently.

The motor side stud was later supplied with the rubber seal for those who got into this hobby later in life.

JR

[Joe L.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

John,

Joe is correct as I have provided a pic clearly with part numbers and the felt washer supplied by GM (in 70's) and presently.

The motor side stud was later supplied with the rubber seal for those who got into this hobby later in life.

JR

JR------


I'm so glad you attached those photos. Last evening I ALMOST went out to dig out my 3743355's but the thought of moving around all those parts group 1 tote bins to find them was more than I could bear. However, for the sake of research, I figured I'd do it today. Now I don't have to. What a relief!

[Jim D.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

The "Joe's" are correct. I had to pull mine just to be sure. This is from my 65 and it has never been removed until today. This should be proof enough for the non-believers that they did in fact come from the factory with two, albeit different size, felt washers.

[Joe R.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

I'm shocked that you would doubt the "Joe's". About 100 years of combined experience and you "doubt". "Shocked"

Actually the felt just plugged in the end was a poor way to stop a high pressure grease gun. Usually the felt plug was blown out the end the first time someone decided to "grease" the cross shaft.
Chevy did come up with a better idea when they started putting the hard rubber seal on the stud Group 0.851 PN 3866568.

JR

[Joe L.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

The "Joe's" are correct. I had to pull mine just to be sure. This is from my 65 and it has never been removed until today. This should be proof enough for the non-believers that they did in fact come from the factory with two, albeit different size, felt washers.

Jim------


Here's what I THINK may have occurred:

These felt washers were intended to be a dust shield only. As originally manufactured at St. Louis there was no need for a grease seal on either end of the cross shaft. That's because as assembled at St. Louis the cross shaft was not pressure-lubricated----grease was simply applied to the ball studs and the cross shaft assembled.

In SERVICE, there were 2 ways to lubricate the cross shaft: one way was to remove it from the car, disassemble it, and lubricate the ball studs just as was done in PRODUCTION. The other way was to install a grease fitting in the otherwise plastic-plugged hole in the cross shaft and pressure lubricate it. Which way does one suppose it was commonly done? I expect about 0.001% were done the first way and the other 99.999% the second way.

Now, with pressure lubrication there comes to be more need for a grease seal to help avoid excessive "squeeze-out" and the common "grease-blob dripping-down-the-block-syndrome". While I doubt the rubber grease seal would have been very effective in preventing this, it may have been regarded as at least an attempt at a cure. It's even possible that the rubber seal was added prior to the end of C3 PRODUCTION (which ended in 1981 for manual transmission cars). No matter, though, as no one will ever see this seal when installed on the car.

[John H.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

Very interesting - never paid any attention to the engine-side stud configuration until about twenty years ago.

[Jim D.]

Re: 66 clutch cross shaft restoration question

I'm shocked that you would doubt the "Joe's". About 100 years of combined experience and you "doubt". "Shocked"
JR

I never "doubted" the "Joe's". I was just "confirming" they were correct.