Metal particles in rebuilt gearbox's oil.

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boguing

boguing

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This is a bit odd. Rebuilt the main and transfer boxes (SIII) and have driven about five miles and discovered that I have a leak from the front face of the main box (coming out of the flywheel housing and smells of EP90). To get the boxes out I've drained the oils. Did the main box first and noticed a fair number of bronze flecks in it and the drain plug, possibly some steel too. I then cleaned the catch pan and drained the transfer box to find exactly the same problem. I haven't got them off yet, but have the tbox ready and so have seen the intermediate gear spacers which look unmarked, and am having trouble remembering what else is bronze in a tbox? No new wear evident on the gears.

I'd be happy to see a few steel flakes in the tbox because a different problem, the hi'lo lever can't phyically go far enough forwards before hitting the tunnel trim - before getting to high range.2wd. Trying and trying to get it in caused a few steel-generating graunches.

The main box though was quiet, changed nicely and synchros working fine. No graunches, so where's the metal coming from?

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But both gearboxes?

(Fairly sure I know what the leak is, not connected to this and I'll tell you tomorrow when I know).
 
Yep, need to put a call out.

Calling @jamesmartin

And a further question...

Can I assume that this seal is in the wrong way round? It doesn't seem to be mentioned in either the official or Haynes manuals, and the parts book drawing could be more revealing.

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I can answer the second question. Installed by a halfwit, it has a very clear direction of rotation arrow that you can even see in the pic. I'd cunningly fitted it to the French Army spec, the one that gives four reverse and one forward gear.
 
Yes, I've just put it back into place, and gave it a good looking at while out. There are very slight signs of 'wear' on them, but the gap is to spec. I guess I'll see what it's like on the next oil change
 
boguing said:
I can answer the second question. Installed by a halfwit, it has a very clear direction of rotation arrow that you can even see in the pic. I'd cunningly fitted it to the French Army spec, the one that gives four reverse and one forward gear.
Click to expand...
seal is obviously wrong way round the lip of the seal must face the oil
 
And he's back!

Thanks James, yes the idiot that I employ has fitted a new seal and all is well with that.

Have you ever changed the oils on very low mileage gearboxes and seen 'running in' debris like that above? The thing that I don't get is that both boxes had about the same amount.
 
I have an odd problem. I've left the workshop in disgust because I have the MoT retest booked for tomorrow morning and the evening ended badly.

I mentioned earlier that I couldn't get into high range or 2wd. With the gearboxes out again I took off the front housing to make sure that all was aligned and engaged correctly. It is. It works properly on the bench. It worked properly once in the car, cycling through low, high, 2 and four exactly as it should, and later let me have 2wd so that I could do the propshafts. But once I try and drive it the only way it'll go into high is with me pushing the lever forwards constantly, and it won't go as far as it needs to for the position plunger to engage in the shaft.

The lever doesn't appear to be fouling the bulkhead, floor or anything else, but working on my own I can't lie underneath and watch as the lever is moved.

I came home to look at photographs and exploded diagrams, but they haven't highlighted anything. The anti rattle spring on the ball is missing, but that can't be causing it. Clutching at straws, how critical is the position of the special 'bracket with a hole' on the end of the selector shaft that the ball on the lever rotates in? I've got it with the hole at the top and more or less horizontal.
 
boguing said:
I have an odd problem. I've left the workshop in disgust because I have the MoT retest booked for tomorrow morning and the evening ended badly.

I mentioned earlier that I couldn't get into high range or 2wd. With the gearboxes out again I took off the front housing to make sure that all was aligned and engaged correctly. It is. It works properly on the bench. It worked properly once in the car, cycling through low, high, 2 and four exactly as it should, and later let me have 2wd so that I could do the propshafts. But once I try and drive it the only way it'll go into high is with me pushing the lever forwards constantly, and it won't go as far as it needs to for the position plunger to engage in the shaft.

The lever doesn't appear to be fouling the bulkhead, floor or anything else, but working on my own I can't lie underneath and watch as the lever is moved.

I came home to look at photographs and exploded diagrams, but they haven't highlighted anything. The anti rattle spring on the ball is missing, but that can't be causing it. Clutching at straws, how critical is the position of the special 'bracket with a hole' on the end of the selector shaft that the ball on the lever rotates in? I've got it with the hole at the top and more or less horizontal.
Click to expand...
ball and yoke arent an issue, when you assembled hi/lo shaft did you fit spring ,then seat then tube spacer before fitting front housing to the main housing, or ensured both shafts still located in the cross lever forks
 
jamesmartin said:
ball and yoke arent an issue, when you assembled hi/lo shaft did you fit spring ,then seat then tube spacer before fitting front housing to the main housing, or ensured both shafts still located in the cross lever forks
Click to expand...

Yup, even had a look inside with a torch and then held the shafts in the same relative positions as I finally fitted the housing. And then cycled it through several times. Getting it to 'snap' into the three detent positions wasn't a problem on the bench. With the 2wd lock pin pressed lightly it engaged in the shaft and did its job properly. Still does when I force it forwards.

Could the selector shaft have travelled (without the plunger/spring fitted) far enough to disengage the swing mechanism once the housing is tightened down? I wasn't using the proper lever to test it, so travel wasn't limited as it might by the lever installed properly if you see what I mean. I assumed that the shaft travel is limited by the amount the gears can slide?
 
boguing said:
Yup, even had a look inside with a torch and then held the shafts in the same relative positions as I finally fitted the housing. And then cycled it through several times. Getting it to 'snap' into the three detent positions wasn't a problem on the bench. With the 2wd lock pin pressed lightly it engaged in the shaft and did its job properly. Still does when I force it forwards.

Could the selector shaft have travelled (without the plunger/spring fitted) far enough to disengage the swing mechanism once the housing is tightened down? I wasn't using the proper lever to test it, so travel wasn't limited as it might by the lever installed properly if you see what I mean. I assumed that the shaft travel is limited by the amount the gears can slide?
Click to expand...
travel forward is limited by the front cross shaft with the fork in each end you adjust selector for for the gear to suit the detent positions, if adjusted too far gear would be fully engaged but detent position not fully reached, to move forward or back the outer shaft which has the front shaft selector fork on it has to move easily forward /back
 
boguing said:
Gulp. Adjust the selector? How? I have a feeling I'm about to feel really stupid...
Click to expand...
remove the tin plate, slacken the selector fork pinch bolt, pull lever forwards till detent is located, then push fork and low gear upto high gear and tighten the pinch bolt
 
boguing said:
I'm really being thick here, the fork pinch bolt goes through a detent in the shaft - does that still allow enough movement to do that?
Click to expand...
remove plate it will become obvious , slacken the pinch bolt on the fork, then move shaft forward to find the forward detent position, the one youd expect to feel as you pushed red knob forward, shaft can slide through the fork as youve slackened the pinch bolt, so eliminating fork stopping forward detent position been located
 
That all made sense James, and explains everything I'm seeing, except that I put the pinch bolt through the back detent in this pic, does that not actually interfere with sliding the fork back and forth when the pinch is slackened?

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