It seems someone drained the main gearbox oil case on my puma 90 2007 2.4. Damage assessment enquiry

Hi there... have a bit of a distressing one. I had just drained and changed my gearbox oil about a month ago after changing the clutch release bearing on it. I noticed recently that the gearbox was making funny rattling noises after a long drive when it was hot. I thought it was the updated clutch release bearing and adaptor slave unit (the new ones updated for that model have a longer spline) but checked the gearbox oil level on the off-chance it could be that and it was empty (welcome to Africa).

I have refilled it now. But am worried about the bearings etc inside the gearbox. Without assessing, could anyone advise what to look out for? The gears are changing fine. Haven't done a long drive yet to see if the rattling comes back from the bearings inside. Any advice much appreciated

The output shaft can wear on puma gearboxes, leading to eventual loss of drive. Modified aftermarket shafts with improved means of lubrication are available (e.g. LOF, and others). Rattling could be a sign of this

You only need to work out on thing, where has the oil gone?

Wimblowdriver said:

The output shaft can wear on puma gearboxes, leading to eventual loss of drive. Modified aftermarket shafts with improved means of lubrication are available (e.g. LOF, and others). Rattling could be a sign of this

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thank you. agreed - worried about the new release too.
I refilled and drove around in the jo'burg searing sun for an hour and no rattling... I know that doesn't mean I haven't worn it all down and seriously shortened its life - but for now, it drives like a dream and gear changes are all seamless (that wasn't the case before I put in the upgraded release bearing: 1/2 were stuck a lot esp on cold starts).

lynall said:

You only need to work out on thing, where has the oil gone?

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Long story.
It was maliciously emptied (WtA - welcome to Africa. Not for this forum really
I've attached a pic taken while I was actually changing the gearbox oil to prove (to myself mainly) that it actually happened

And would have noticed a 2.2 litre flood of oil on the driveway if it had poured out (the few drips a day of EP90 coming from the output shaft my transfer casing keeps me up at night... let alone a 2.2 litre flood of gearbox oil)

Best to 1. ensure right volume and type of oil is in gearbox, 2. just drive and monitor the oil level/gearbox. If no issues, carry on and enjoy.

Puma_Boy said:

WtA - welcome to Africa

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Still in the top 10 most dangerous places on earth? Make sure you’re packing heat

lf the gearbox is working and making no untoward noises, just forget it. You've most likely got away with it.
Residual oil probably saved the bearings over the short time you drove it with no oil.
The other components will have taken a beating but if all is quiet now it may last another 100,000 miles

There's nothing you can do short of stripping/rebuilding the gearbox, and it might not need it.
Just keep a watch on it and listen for any untoward noises.