Driveshaft removal - replacing lost oil. Advice please....

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tim
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Driveshaft removal - replacing lost oil. Advice please....

Post by tim »

Just finished doing the bottom balljoint and CV rubber boot for the MOT. I removed the driveshaft as per Haynes and lost an amount of oil. And the question that Haynes dodges, how do you replace this oil?? Being a '92 TXD the gearbox is sealed (don't like the idea at all! The last one blew up at 200,000 miles and we only have one spare left). But I'm stuck with it (unless it's possible to retrofit a drain plug??). It was suggested that I could insert this oil through the reversing switch, any other places?? Also how much?? Yes, I could have measured what was in the drain bowl and replaced an equal amount, unfortunately numpty forgot to put the drain bowl under the shaft in the excitement of actually having got the thing apart, as a result I lost at least a cupful. Haynes reckon 'about' a litre, but what do you guys say?
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Post by mat_fenwick »

Filler plug is here on mine, at least that's where I've been putting oil for the last 100k miles!

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Thought it was only the MA series gearboxes (fitted to the TU petrols) that were sealed for life?
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Post by tim »

sorry, haven't a clue - I only have me Haynes to go by. I certainly couldn't find a gearbox drain plug when I had the old thing up on the ramps. There's nothing in the handbook, though I just found a useful piece on how to get blood off the seats - they think of everything, don't they?
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Post by Defender110 »

My 93/96 TZD has a drain plug (21mm) , a level plug, and can also be filled by unscrewing the plastic breather on top of the box?
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Post by citronut »

i always remove the level plug if fitted, then remove the plastic vent 17mm on top of the gear bax just below the edge of the battery tray, and fill via that till oil just starts comming out of the level plug,


you will need the car on level ground to make use of the level plug in this way,

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Post by DavidRutherford »

tim wrote:sorry, haven't a clue - I only have me Haynes to go by. I certainly couldn't find a gearbox drain plug when I had the old thing up on the ramps.
Gearbox and final drive are combined on a BE gearbox, which means the drain plug is at the back of the differential. You'll spot it at the lowest point of the casing, just by the suframe (in fact there's a cutout in the subframe for it)
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Post by tim »

Thanks for all that! I will have to look when I next have the ramps available. For now, I was just looking for a quick fix to get the wagon to its MOT retest first thing Friday. I only have time to find an orifice and insert say a litre of gearbox oil, especially as it's supposed to be pissing down tomorrow. Does a litre sound about right??
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Post by TED »

It all depends on how much you lost really!

I find an old length of rubber diesel hose with the bulb and a small funnel help filling the BE3 gearbox.
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Post by B-Hive »

Not sure what happened to my last post/reply ...but yeah I had a similar issue...but it's now resolved as my gearbox drain/fill was a combination of suggested places..one drain plug being right down the back near the subframe, one on the left hand side near abouts the case joining..(dont mix it up with a nearby bolt which is apparently the reverse gear shaft clamp bolt..) and to fill it up there is a plug on the top of the box located just forward of the battery tray but easier access is from underneath especially if is tight..

good luck anyway tomorrow
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Post by Kitch »

To be honest you wanna drain it and refill if you\'re using the breather, unless you unscrew the side filler first. Then fill til it spills!
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Post by tim »

well, too late as I already found the breather - thanks Malcolm - and added a litre through it before breakfast with the aid of a torch. No time to spend looking for level plugs or drain plugs right then, car had to be in for the MOT at 9.00. As soon as it stops raining I'll try to locate drain plugs and level plugs and do it properly.... Still not quite sure where these are on the '92 TXD though the photo is a huge help; it seems that there's quite a lot of Variation On a Theme Of Plug here.
Anyway, wagon passed with no problems except the ball joint (fixed), split gaiter ditto, two loose headlamps due to the silly plastic snap sockets having perished (any sources??) and the bizarre earthing problem with the tail light. Roll on the next 100,000 miles.....
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Post by rmattila »

If you add way too much oil in the gearbox, there's a risk of fouling the clutch. If I were you, I'd locate the level plug and let the superfluous oil (if any) out before driving too much.
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Post by tim »

Oh bugger. Well, I added a litre pot. Is this likely to be an issue? I think that is roughly what I lost to start with, though measuring the loss accurately wasn't possible, as I said earlier. I will try to find time tomorrow to locate this elusive plug....
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Post by rmattila »

I don't think it will be an issue here, if the refill was approximately on par with the loss. Just a warning - I've once bought a Van with a clutch problem (which was the reason the owner had decided to give it up). Turned out he had thought the reason for the stiff gear chance was due to lack of oil, and had repeatedly added a decilitre or so, as it always had cured the problem for a short while. After some time, the extra oil had found its way through the lip seal to the clutch housing, and from there the centrifugal force had spread it all over the clutch plate.

(Of course, the actual reason for the gear change stiffness was improperly adjusted clutch play.)
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Post by tim »

Thanks for that - put my mind at rest a bit. I will still try to find the plug and let you know what the result is..... just depends on time and weather. After spending a good day on the ole horse last week I need to play work catchup!
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