P38A Transmission oil change (manual)

I've been putting on new rad and pump on over the holidays and have somehow ended up changing the differential oil. I've seen many gadgets you can buy getting the oil into the diff from underneath and just thought I'd share my method with you.

I cut a metre length off the garden hose and fed it down through engine bay. Stick a funnel in the end (or even cut an old pop bottle) and pour away to your hearts content ....

For the rear diff I go up over the wheel and jam it in the arch, although you could zip tie it to the door handle

When the diff is full just pull the hose out and stick it in the container your filling from.

Or https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-O...h=item1e906343e6:g:ddwAAOSwE1Bbm3na:rk:4:pf:1

I use a garden pump up sprayer with the nozzle removed.

Datatek said:

I use a garden pump up sprayer with the nozzle removed.

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Tis what I use too....

wammers said:

Or https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-O...h=item1e906343e6:g:ddwAAOSwE1Bbm3na:rk:4:pf:1

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Got one of those but the seal starts to leak and it goes everywhere. I hate it!

One of those 1 litre bottles with the long nozzle just goes straight in.

Grrrrrr said:

Got one of those but the seal starts to leak and it goes everywhere. I hate it!

One of those 1 litre bottles with the long nozzle just goes straight in.

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I have one that did that, but i stripped and fitted a new seal all is good now.

wammers said:

I have one that did that, but i stripped and fitted a new seal all is good now.

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It's been on my to-do list for ages but frankly it isn't that old and I'm a bit miffed it is even necessary yet. Also, I tend to forget about it until I get it out to fill some fluids and then the memory hits and it is a classic "doh!" moment. From memory is it a rubber grommet around a rather ****ty circle of steel in there.

I would add that I have modified mine so I can pressurise the bottle from my compressor, not that I'm lazy

My point was, most people probably don't have a specialised modified pump, but most will probly have a garden hose lying around. Just don't let the misses catch you cutting it off

RangeRoller dt said:

My point was, most people probably don't have a specialised modified pump, but most will probly have a garden hose lying around. Just don't let the misses catch you cutting it off

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Yeah but this is Landyzone and the most innocuous comment or sharing of experience will inevitably lead to a detour of a about a thousand comments, leg-pulling, ****-taking, nervous breakdown and civil war before anyone gets back to, what was the question again?

Grrrrrr said:

Yeah but this is Landyzone and the most innocuous comment or sharing of experience will inevitably lead to a detour of a about a thousand comments, leg-pulling, ****-taking, nervous breakdown and civil war before anyone gets back to, what was the question again?

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Ye, that's why I love it here

Haven't tried the hose method on the gear/transfer box yet so may need get one those pumps.
Does anybody know offhand the name of the bit I need to open the gearbox filler plug, it's like a gigantic torx bit?

Datatek said:

I use a garden pump up sprayer with the nozzle removed.

Click to expand...

This is exactly what I do, I gently heated the rigid plastic pipe and bent it into a hook shape so it stays in the diff, have one for the diffs and and another for the gearboxes

I've been using these for quite a while now ended up with three of them, they work fine with gearbox oil and diff oil, and very cheap.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Useful-H...sh-Tank-Water-Liquid-/112949262859?nav=SEARCH

Grrrrrr said:

It's been on my to-do list for ages but frankly it isn't that old and I'm a bit miffed it is even necessary yet. Also, I tend to forget about it until I get it out to fill some fluids and then the memory hits and it is a classic "doh!" moment. From memory is it a rubber grommet around a rather ****ty circle of steel in there.

Click to expand...

Yes indeed i also have the metal one. If you look down and feel inside the tube you will find burrs left from seam welding the tube. These cut the seal. Flap them smooth and fit new seal all is well. You then have very good tool made from a cheap tool.

RangeRoller dt said:

Haven't tried the hose method on the gear/transfer box yet so may need get one those pumps.
Does anybody know offhand the name of the bit I need to open the gearbox filler plug, it's like a gigantic torx bit?

Click to expand...

It's a gigantic Torx bit.

My mate was doing some stuff on the ramp so while she was on there, I boiled the kettle and warmed up the oil bottles, popped it into the diffs without resorting to anything as exotic as all the stuff on here

I think they'll get done again in a year or so

So the diff oil smoothed it out ever so slightly.
There is still a grumbly/grindy sensation so next on list was grease UJ's. Shafts seemed in fairly good order except they are not cracking fluently. Managed to squeeze a little grease in and ran it for few miles with lots of bumps. Second go they popped and the grease ran straight through them. No discernible play but will Check again once it's had a good run.

Next up was Transfer box oil change same time. Mine has slight leak at front shaft so level is a little low.
2 - 1/2inch drive plugs (same as diffs) but access is more restricted around filler hole. I used a fairy bottle with small funnel and 5inches of hose.
This is what I had out - carbonised orange thick goop


Replaced with nice new clear cherry-red ATF dextron 3. Luckily I had a 4 1/2 litre bottle on sale as I tipped a lot everywhere. Cleans exhausts magnificently Don't get it in your eyes - bl**dy stings

Vehicle now runs noticeably smoother. Pulling off and changing to reverse is smoother as well as needing less throttle to pull off from standstill. Backend is a LOT surer on road particularly at higher speeds. Increased handling is more than I would have thought an oil change was capable of

The grumble is less but still there

Manual gearbox has plenty of access aslong as you don't have the long Laser brand torx bit. You have about 4" of room.

Grrrrrr said:

It's a gigantic Torx bit.

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Big thanks to Grrrrr and @brianp38dse on your rainy quest to find the correct filler plug size

We all now know it's a T55 torx bit No more expensive sets F--k you snap-on!

The gearbox drain plug was most difficult. I had to put a strong adjustables on it, climb under the rear, hanging onto the chassis apply pressure with one foot and give it a boot with the other. Once it cracked it was only small

BEWARE the oil doesn't drop down vertically but out alongside the cat and there is a copper washer to recover too. The plug is magnetic so furs up but hopefully doesn't look like this

I reinserted it to collect a bit more as the oil dropped was a greyish sludgy consistency compared to the others It took 2 1/2 litres MTF94 to drop what's just in the box and refill
Time for another test drive