The transmission in my 1953 Chieftain wagon had been leaking for a while, but up until recently it seemed fairly minor and manageable. My plan was to continue driving the car through the summer and pull the transmission in the fall to replace the front seals.
That plan changed after attending the first car show I’ve taken the wagon to this year on June 13, 2026.
The car was parked on a slight slope during the show, with the front sitting lower than the rear. While checking things over, I noticed the front seal was leaking much more heavily than before. By the end of the show there was a considerable amount of transmission fluid under the car. It was clear that what had been a manageable seep had turned into something that needed immediate attention.
With plans to attend the Friends of Charity Auto Fair on July 10-11, I wanted to get the problem resolved and have the wagon back on the road well before then.
On Sunday, June 14, I decided to go ahead and pull the transmission. Fortunately, the removal went smoothly and I had the 1956 Strato-Flight Hydra-Matic out of the car in about two hours.
Once the transmission was out, I contacted Dave Edwards at AutoTran and ordered the seals needed to reseal the front of the transmission. Dave shipped the parts promptly, and they arrived on June 18.
After work that evening, I installed the new front seal along with the two large O-rings, reassembled the torus unit, and began reinstalling the transmission. By the time I called it a night, the transmission was nearly back in place. All that remained was reinstalling the crossmember, driveshaft, and exhaust system.
Today, June 19, I finished the remaining work, refilled the transmission with fluid, and took the wagon out for a test drive.
The result? No more leak.
From pulling the transmission, ordering the parts, completing the repair, and getting the car back on the road, the entire process took just five days. I’m relieved to have the problem resolved and even happier to have the wagon ready for summer driving and upcoming events.
I didn’t take many photos during this project, as my main focus was getting the transmission repaired and the car back on the road as quickly as possible. As a result, I only have a handful of pictures to share from the process.
Comments