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Not exhaust condensation for sure. Pulled the covers off the lift mechanism and the ram and cylinder are bone dry. I’ll go out for a scoot later today and see if the car leaks. Getting a little weird- even considered tree sap but the car stays in the garage.
I'm keeping an eye on the lift cylinder and ran the 63 good and hard for about 40 minutes this morning and parked it back up in the air -- so far - nothing, no leaks or wet spots.... I'll keep observing I guess...
I'm keeping an eye on the lift cylinder and ran the 63 good and hard for about 40 minutes this morning and parked it back up in the air -- so far - nothing, no leaks or wet spots.... I'll keep observing I guess...
How about the garage door opener??? Just a thought.
"wet spots" Sounds like your 56 year old 1963 is suffering from premature "excitement" being on top of a 17 year old 2002 model!
Personally I always keep the younger ones on top - their seals are much newer and tighter............... My 06 is always on the top of my lift, above my 67. No wet spots there!
It doesn't look like it at first glance but the '02 T-Bird has a wider stance than the '63 by a good margin.....I can get it on the lift rails but there is no (and I mean no) room left over. Its a bit nerve-wracking...
But, anyway, I found the leak - I had to run the car about 30 miles today in 98* heat at 65mph and immediately put the car in the air; there is nothing at the axles or pinon, nothing around the drain/fill plug or the the "higher up" bolts....the bottom two bolts are wet with the rightmost (passenger side) actually exuding a healthy drop of gear oil - so that's the issue....
Sucks because a friend and I were just into the whole back end of the car and replaced all the rubber parts, T/A seals, bearings and bushings -- everything but the the sombrero bushings. I tried to snug the bolts a bit but they are muy tight already and I couldn't budge 'em.
So, I'm gonna do some noodling on what it takes to replace the rear cover seal; I'd try some Blue Devil Stop Leak but I'm not a big fan of magic goo to solve a problem.
If I could be sure this was just "wicking" around the bottom two bolts (maybe only the one) I would pull the bolt and put some thread sealer on it.
I'll think about it over a Corona.
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Jun 7, 2019 at 02:39 PM.
X3 on pulling the bolts and installing thread sealer and perhaps crushable copper washers. Stop leak in a rear end would not be an option for me.....I'd live with the small leak before I resorted to that.
The rear cover bolts do not extend into the housing. The bottom two holes are blind holes. The upper two holes are through holes on 63's but still not into the housing. The covers have a cast in pad at those two holes and they vary. It is possible the bolt bottomed out before fully tightening the cover. They should be 7/16 -14 x 1.250"
I have seen some covers that are not flat and leaked, while I wouldn't call that common it is something to check.
If you found oil at the spring bolts I would say the rear cover is cracked from longer bolts, that is more common to find. I found two over the past couple of months that were cracked inside from long bolts.
Sounds like you have it pin pointed to the rear cover in which case I would remove the diff and repair it. It is possible to remove the cover while the diff is in the car but I would advise against that.
Here is a 63 diff.
Top bolts
Cast pads on bottom but nothing on the sides or top.
I was hoping you'd respond Gary - its a '63 differential case but I have a receipt from decades ago where an Eaton posi was put in the car - I've verified its a posi by wheel spinning but haven't been inside the thing.
I've had the car 5 years now without this part leaking so if its a crack or bolts bottomed out I'd be surprised. No oil at the spring perch bolts and I looked over the differential last summer when we redid the rear suspension, so, I'm betting on the cover gasket just being deteriorated... It looks like a baby blue colored gasket (or perhaps RTV) under the cover...
I know you moved recently - are you still up north or closer to Florida now ?
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Jun 7, 2019 at 04:05 PM.
Frankie, is it possible that one of the two rear spring retainer bolts is leaking. Sometimes if the bolts are too long, they can punch into the rear cover. The fluid could leak down from the cover to the the two bolts that hold the cover to the rear differential. A long shot but possible.
This picture is me standing under the shifter looking rearward with the red arrow marking where the drop was produced...
The drop was to the outer edge of the cover to the left (passenger side) of the marked bolt, no leaks above it - nothing around the spring perch bolts underneath or above.
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Jun 7, 2019 at 04:21 PM.
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Sounds like your 56 year old 1963 is suffering from premature "excitement" being on top of a 17 year old 2002 model! 
Dennis
