Type 9 Gearbox Oil Change

[BigCol]

Having spent two of the unhappiest hours of my life filling my SV's Type 9 gearbox with oil (well, much was spent trying to refit the fill plug - there's a cross member which makes getting the plug back in all but impossible unless your fingers are the thickness of a lolly stick - but judicious use of a cable tie eventually worked!), ten years ago when I built my 7, I reckon I ought to replace/refresh it.

I will remove the plug and pump the old oil out.  As I doubt I'd be able to get it all out, there is the potential of some contamination with the new oil.

Is it then worth running briefly with some cheap oil by way of a flush before replacing that too or would it OK to go straight to the good stuff?

Also, any tips to make the whole (potentially repeated) process less of a 'mare?

[Jonathan Kay]

The warmer the easier.

Jonathan

[BigCol]

good point...  though suspect it's a fine line between warm but not hot and definitely hot...!  

[mikestifel]

When I pulled my motor last year quite a bit of the transmission oil came out the tailshaft during removal.  I sucked out everything I could get to but when I went to refill it didn't take as much as I think it should have.  I just got the car back on the road today so my plan is to drive it a little and top it off.  I think a fair amount of oil lives in inaccessible places in the T9.  I'm not worried about contamination but if you are there's probably a way to get all of the oil out of it.  Flip it upside down and spin it or some such.

[ScottR400D]

#4 I think you're right. It's not easy, if possible, to just suck all the oil out so there'll always be some 'old' oil left in when refilled. If you 'flush' with cheap oil some of that will be left in there too. 

A good reason to not leave too long between changes. 

[Bone Rat]

Hi,

I've got the S3 with the T9 and have at last worked out the way of getting the plug in. A lot copied from bits of others trials.

To remove I use a 15 to 17mm segment of a 10mm Allen key, cut with a Dremel. This is held in a ratcheting spanner with a piece of Duck tape. Undoes and will do up quite nicely.

To replace it I hold the plug with a Machine Mart magnetic probe/pickup on the threaded portion, it allows the plug the be held and rotated with the spanner without you getting an arm full of oil or tying to force your fingers in and dropping the plug out each time.

After trying to drain the oil I eventually gave up the pain of trying to feed a tube in, it's worse than passing a catheter in the dark. I bit the bullet and drilled and tapped the sump in the T9 box. This was surprisingly easy, a tiny hole initially into the swelling at the bottom of the box , this slowly drained all the oil avoiding the potential deluge if the big hole was done straight off. I then enlarged it with a grease covered 10.5mm drill. Tapped it with a M12 x1.25 tap and flushed it out with cheap oil. Now plugged with magnetic sump plug  and can be easily changed. There were a number of guides to this on the web at the time albeit not 7 ones. The point of insertion is through the centre of the magnet in the base of the box. A right angled drill made it easy. It seemed a big step but was has made life so much easier.

https://usa7s.net/ips/uploads/monthly_2021_03/693991070_t-9drainplug.JPG.f71e02b05b87a51169997d0c2cb8b2ca.JPG

Andy

[paul richards]

To make checking the level and filling easier I have put a filler plug in the top cover. This enables checking with a home made dipstick (thick wire). 
LADS Top Tip - use a simple oil can with a length of plastic tube attached (like the tube used for the washers). Also works for diff top up. 

[BigCol]

The addition of a drain plug sounds a good idea and straight(-ish) forward and after all, what's the worst that could happen? 

[Englishmaninwales]

 

In addition to a top plate filler, next time the gearbox needs an overhaul BGH can fit a drain plug also (sorry no pictures of that)

Malcolm

[GaryK]

BGH put a drain plug in for me. No pictures either but they place it at the bottom of the sandwich plate between the box and tail housing.

[Englishmaninwales]

These two plugs take all the aggro out of type 9 oil drain/fill/topup. 

[BigCol]

re #10 (and #11?).  Any chance of a photo please?

I think this location would be preferable than the bottom of the 'box as per the usa7s.net thread mentioned in #6 above and presume it'd be easier to drill/tap aluminium!