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Q & A: Rear Seal Leak, Overdrive Gearbox

Greetings, John, hope all is well...
I have two items.
I have a 71 'B"...FYI, have been to your place of business in Grand
Rapids several times(old and current locations) ..... A far as I'm
concerned, your the guru of the hobbby/sport..........I have had 3
'B's, two 76 cars, and my current 71......(I was tired of the rubber
bumber sceen, although my last 76 ws really quite nice......wire wheels,
blue......solid body, really a nice car etc.....anyway, I sold it for
an original, unrestored 71 chrome bumper car......It's not as nice as
the 76 from a curb apeal stant point, a few dents, a little rust, but
loads more fun to drive then the 76.......So I'm happy with the
change...(my kids arent though)..Anyway, when I acquired the car 2
years ago, the first thing I did was rebuid lthe enigne. I rebuillt the
engine on my 2nd 76 with great success, and as I have little experiece
with body work,( i figured i'd wait a few years and bring the car to you
for the body resto) the engine was the best place to start,as it
needed work........You supplied me with a new head for this rebuild, as
the existing one was cracked......While visiting your place to pick up
the new head, I told you about a slight grove on the rear of the
crank, where the rear seal mates ...You advised me the correct rework
procedure included pulling the crank and maching the surface smooth, and
fitting a sleeve...Well, I didnt take yr advise.......and the rear seal
leaks like a bitch....After I drive the car, I can place paint pan
under the engine and catch approx 1/.8 cp of oil..
I guess my question is, besides, pullling the crank, and having the
machine work done like you said....Is there a gasket material or
something else i can apply to the rear eagine plate, or elsewhere to
slow this leak????YES, I know i have to pull the engine,,,,....

And by the way, since I'm gonna have to pull the engine, this leads to
my next question.
.....
2. Overdrive T/M. I want an overdrive gearbox bad .....I know they
are hard to find...I have 3 questions..a-.do yo have any O/D boxes
available for sale...b .do you have any experiecice obtaining boxes
direct from England...If so, can you .recommend a source,etc...
c - I know an experienced T/M technician can convert a standard box to
an overdrive box...Do you do this as a service at "u" motors, or do you
not advise it.....Do you have any other recommendations regarding
obtaining an overdrive box?

Regards, Dan Baessler

DAN!

Well, you don't have to disassemble the engine! Just do this:
Remove the engine from the car -- you can more easily remove the engine
WITHOUT the gearbox. Remove the clutch, the flywheel, and the rear eng... read more