juleslid Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 While the airline industry is still on its arse I've decided I have time to change the gearbox oil on my 5-speeder.My (possibly incomplete) trawl through the archives has come up with recommendations for both Motorcraft XTM5QS and Redline MTL GL4, presumably both being 75W80 or 80 grade.Any other recommendations to make the 'box as smooth as possible? It has a slow synchromesh (and has from new!) between 2nd and third, and will be the first refill since I built the car in 2010.Or maybe the collective view is that Caterham's own oil is the best there is...Thanks in advance, Julian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Have you worked out a plan for evacuation as there is no drain plug!There was a thread a while ago (and artical in low flying) about modifying the lid to incorporate a 'cap' to drain (pela pump), fill and level check (with a rod marked when you know it has the correct amount of oil in) The article used brass plumbing fittings but I had a mate weld on a threaded boss to which I used an allen plug & copper washer (IIRC a Fabia 1.2 12v oil drain plug part N0160276) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 24, 2022 Member Share Posted January 24, 2022 It's a lot easier to extract oil if it's warm.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Lowe Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Have you worked out a plan for evacuation as there is no drain plug!My type 9 5 speed has a drain plug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tazio Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 The oil of choice for my Type 9 is Redline MTL GL4.Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juleslid Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 Sadly, there is no drain plug!Plan at the moment is to remove the transmission tunnel cover, warm the thing up (will drop eng oil at the same time) then get my big syringe into play... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Geoff Brown Posted January 24, 2022 Area Representative Share Posted January 24, 2022 Always used 80w/90 GL 4 mineral in both Ford 5 speed & CC 6 speed with no issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 I've always had good results from Comma SX75W-90 GL4. When I built my R400D, that was what CC supplied (under their own label).JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Redline MTL Oil can easiley be syphoned out when warm with afine tube inserted through the filler hole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juleslid Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 Thanks for your thoughts; 2 quarts of super-expensive Redline MTL are on the way from Demon Tweeks.Hi Wrightpayne, I saw the article you mentioned, will have a look to see if it's viable for my level of talent when I have the transmission tunnel cover off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 26, 2022 Member Share Posted January 26, 2022 I thought that suggestion was about accessing the top plate of the gearbox from the engine bay...Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrightpayne Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 I don't think tunnel removal will aid access to the gearbox top plate as its under the flat horizontal part of the scuttle.IIRC from the article the top plate was removed with a 1/4 ratchet going in from the engine bay - should be a bit more room in the SV.The difficult part on re-assembly is ensuring the retainer bracket on the underside of the top plate slots onto the relevant part of the selector mechanism (like a big washer). I'd be inclined to put into neutral and not touch the gear lever when the lid is off! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative paul richards Posted January 26, 2022 Area Representative Share Posted January 26, 2022 Removing transmission tunnel cover will not be of any benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 You can certainly get at top plate from engine bay with an SV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juleslid Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Sorry, should have said, while I've got my gearbox head on the trans tunnel is coming off to give the gearshifter a clean-up and regrease.The oil drain/replace looks as if it will have to be done from above at the back of the engine bay. With quite a thin pipe by the look of things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 ...to give the gearshifter a clean-up and regrease.Have you seen this Guide?JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juleslid Posted January 31, 2022 Author Share Posted January 31, 2022 Thanks for the reminder, John. I actually kept that edition of Low Flying as I thought it was such a useful article!Draining that gearbox isn't easy, is it? Got a pipe into the level hole eventually after downsizing the pipe from my trusty Sealey syringe by 3 times. Then no oil came out! After about 10 attempts to reposition the pipe I started to get some oil through, but there's no way of telling how much I've missed.Glad we don't have to do this every year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Geoff Brown Posted February 1, 2022 Area Representative Share Posted February 1, 2022 The only other option is the total loss method: pump fresh oil in till satisfied that all the 'dirty' oil has been flushed out.Messy & potentially expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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