What is this?! 59 Rambler

Hi everyone! We’re normally Mustang people and need your help as I’ve brought home an all original 59 Rambler Custom and have no idea what we’re looking at.
There’s a small v shaped part on the left side (looking towards the front end) of the transmission pan leaking lots of tranny fluid, and a bit further down from that on the drive shaft sleeve, what appears to be a flange halfway to the rear end that is also leaking some other kind of light brown fluid. Maybe gear oil?

Please help with this as we don’t even know where to start on an AMC!
Thanks in advance for your assistance!
1959 Rambler Custom original 6 cyl, push button auto http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh492/michellehydro/7698D0D1-E17A-46F5-B091-85BF9A45412E_zpsamsnufqr.jpeg[/IMG] http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/michellehydro/media/7698D0D1-E17A-46F5-B091-85BF9A45412E_zpsamsnufqr.jpeg. - </a>[/IMG] http://s1248.photobucket.com/user/michellehydro/media/60CB9C48-7474-4C4D-AEEC-CAEF4318DBAA_zpsyu2idk38.jpeg. - [/IMG]

Edited by Msallie89 - Mar/11/2018 at 6:03am

Most likely trans fluid in the torque tube from the rear trans seal, but as Joe pointed out it could be rear axle oil from the pinion seal.

The first photo appears to be a cover for the parking lever on the side of the trans. That's most likely the shift lever shaft seal or parking lever seal (o-rings) leaking. The push-button shift trannys have a separate short lever for the parking pawl. Either of those are relatively easy to change, just have to drop the trans pan. If you have a manual covering 50s-60s Ford-O-Matic or Cruise-O-Matic transmissions the Borg-Warner is similar -- the Fords were license built BW trannys with a few changes in the valve body and case. Those don't have the separate parking pawl lever, but that's easy enough to figure out.

If the car sat for a long time I'd pull the valve body and thoroughly clean it, and consider a seal kit from Northwest Transmission Parts. You'd have the shaft seals plus the servo seals, which are easy enough to change without removing the trans. Sticking valves and leaking servo seals (for the bands) are common issues on old BW auto trannys.

Torque tubes were on AMC until 1966. The Americans never had TT...

Torque tubes from 63-66 require a different trunnion cushion from the one shown in the picture. All of the earlier truninions up to 62 are the drop in kind from NashRamblerRubber.com. The later trunnions are entirely different and need to be bonded to the inside of the torque tube or require a torque tube replacement from a donor car.  

amcman wrote:  Mechanics today don't know where to look or where to get the part. They look at front end bushings or steering box or other when trying to correct loose driving. They always seem to overlook the torque tube trunnion. Nash Ambassador started using this around 1949 up to 57 along with Hudson Hornet and Nash Healey.  Rambler Cross Country, Classic and Ambassador used this closed driveshaft setup until 1962.     If this is your first torque tube drive car, you should have a good trunnion to drive right.

Minor point: Hudson thru 1954 used an open driveshaft, not torque tube, through the 1954 model year. It was only after the Nash/Hudson merger and subsequent change to the Nash-designed body that Hudson Hornet and Wasp used the torque tube.

Minor point, but historical accuracy is my point.