My Willys 3A and 3B Community
3A, 3B, DJ Technical Knowledge Base => "Original"-- Technical Questions, Answers, Observations => Topic started by: macrisel on June 13, 2014, 04:10:19 PM
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So the time has come to drop my transmission and transfer case for a rebuild. When I did my frame off resto I simply cleaned up and painted both of them and have been driving them ever since. Since completion, I have drove the jeep for a little over a year and loved every minute of it. I really wanted to do this project last winter, but I never chipped out enough time.
Well, as bad as i hate to do it in prime Jeep season, I have some time now. Besides, the more I drive it, the larger the pools get in the garage from bad seals.
The good news: the only issues I have (besides the massive leaks) are some grinding from 2nd to 3rd if I shift too fast. I am thinking/hoping that I may only need need new synchros plus the normal small parts kit.
The bad news: I have been unable to find any NOS blocking rings anywhere. I have checked ebay, walcks, kaiser willys, novak's, DL Bensinger, Midwest Willys, Willys America, Northstar Willys and several other jeep sites. Peter DeBella "might" have some NOS or US parts but wouldn't commit to it until I order.
Does anyone have some NOS ones or US made rings they want to part with or know of another recent source?
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Could you just replace the seals for now? I think you could do that without pulling the transmission...and you could collect the parts and rebuild later..
I got my kit from Herm, the overdrive guy, but I don't know where he gets the various parts....the gasket kits were from Crown...
I though I'd found you some syncro rings on ebay but they were for a t-84......but you could check the numbers and see....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/194166-Willys-Jeep-T84T96-3-speed-syncronizer-rings-/360324959894
And you might try midwest military, Ron Fitzpatrick/G503 and Brent Mullins....
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I had tried Midwest willys, no luck. When I called Herm, I spoke with someone who assured me that the blocking rings they had were NOT Omix or Crown and that their synchro assembly and second gear were US made parts. They also stated they rebuild three or four T-90 transmissions a week using these parts with no issues. When I spoke with Novak, they said the same thing about their Crown blocking rings.
I saw the T-86 rings on ebay also. Seems like there are several vendors out there that have NOS rings for them.
Small rant...............how in the world is there no good parts for these transmissions?!?! This tranny was in use for over 20 years and used in several different vehicles. There had to be over a million transmissions made and no US company can make parts easily available? I would think there has to be a market for them still............rant over....
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rant X2
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For what it's worth I have over 4000 miles on the "installed-before-I-knew-any-better" Crown blocking rings in my 3A and so far so good. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself by gloating about it here. The tranny leaks like a sieve but that has more to do with the moron who assembled it than the quality of any parts.
Even with that said, I'd still be on the hunt for NOS parts if I had to do another one. I did use NOS stuff on my second T-90 rebuild (for the M38). Incidentally, that one barely leaks at all and was rebuilt by the same moron - his skills are either improving or he just got lucky that day.
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Hey Ryan, I feel like a moron maybe as much as you! ;) Are you the moron?� :-? ;D ;D ;D
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Hey Gents,
This is the first time I've been logged on in a while. I may be a bit out of sync here, but as far a quality tranny parts I have to suggest Novak Conversions in Logan, Utah. When Carl (Carl's Jeep) had his tranny apart I suggested Novak's and I think he had a good outcome with their locally manufactured quality parts.
Like Ryan, I had a "before-I-Knew -better" overhaul and then did it again with NOS parts. Both were before Carl went into his tranny.
Novak's does all kinds of Jeep mods and conversions and manufactures their own parts. Google them. I think you'll like what you find.
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I suggest you buy a complete NOS synchronizer assembly from Contact jim@fiftiesfordparts.com he sells them for $50 plus shipping.
It has the complete sycro and two blocking rings.
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Carl and I both purchased a NOS synchro complete from this guy. I thought of this when I responded earlier but didn't think he'd have any left. I hope he does.
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Thanks everyone, I have sent him an email. Unfortunately, I'm running out of time to work on my project and if I don't hear back from him soon, I will probably order from Herm. He assured me his synchro and rings were US made quality parts that they use in all their rebuilt transmissions they sell and that he would stand behind them.
Time to hurry up and wait!
Good to see you back online Calvin!
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The parts in our trannys are used in a lot of Borg Warner trannys. He probably can tell us more about cross reference numbers. I suspect Borg Warner still makes some of them.
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Well, I never heard from the other individual so I went ahead and ordered from Herm.� Chances are I either typed in the email incorrectly or my message was routed to his junk mail.� I should have the parts in next week so I'll check them out and get them installed.� Herm was great to work with and answered all my questions.� Seems like a great guy.� The only downside people should be aware of is he does not accept credit cards or online payments at this time.� You have to either send him a check through the mail (plan on 5-7 business days for payment to reach him) or wire him the money directly (banks usually charge a $20-$30 fee for this).
I guess I might tear the t-case apart also while I wait for parts!� :o
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You could send him a money order. The Postal money orders are as good as gold.
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Hi Mark,
You may have seen this...it was posted recently on the 2a site..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72fqfC5EXE8&feature=youtu.be
I haven't watched the whole video yet but it is interesting so far!
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Very nice video! That link probably needs to be added to our transmission section. The guy does a pretty good job of explaining things and showing how to do it in plain English.
I especially like the cursing when he dumps some needle bearings...that will probably be me! ;D
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Well, the parts list just keeps adding up! So far I have ended up with a new second gear, 1st/reverse sliding gear and both reverse idler and main counter shaft! I received my parts from Herm yesterday and started my assembly this morning and immediately hit a snag.....
When I test fit my new front main bearing on the input shaft....it dropped right on with no problem or force required. I'm guessing that is not a good thing as everything I read has you freezing the shaft and heating the bearing to get it to fit on. Either that or pressing it on. The fact that it slides right on by hand does not seem right.
I have tried to call Herm to verify the bearing number, but I think it is correct. I have a bad feeling my input shaft is bad. With it being July 4th today I probably won't get a call today...
Can anyone tell me what the measurement of the shaft should be where the bearing rides? Mine is measuring about 1.57"......and the bearing ID measures around 1.575".
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I really shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch. I now have to add a new input shaft and main shaft to the parts list. Using my new needle bearings, I put them in the input shaft and test fit my main shaft into it. Wow.........that thing flopped around like a limp noodle. On top of that, when I looked at the end of the main shaft and the inside of the input shaft, I saw quite a bit of pitting. Add all of that to the bearing sliding on by hand and I think I will go ahead and get both of them.
It's only money right?
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Good move. I was about to suggest that until I read the rest of your posts.
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A big thank you to Brent Mullins in TX for the NOS 1st/reverse gear and Peter Debella in NY for the NOS input shaft and main shaft in my transmission. Two good guys that were easy to deal with and talk to. It is nice to have some NOS options still left out there!
I have received all my parts (again) and will hopefully be picking back up my t/c and and transmisison rebuilds this weekend!
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After an exhausting last week and weekend, I managed to get both my transfer case and transmission re-assembled and joined back together.� It is definately tighter than it was before and hopefully will not leak.� I spent most of the late nights last week putting the t/c together and most of the weekend on the trasmission.
Here are a few shots...
Front cap on the t/c getting ready to check the endplay
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/8BE4FDBA-D26E-4DFF-8A3E-ADAA57B151E7_zps2ddit8c2.jpg)
Checking the endplay.� I know some of you will be jealous, but I actually got lucky and came up with .005" on my first shim pack.� I disassembled and sprayed the shims with sealer and called it good.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/E8279A00-F081-4322-BE82-DD672E808420_zps9dpzrkbh.jpg)
T/c case sealed up and finished.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/0CD6F0F2-8DFF-4190-BCC4-775806002075_zpsifnl6wbk.jpg)
Loading the needle bearings into the cluster shaft.� My Dad was helping me and was very doubtful a wooden dowl rod and electrical conduit would work.� He was then pretty happy when it turned out...
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/BB2FE18B-17E2-45C7-A033-CE4D2AA43057_zps1lngpuwa.jpg)
Main shaft assembled and in the case..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/D9607216-D9F8-4639-BB89-570ABC578F7D_zpsn9netoz5.jpg)
Finished transmission..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/F6811FCA-ADAC-4431-99BF-68A86FEEFC98_zpsz0vrgjrq.jpg)
And finally last night around midnight the t/c and transmission were reunited!� I had did a dry fit first to ensure there wasn't any obstructions then pulled them back apart and put the gasket in..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/2EB8C690-34F2-4AD1-B495-D63503066DA5_zpsanmgyk0k.jpg)
Next up I have to find and install an oil seal in my PTO before I put it on the t/c. I also have to disassemble and check the shift tower prior to installation.
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0.005" on your first try?? oooh you lucky DOG!
I know you will anyways but make sure you shift through the gears of the trans and verify the shafts turn as they should before throwing everything back in the vehicle. If you do this w/o the TC bolted on make sure you don't push the main shaft out of the case when moving the shifter.
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I did bolt the shift tower to the transmission and shift through the gears last night. It seemed pretty tight going from 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd but I'll check it again when it is not so late. I was burning the midnight oil last night and didn't want to push my luck anymore. Plus, with everything being new I assume things were going to be a lot tighter than they were before. The synchro hub seemed to be the tightest part.
Also, how much play does everyone have in their shift tower while it is in gear? On mine (even before the rebuild) I can have it in gear and move the shifter left and right maybe an inch each way....just wondering if my shifter end is worn or maybe the shift forks/rails....
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Make sure you turn the input shaft by hand in each gear to make sure the main shaft turns along with it. You'll see the different ratios in each gear.
I'll have to check my shifter for play. I forget how much wobble there is. Knowing my luck, probably way too much.
Edit: I just checked my 3A and M38. Both have roughly 1/2" to 1-1/8" play at the top of the stick depending on the the engaged gear. Both are a little sloppier in 1st gear than the other gears. Undoubtedly has more to do with worn shift forks than the T-90 internals.
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Hey Gents,
This is the first time I've been logged on in a while.� I may be a bit out of sync here, but as far a quality tranny parts I have to suggest Novak Conversions in Logan, Utah.� When Carl (Carl's Jeep) had his tranny apart I suggested Novak's and I think he had a good outcome with their locally manufactured quality parts.�
Like Ryan, I had a "before-I-Knew -better" overhaul and then did it again with NOS parts.� Both were before Carl went into his tranny.�
Novak's does all kinds of Jeep mods and conversions and manufactures their own parts. Google them.� I think you'll like what you find.
I learned from Calvin after his 2nd rebuild, and went straight to Novak for all of my T/TC internal parts. No trouble with any of them, and no leaks.
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how much play does everyone have in their shift tower while it is in gear?�
I finally remembered to check, but no measuring tape...so the estimate is just a little more than an inch in first and reverse, and maybe an inch or a little less in second and third.
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Thanks for checking guys. I called and talked to Carl Walck and Herm the Overdrive Guy and they both said that there could be quite a bit of play in the stick without anything being wrong. As long as the shift forks and shift rails/poppet balls don't show a lot of wear it should be okay. I guess it's never going to be as tight as a Hurst short throw shifter..... ;)
On another side note, I went ahead and ordered a new clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing. My clutch still had quite a bit of wear left on it, but one of the springs was loose in its housing. Before my teardown, I was getting a little bit of a rattle when I pushed the clutch in. After rebuilding the trans/t-case I discovered the rattle could have been a bad pilot bushing, bad bearings, bad input shaft or one of the needle bearings that had come out of the input shaft that was floating around inside. Looking at that loose spring, it could have been coming from that also. I don't want to pull the transmission again anytime soon, so I made a quick trip to Walck's website and a few mouse clicks later the parts are one their way..
Do you think Carl will ever start a reward points program........? I could sponsor another project with all the stuff I've bought from them over the years... ;D
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Do you think Carl will ever start a reward points program........?�
I think you are on to something..
"Walck's Willys Bucks"....
Try saying that real fast three or four times!
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Whew!� Another exhausting weekend working out in the shop.� Without a doubt, I have used every Willy Point I had built up over the past year........and I'm probably in debt also.� However, I managed to get everything finished up.� Not only did I rebuild the shift tower, but I also took the PTO apart and replaced the bearings and seals in it.� Then, I spent Sunday afternoon putting everything back into the Willys and doing a dry run with it on jacks.� There was only one major mistake on my part that caused me 10 minutes of sheer panic.� When I first put it in gear........I only had reverse......in every gear.� Once I cussed, paniced and calmed down and thought about it for a second I pulled the shift tower back off.� Sure enough, I had missed getting the fork on the 1st/reverse slider gear and it was stuck in reverse with no way to pull it out.� Easy fix and everything worked after that.. ::)� Tonight I'll drain the oil, replace it and take it for a test drive......
Wish me luck!�
A few more photos...
First off, I was just going to replace the seal on the PTO.� However, when I started cleaning it up, I noticed a lot of metal flakes inside.� Since I just spent a fair amount of time and headaches on the trans/t-case, I didn't want a wandering flake from the PTO to wreck havok on them.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/4E73807D-2EEA-4C57-86F3-88A0A900CECE_zps20im0et1.jpg)
Parts cleaned up and laid out..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/917E01EF-5EF1-4180-9C65-521C28774BA0_zps1rddtg2p.jpg)
Oh well, when I pulled everything apart, the bearings in the PTO were shot.� A quick call to NAPA and I had two new bearings in hand.� Installation was pretty simple.� For the bearing on the shaft, I used the same trick from the rebuild guide (freeze the shaft, boil the bearing) and made short work of it.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/4066C140-316C-43E8-BA4A-C06932FF2639_zpspobut54t.jpg)�
For the oil seal, I just used one of the single lip seals in my rebuild kit from Herm that I didn't use in my t-case.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/94DF9470-D02F-4FB5-AC8D-E5E2A4E61329_zpsh0uiun2g.jpg)
PTO mated back to everything else waiting on install!
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/7F2AF311-5DFC-44EC-BF55-4543230A251C_zps8x2bqoau.jpg)
New clutch and pressure plate installed.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/36AD62FB-793F-40F1-AA5E-041EF1C188E3_zpskwlump3f.jpg)
Loaded on the trans jack ready for install..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/F32A0B79-9BF5-4F2F-A108-5915EDFDBE28_zpsatdyhles.jpg)
Shift tower torn apart, cleaned, repainted, reassembled with new caps.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/027FD9D5-EF5E-4551-842E-C8998D53E1DC_zpsbplji7tk.jpg)
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What sort of transmission jack are you using? Will you use your floor jack to lift it in place?
And what about those caps on the tower?.....I'm pretty sure mine does not have those caps.....I just had the cover off and didn't see any caps, unless they are recessed...
I hope you have lots of smooth shifts and quiet running....!
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Well, the test run didn't go exactly as planned. I am having an issue with going from 1st to 2nd and I think the issue is in the shift tower. For some reason, it seems the cane shifter is not making the transition from one rail to the other very smoothly and I end up hitting reverse instead of second gear. Is this issue related to having so much play in the shifter?
My shift tower didn't have the caps on it either, but I was under the impression they were just missing. However, on my third shift, the cap for the 2-3 rail popped out.......guess that is why they weren't there to begin with....
Also, like others have said after their rebuild, my transmission feels TIGHT! Without having another "new" T-90 to compare to, I'm not sure what it too tight and what is normal... Is this related to my 1-2 shift issue?
On a side note, I'll have to check the name brand on the transmission jack. I use this jack with our car lift overhead instead of using a floor jack on the ground.
Do I just need to drive it more to loosen everything up and make the shifts easier???
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Are the tranny and tcase housings mated together flat? Sometimes the small lock plate can get out of place and not allow the housings to bolts together flat. This can cause binding.
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Yes, I believe they are flat. I remembered someone else having that issue and it caused a severe leak so I was very cautious of that when I joined them together. I had even did a dry fit first to make sure that plate wasn't going to interfere with anything.
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I had this problem last night and have it posted on my DJ3A build. I had two different transfer case cutouts that. The early case had a very small locking plate cutout as opposed to the later have a rather large cutout.
It bound and had me scratching my head till I looked at them both and had to modify my locking plate. That's why I shift through the gears on the table several times.
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Do I just need to drive it more to loosen everything up and make the shifts easier???
My transmission was kind of tight initially..it was "notchy".you could feel the gear changes, it didn't just smoothly change from one gear to the other. After about 300 miles it started to get noticeably smoother.
I double checked the shift lever cane end movement...this time with a ruler...1st and Reverse 7/8"....2nd and 3rd 3/4"
Thanks for the note on the tower end caps....I don't think my kit had any and the tower didn't have any when I took it apart....the manual shows caps on the 4-speed but not on the 3-speed that I can see...
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There should be a gasket between the two housings. The kit I bought had a selection of thicknesses to use. What you have to do is measure how much the rear bearing retainer plate sticks above the rear of the tranny case. Then use a gasket that fills that space. If you don't you may end up with a leak between the two cases or pressing the retainer place to hard and damaging one or both cases.
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Thanks everyone for the suggestions.� I went through my photos and found where I put the gasket between the trans and t-case.� It looks like I have the later style t-case.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/2ADBF778-1701-4832-9E1E-AB1DC5E74C4D_zpsa63o8oin.jpg)
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/B0C2FE31-09CE-466D-94B9-3BFFE3747162_zpstccbuw28.jpg)
I called and spoke with Carl Walck this morning and his first bit of advice was to put 200-300 miles on it.� According to him, it is not unusual for the transmission to be pretty tight with the amount of parts I replaced.� He also said that I shouldn't have as much play in the shift tower as I do and that the cane is probably worn out.� But........put some miles on it first and go from there...
In the meantime, I have a 47 Willys truck that I'm going to take a look at the shift tower and may end up taking it off for the 3A if it is in better shape.
Here is hoping for the best!
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So what's the story with your '47 Willys truck? When do we get to see that??
I have a total of 8 shift towers - three installed in transmissions and these 5 loose ones. I just checked them all. They are obviously used and all have at least 3/4" to 1-1/2+" play in first gear when measured at the top of the stick. I think some of these may have come from IH Scouts.
If it helps you can have any of the ones pictured here (except for the M38 tower) for the cost of shipping. It probably won't solve your problem but if you want another to mess around I'll gladly ship one out.
I found it interesting that some of these have end caps too. I knew the M38's did but not sure what the history on the other tower is:
(http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z403/rmurdock2121/Misc%20Junk/20140730_204528_zps4103841f.jpg)
(http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z403/rmurdock2121/Misc%20Junk/20140730_204538_zps76a83a18.jpg)
(http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z403/rmurdock2121/Misc%20Junk/20140730_204553_zps06374105.jpg)
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So what's the story with your '47 Willys truck? When do we get to see that??
Oh I have plans for the 47 truck............I'll have to post photos after I get my jeep taken care of.... While it is nothing to brag about now, I plan on having some fun when I start it. Most importantly, I'm going to build it where I can make sure I can drive down to NAPA and get parts for it! (Since I'm in the middle of the country and 3-4 days away from all the Willy's suppliers.....)
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So I finally managed to scrape together some more time to get things on the 3A straight and I think I have cured my problem!� A big THANK YOU to RyanM for sending me another tower to tinker/compare with.� As it turns out, the shift tower was causing all my troubles.�
On my original tower, the cane appears to be worn out at the squared bottom and at the groove up at the neck.� This was allowing the cane to rotate some down at the shift forks "hang up" between gears....see below.
Here is the tower from my '47 and the original tower side by side.� I decided to use the '47 tower because it was in amazing shape inside.� The tower from Ryan is good also and I'll use it in the '47 rebuild.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/77A6775B-F294-472E-9E88-D34EDF20976F_zpsea8vaq6s.jpg)
Close up of the good tower..notice the sharp, square edges on the end of the cane.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/01318C8B-0040-4031-B393-0A2F5D8D84DB_zpscdsaweq7.jpg)
Close up of the original tower.� The edges of the cane are very rounded off and the shift fork grooves are also not very crisp..
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/9289052B-7FD4-41BD-9A70-EC0533E52D35_zpsezzqxtxy.jpg)
Here is the joint on the neck where I was getting quite a bit of rotation.� It was also just very loose and felt worn out.� While I havn't taken it apart again, I am guessing either the pin or the groove is worn.
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/B282CBAA-0CFB-410D-896C-A626FDCD1A75_zpsbqdwhgna.jpg)
Finally, here is the result of that wear in the cane.� When I was shifting from 1st to 2nd the cane was rotating in the neck and getting hung between the two rails.� This meant the cane was staying on the 1st-reverse rail and was trying to go back into reverse (hence the major grinding.... :()
(http://i785.photobucket.com/albums/yy138/macrisel/9289052B-7FD4-41BD-9A70-EC0533E52D35_zpsezzqxtxy.jpg)
Everything is back together now and I have put about 150 miles on the jeep.� What a difference.� I really can't describe the difference in how the jeep drives.� Before the rebuild, I had to "think" about every gear change (double clutch, RPMs, moving too fast, am I in the right gear, etc.) which made driving around the farm and town a pain.� Now, everything works like it should.� I can actually drive the jeep and really enjoy it without having to fight it all the time.
Was the rebuild hard?� I really don't think so.� The hardest part was knowing what parts needed to be replaced because I really didn't have "good" parts to compare them to.� The rebuild guides and videos are great.� I'm actually looking forward to tearing into the '47 t-90 when the time comes!
Thanks everyone!!!
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I also installed a TightSteer on the jeep while I had it torn apart. I would recommend this product to everyone also. I had went through and replaced/rebuilt everything on the steering when I did my frame off. I still had some slack in the steering when going down the road...not enough that it was a problem, but enough that you had to be mindful of it. With the TightSteer installed, the slack is gone. Like the transmission rebuild, it just makes it easier and more fun to drive. Good product!
Bring on the Summer Reunion!!
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Mark,
Wow, that little nub was really tweaked. Your post made me run out and look at mine.
Thanks for posting. That Ryan fellow is a pretty good guy.
Tim
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Well done! Thanks for the excellent pictures! John
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Mark,
Can you talk a little more about how you re-built the shift tower, or did you just change it? I had my tranny re-built and its fine, the only problem is that the shift rods are worn inside the tower casting and consequently my tranny leaks at the tower. How do I know this? Well after the re-build I installed caps in the tower just as you did, after I drove a while it became increasingly more difficult to shift from second to third, eventually the tower locked up completely and I was stuck in second gear. Turns out the leak in the tower allowed oil to get between the rail and the cap, filled the space and locked up the tower. Eventually the cap on first and reverse blew itself out, but I had to pull the tower and knock out the cap on 2-3. Then all was fine again except for the leak. I'd like to fix that this winter when the OD goes in, but not sure how that would work as there is no gasketing to seal that area. Any ideas?
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If the shafts are just a little loose in the bores you could have a machine shop cut an O ring groove in each end of the shafts. That should slow or eliminate oil leaking there.
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Great follow up Mark and surprising results. I never would have guessed the tower was causing your issues. I'll be taking a closer look at all my shift towers from now on. Yet another invaluable thread here on the 3A page.
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Gun, the only tower I took apart was my original one, the replacement one out of my '47 truck I left alone and just cleaned it up and installed it. After comparing it with the other two, it looked and felt really good and I didn't want to tempt fate and mess it up. It even had the original plugs in the end and wasn't leaking there. Like you, I replaced the plugs on my original tower. After about the 4th shift, one of them popped out, ricochetted off the bellhousing, ended up in my lap and scared the crap out of me.
I followed the rebuild guide at the end of Rick Stiver's transmission guide to take the tower apart. It is really pretty simple to do, however in hindsight, if there is nothing wrong with your tower I would not worry about it. Unless you have a bad fork, rail, poppet ball/spring, or cane you are really just taking it apart and putting it back together again. All of the things I mentioned should be pretty easy to examine without taking it apart.
Carl, I really like the idea of putting an o-ring on the rails to slow leaks there. Would you also hone the inside of the case to eliminate any pitting?
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If the bore were to worn or pitted it would have to be repaired. If only pitted you can use plastic metal and then smooth the bore out with a reamer and you may have to hone it some. If worn over size the bores would have to be sleeved and that may be a problem.
I think mine are leaking and I have considered doing the O ring repair. Even it there is slight pitting at least the O ring would slow the leak considerably. Heavy pitting may wear the O ring out to fast.
The O ring would have to be put in the right spot so it stays inside the bore of the cover during the shifts.