Yesterday I changed the tail shaft bushing and found, as a wise person noted in the 700/900 FAQS, the gasket is the toughest part of the job. Fact is I'd planned to do several other maintenance items in the time I wound up spending removing that gasket-- finding myself wishing I'd prepared to have some gasket remover on hand. That last little strip around the very top is tough!

So armed with my search engine, I found that gasket remover I'd never used has the same stuff as in the "aircraft paint stripper" -- methylene chloride, pretty nasty stuff I'd once used to strip two Corona wheels before deciding to leave the other two alone.

Question is, did I really miss out on a helpful time-saver? Is that stuff safe to spray all over the tranny insides and get it running down your arm as you peel the gasket remains off the top of the transmission?

Thank you all for the benefit of your experience!
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Art,

I have used it for exactly the task you were doing three times now. Yes, it helps a lot. Of course it still is a tough job even with the gasket remover. It helps to have something else to do while you wait for the remover to soak into the old gasket. I always brush down the top and sides of the transmission and the surrounding floor pan so as to reduce the chances of knocking some the crud into the exposed inner workings of the transmission. It seems that 85% of the gasket remains on the transmission while the rear housing comes off pretty clean! I usually cover the majority of the exposed inner portions of the transmisson with a rag before spraying the remover on. I also let the transmission "hang down" as far as possible to make access on the top a little easier. I also use (among other things) a single edged razor blade in a holder to scrape the old gasket off. One of our 89 240's has reached the mileage (160K) where the worn bushing has worn the seal to the point that it leaks and I will be doing that job soon. I am toying with the idea of not removing the gasket on this one. Assuming the gasket sticks to one or the other surfaces and none is loose I am just going to use some type of sealer and see how it works. Probably some type of silicone based product. I think it is worth the gamble. Having done it now you might agree? (grin)

Randy

Before beginning I read what you wrote in the FAQS, though admittedly did not pick up the gasket remover. Used a newspaper bag (bread bag) with a rubber band to keep most of the stuff clean, but not all. I think the methylene chloride would have dissolved the plastic bag...so a shop rag would be better.

Yes, mine stuck to the tranny and left little substance on the tailshaft housing, something in retrospect I wish I'd left alone. But the temptation of that supple new gasket in the bag... I think your proposed gamble is worth it based on the torque and clamping force those six M10 bolts provide.

Of all the tools I tried, the heavy-duty refill for a utility knife provided the best action without any holder. The expensive blades are a lot sturdier and stay straight.

So does that gasket remover come out in a stream, spray or is it brush-on?

I hope to see a marked improvement in gas mileage now.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

The material I used- Permatex Gasket Remover -comes out in a spray but bubbles up on the surface and then the bubbles turn into just a wet coating.

Marked improvement in gas mileage because of replacing the tailshaft bushing??

Randy

"Marked improvement in gas mileage because of replacing the tailshaft bushing??"

I hope to be impressed myself.

The ATF soaked the oxygen sensor depriving it of its outside air reference. I saw the output go 800mV negative, though it would stay in the -100mV range most of the time.

The ECU saw this as constantly lean instead of a defective (open) sensor, so it poured on the gas even more than it does with a default bad sensor map...

I suppose most folks would just say they changed a bad sensor, but I could be certain I'd be doing it again if I left that tranny leak unattended.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

I wonder how much benefit there would be to:

1) Soaking the gasket area prior to removal with PB Blaster to start to soak the gasket
2) Using Goo-Gone to help remove the stuck gasket- excellent stuff, with MEK and other serious chemicals in it, like Xylene.
3) Using the nice long-handled gasket scraper that Sears sells- not the razor type, but more like a super-wide screwdriver. Very good control and not as big or as fragile as the razor scrapers.

Also, I can't say enough good things about "the tool" for this job: the bushing puller. It slips under the bushing, then expands to lock into it and draw it out. I think it's worth avoiding the aggravation, and it makes it into a job that you wouldn't mind doing yourself. For the home mechanic, it's a little expensive, but it's a lot less than a shop charging you 2 hours labor, so you've got to compare those costs.
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: "Roterande Fläkt Och Drivremmar!"

Can you really get that extractor for less than two hours shop labor? Is it the same tool mentioned in the FAQS as the one IPD rents?
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Here's IPD's tool and complete instructions.
This is under RWD: Transmission on their site, ipdusa.com

http://www.ipdusa.com/pdf/PI-238ATtailshaftbush.pdf
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: "Roterande Fläkt Och Drivremmar!"

Rob, and others, I would avoid using the ipd rental tool.
For $40 rental, if I remember right, I got an item that was designed poorly enough to damage threads in the tailshaft. Poo! Got to drive around to find and buy a tap to restore it... wrote ipd an illustrated letter about the episode, and didn't hear "boo" back.

Next time: order a gasket, drop the housing that holds the bushing, press it out, insert new bushing, and reinstall. No more work, and cheaper. Fewer headaches, too, I hope. Knock on wood!
--
Gregg in MN