Freelander 2 (LR2) FL2 PTU Oil Drain

QSpot · Oct 23, 2020

So my FL2 is turning 10! WOOOO HBD!!

This is good and bad, the good: load of life left in her.
The bad: I now have a monster service to do. I've gotten a lot of it done including Diff Oil, Gearbox Oil/filter, Engine Oil, Timing Belt (including the water pump), Aux Belt/tensioner, Air filter, Coolant flush,

Still on the list is the Power steering fluid, and the real sticking point, PTU Oil Change.

So I've read a few posts around the web suggesting a drill and tap be used to add a drain plug???? Before I go Swiss on my PTU Case, I figured I would ask around in the hive mind.

Options are: Suck it out with a pump (got one so not a terribly time consuming option), drill and tap a new hole, take the unit off and watch the oil go everywhere.

Open to ideas for better choices?

Nodge68 · Oct 24, 2020

QSpot said:
This is good and bad, the good: load of life left in her

I should hope so, I've only just bought mine, and she's 12 now.

QSpot said:
Options are: Suck it out with a pump (got one so not a terribly time consuming option), drill and tap a new hole, take the unit off and watch the oil go everywhere.

How did you do the diff? Presumably sucked the oil out, unless you drilled a drain hole?

The PTU oil is changed so infrequently, that sucking the oil out is the most logical route.

I've just ordered a litre of Liquid Moly gear oil for my PTU, as I don't plan on changing it for another 50k miles.

NeilTD4 · Oct 25, 2020

I saw a thread on Freel2.com about changing the oil in the PTU and the issues of getting the old oil out...
If I find it again, I'll post a link...

NeilTD4 · Oct 28, 2020

When you look at Lrcat and Allbrit they show a drain plug...

Nodge68 · Oct 28, 2020

NeilTD4 said:
When you look at Lrcat and Allbrit they show a drain plug...

I think the images are from preproduction units, as there's definitely no drain plugs on the PTU or rear diff.
There's a space for the drain plug on the diff, but unfortunately it's on a little island inside the diff case, so leaves 1/2" of oil in the bottom.

The PTU has no such place IIRC, so it's a sucking out job.

NeilTD4 · Oct 29, 2020

I found the thread on Freel2.com
https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic14659-15.html

Nodge68 · Oct 29, 2020

NeilTD4 said:
I found the thread on Freel2.com
https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic14659-15.html

Generally concensus is to use a 5mm pipe and syringe to suck the oil out of the PTU.

QSpot · Oct 30, 2020

Sorry for the slow reply, been a pretty crazy week.

Thanks for the info, I'll try the pump and 5mm pipe fingers crossed i can get most of it out. 12V pump will be a little easier than syringe I reckon. With how tight it is under there it may be easier to pump the new oil back in too! Save me p**sing about with a bottle at funny angles.

Nodge, I used the pump on the rear diff with the 5mm pipe. If I had money enough to burn I'd have filled it and drained it with oil twice to try and get rid of the remains of the old stuff. As it is I'll probably take to drain and fill again in 10k miles, before forgetting for the next 100k. Maybe that's just me being pedantic

Arctic2 · Nov 4, 2020

Today my plan is to drain both the PTU and rear diff oils, using this oil below.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Fully...277054?hash=item1c520708fe:g:qZkAAOSwNotdpB9N

I am also going to purchase magnetic drain bolt plug.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gold-Plu...m-Oil-Drain-Plug-M18-x-1-5-AP05S/283544668399

I was also wonder if this bolt will do the same job ?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M18-x-1-...ug-Copper-Washer-Citroen-Peugeot/142818964369

Nodge68 · Nov 4, 2020

Arctic2 said:
Today my plan is to drain both the PTU and rear diff oils, using this oil below.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Fully...277054?hash=item1c520708fe:g:qZkAAOSwNotdpB9N

That'll be ok. I've got this to go in mine.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223471595448

Arctic2 said:
I am also going to purchase magnetic drain bolt plug.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gold-Plu...m-Oil-Drain-Plug-M18-x-1-5-AP05S/283544668399

That's expensive. I have had good luck sticking a small neodymium magnet to fill/drain plugs. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174130047036
A small dab of CA glue will hold the magnet solidly the drain plug.

Arctic2 said:
I was also wonder if this bolt will do the same job ?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M18-x-1-...ug-Copper-Washer-Citroen-Peugeot/142818964369

Presumably that'll fit, as it's the same thread.

Arctic2 · Nov 4, 2020

Nodge68 said:
That'll be ok. I've got this to go in mine.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223471595448

That's expensive. I have had good luck sticking a small neodymium magnet to fill/drain plugs. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174130047036
A small dab of CA glue will hold the magnet solidly the drain plug.

Presumably that'll fit, as it's the same thread.

Hi John.
I manage to get the diff oil change out, rain & other little jobs during the project stopped play with the PTU & Haldex filter doubt i would have had enough time anyways so tomorrow will hopefully see the two later ones sorted.

It so happens i already have some of those magnets

1

2

3
Not knowing how deep the magnet would intrude into the diff, so i left fitting it to the plug.

The oil that came out was dark brown not black and the fill plug did not have any sludge stuck to it.

4

Managed to get just over 600ml out with the suction pump.

5

6

7

I pumped 660ml back until it started to drip out fill hole.

8

9

Then using a syringe withdrew 62ml

10

11

Re-fitted the fill plug with new copper washer cleaned the area with carb cleaner, hopefully that will be enough until spring when i will drain and refill once again.

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New and old oil next to each other.

14

Nodge68 · Nov 5, 2020

Looks like you're well on the way to getting the fluids changed Arctic.

I expect there's more than enough space to glue a magnet to the plug, but a short length of 15mm copper pipe could be used as a depth gauge, just to make sure.

I know my diff oil will have metallic particles, as the nose bearing is noisy, but I'm going to change the oil anyway, and fit a magnet to the fill plug.

I plan on rebuilding the diff next year, so I'll install a drain plug at the same time.

Looking forward to reading about the PTU and Haldex oil changes, as those will be my next job, after I've sorted the running issue.

Arctic2 · Nov 5, 2020

Nodge68 said:
Looks like you're well on the way to getting the fluids changed Arctic.
I expect there's more than enough space to glue a magnet to the plug, but a short length of 15mm copper pipe could be used as a depth gauge, just to make sure.

I know my diff oil will have metallic particles, as the nose bearing is noisy, but I'm going to change the oil anyway, and fit a magnet to the fill plug.

I plan on rebuilding the diff next year, so I'll install a drain plug at the same time.

Looking forward to reading about the PTU and Haldex oil changes, as those will be my next job, after I've sorted the running issue.

Hi John.
I managed to drain 575ml only out of the PTU with a suction pump link below.
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/ptu-oil-change-drain.365100/#post-5005233

Freelander 2 (LR2) FL2 PTU Oil Drain

QSpot

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Nodge68

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NeilTD4

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NeilTD4

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Nodge68

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NeilTD4

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Nodge68

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QSpot

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Arctic2

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Nodge68

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Arctic2

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Nodge68

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Arctic2

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