300 ks on a dry gearbox

[noogie]

Hi all

Today to my shock I discovered that I have just driven 335 ks with an empty gearbox.
I had a major service done the other day and the mechanic has forgotten to put the drain plug back in & fill the gearbox.

Fortunately I was having a regular look under the truck and noticed it.
Being the weekend he isn't contactable.
First thing Monday I'll be having a colourful chat with him.

My concern is how much damage I may have done to the box.
There are no noises or crunching.

I drive a 110 td5 2005. Model

Any thoughts?

[Symo]

I would be wanting a new one. Bearing on the finish on the gears will be toast. It may not be noisy now but give it a few weeks.

Sorry......

[Hall]

Three hundred and thirty five kilometers is a long way with out oil. Will be a hassle but for you and would mean your 110 of the road again. But the mechanic will or should remove the gear box and thoroughly inspect it, most likely a rebuild is on the cards. Would be the only way the mechanic could guarantee there would be no more problems with the gear box. Certainly will be a expensive lesson for the mechanic.
Cheers Hall

[noogie]

I'm bl@@dy friggin spewing.
Can you believe this sort of thing happens?

Makes me blood boil.

[MacMan]

Grim!

I'd have no confidence that the box is not stuffed. That will be an interesting conversation tomorrow.

[Tusker]

Yep it's a claim on workshop insurance.

Had the same thing happen with the transfer case. It lasted about 1500 kms before some banging & other sundry noises when letting out the clutch, & finally put the gears through the casing. But no warning until the last 50 kms or so.

It was an expensive claim for them, it had Maxidrive rockcrawlers.

How did you find it?

Regards
Max P

[noogie]

I was in the process of greasing my front prop shaft when I noticed it.
Lucky I regularly get under the truck.
could not believe my eyes.
What makes things hurt more, is that I had to sell my first born to pay for the major service it just had. :mad:
grab a cuppa & watch this space tomorrow.

[BigJon]

Got a photo? Are you sure you aren't looking at the wading plug hole, or something similar?
I find it hard to believe (but not impossible) that the mechanic didn't put the plug in and fill the gearbox and that you did that sort of km with no gearbox oil.

[Blknight.aus]

faaa-lalalalala its stuffed.
new box for you.

[centy]

this sort of stuff is surprisingly common.
i have seen
ford ute just serviced and no engine oil.
grader started without hydralic line from pump attached
seals put in a grader transmission backwards.
air over hydralic clutchs on trucks, mechanic puts in the one seal that fails all the time and not the kit.
rebuild coaster bus was taken for a test drive and had to be towed back to workshop.
cracked oil filter housing and long trail of oil.

some mechanics are just sub standard and get through their trade because it is to much paperwork to fire them, trust me i asked when i worked at the council.

[justinc]

I second what Bigjon says, just be 100% sure you are looking at the drain plug for the trans not the wading plug. We don't like angry customers on the phone cursing and shouting without getting the facts straight.:o

I've had a few ring me about this very thing;
"YOU just serviced my car and left a plug out!!! What are you going to do about it???!!!"
"the 'missing' plug is supposed to be missing, it is in the glovebox sir, it is a wading plug"

:D:mad:

Of course, mistakes happen for whatever reason and it may well be emptyy of oil, so I may be harping on about nothing but just a thought, check the facts first. A pic posted up here will confirm if it is the drain plug and not the wading plug.

Also, 335 km is a long way to go without lubricant. Last one I heard with a busted oil cooler line and pumped out ALL the oil lasted 50km before it STOPPED the vehicle:eek:

JC

[scarry]

I'm bl@@dy friggin spewing.
Can you believe this sort of thing happens?

Makes me blood boil.

X2:mad::mad:

Sure mistakes happen,buut.................

Mate of mine had his low lux serice recently,they left the radiator cap off.Luckily he discovered it before any damage happened .

We get the same in our game,sometimes you go to a job & just can't believe what someone else has done:mad:

Anyway,i hope JC is correct & it is all OK,does sound like a long way without any oil & it still goes:confused:

[DeanoH]

....................................Also, 335 km is a long way to go without lubricant. Last one I heard with a busted oil cooler line and pumped out ALL the oil lasted 50km before it STOPPED the vehicle:eek:

JC

X2 or is it 3 ?

Back in the days when I first got my Series II, I decided to give it a service and general clean up. Having taken the floor including transmission cover out I cleverly decided that it would be easier to fill the gearbox and transfer case from the top, which I did. Unfortunately I overfilled the transfer case and put no oil back in the gearbox. I got about 50 Km before the gearbox seized up. From this experience I would consider it miraculous if you did 335 Km without noticing (it would become very difficult to change gears) that the gearshift felt 'funny'.

These are pics from under my 300Tdi 130, I would assume yours would be very similar.

Wading Plug hole, it's supposed to be like this.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/147.jpg


Gearbox Drain Plug, the big one with the copper washer.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/148.jpg

just to complete the set.

Transfer Case Drain Plug, also with copper washer.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/149.jpg


Deano :)

[noogie]

I second what Bigjon says, just be 100% sure you are looking at the drain plug for the trans not the wading plug. We don't like angry customers on the phone cursing and shouting without getting the facts straight.:o

I've had a few ring me about this very thing;
"YOU just serviced my car and left a plug out!!! What are you going to do about it???!!!"
"the 'missing' plug is supposed to be missing, it is in the glovebox sir, it is a wading plug"

:D:mad:

Of course, mistakes happen for whatever reason and it may well be emptyy of oil, so I may be harping on about nothing but just a thought, check the facts first. A pic posted up here will confirm if it is the drain plug and not the wading plug.

Also, 335 km is a long way to go without lubricant. Last one I heard with a busted oil cooler line and pumped out ALL the oil lasted 50km before it STOPPED the vehicle:eek:

JC


I had another look and I think you guys are right. It may be the wading plug.
I found the actual gear box drain plug and removed to find it had oil.
Phew.

I have attached these photos.
The plug that is missing is the one closest to where the sump is or underneath where the clutch would be.
As you can tell I am a little mechanically challenged.

Please let confirm that it is the wading plug and not something of an issue.

Thanks

Mick

[Tombie]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/136.jpg

[noogie]

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/07/136.jpg

Happy to eat it!
Panic does crazy things to people.
Thanks everyone for your help.
I'm gonna head off to bathroom and wash the yolk off my face.

Better call mechanic in morning and tell him to forget about message I left him.

Cheers from this happy little camper.:)

[superquag]

... That's another benefit of this Forum ! :clap2:

[DeanoH]

I had another look and I think you guys are right. It may be the wading plug.
I found the actual gear box drain plug and removed to find it had oil.
Phew.

I have attached these photos.
The plug that is missing is the one closest to where the sump is or underneath where the clutch would be.
As you can tell I am a little mechanically challenged.

Please let confirm that it is the wading plug and not something of an issue.

Thanks

Mick


Your location description is spot on for the wading plug. I can't tell from the pics as they aren't blowing up for me when I click on them.

To check your gearbox oil level you don't need to remove the drain plug. In the picture I posted of the gearbox the shiny 'plug' above and to the right of the drain plug is the 'level plug'.
The gearbox is filled through this hole. When the oil level reaches this level and starts to overflow then the gearbox is filled to the correct level.
To check the oil level undo this plug and if you can't see in or oil doesn't dribble out you can put your little pinky in and feel the oil to check. :)
Tip. Don't do this when the oil is hot.

Deano :)

[x-box]

I'd say well done for checking under your car and finding the "problem" - rather be safe than very sorry....
In this case rather eat that humble pie and be happy it's not more serious or fatal :p
Amazing how this forum helps people - helped me too a few times :cool:

[justinc]

Happy to eat it!
Panic does crazy things to people.
Thanks everyone for your help.
I'm gonna head off to bathroom and wash the yolk off my face.

Better call mechanic in morning and tell him to forget about message I left him.

Cheers from this happy little camper.:)

...I would do it now, or leave another message. No need to ruin his Sunday.

JC

[noogie]

Call Already made.
Thanks everyone:)

[nedflanders]

Whilst in the Army we had a mechanic refill about 10 of our Defenders with about a fifth of the amount of oil, about 200miles to Poland everyone of them lunched there gearboxes, all gears lost except for 4th (collapsed layshaft). How you got as far as you did with no oil is amazing, unfortunately your gearbox is going to be knackered, they get bloody hot and that's with oil in em :(

[noogie]

Whilst in the Army we had a mechanic refill about 10 of our Defenders with about a fifth of the amount of oil, about 200miles to Poland everyone of them lunched there gearboxes, all gears lost except for 4th (collapsed layshaft). How you got as far as you did with no oil is amazing, unfortunately your gearbox is going to be knackered, they get bloody hot and that's with oil in em :(

Nah! All is fine. It was my wading plug.
I had an afternoon panic session for no reason.
All sorted with the forum & a phone call.
"Love yous all."
:BigThumb:

[nedflanders]

Glad all's well, the wading plug is the one place you don't want to see oil :)

[ugu80]

FYI: (afaik) The hole you are concerned about has nothing to do with the gearbox, it drains the clutch. On a 300tdi there's two wading plugs: One at the bottom of the timing belt cover and one at the bottom of the clutch bell housing. You typically leave them open so that any leaking oil (it's a land rover, after all) and water can run out and not contaminate the clutch plate and timing belt. They are there if you go into deep muddy water so they can be plugged to avoid ingress of water and mud (LR recommend 0.5 metre but that is a very conservative figure).

Even it you leave the plug hole open in a deep water crossing, it shouldn't contaminate the clutch plates unless you change gear mid-stream.

[S3ute]

Happy to eat it!
Panic does crazy things to people.

Better call mechanic in morning and tell him to forget about message I left him.

.:)


I suspect something a little stronger than "forget it mate" might be warranted if the original message was a bit forceful...............

Having been on the receiving end of a few rounds of similar abuse for non-errors, it is bit like being damned with faint praise when you get a "better forget my earlier message, no harm done" response afterwards.

Cheers,

[noogie]

I suspect something a little stronger than "forget it mate" might be warranted if the original message was a bit forceful...............

Having been on the receiving end of a few rounds of similar abuse for non-errors, it is bit like being damned with faint praise when you get a "better forget my earlier message, no harm done" response afterwards.

Cheers,

I never left a nasty message.
Just that it was urgent.