Swivel Pin housing oil level check, "How To"

[Disco_owner]

someone here asked in one of the threads the other day on the "How to" of the swivel Pin housing oil Level check and filling of the housing with oil. So I opted to put this Tutorial together ,I'll also run it through spell checker incase "Ron Brigade" is around the corner,heheh.

1) Ensure the Vehicle is standing on Level Ground , (in my case it wasn't possible , "my driveway is on a slope ,
so it had to be said "I couldn't do it anywhere else , only for sake of the tutorial) and the handbrake is applied ,
Wheel chog placed behind the rear wheel of the vehicle in gear.
2) Underneath the Vehicle unscrew the Left-hand swivel pin housing level Plug , it has a square-section head and
from memory was a 15mm socket
3) the oil level should be up to the lower edge of the levelplug hole








http://www.aulro.com/app/uploads/13705/Swivel_Pin_Housinga.jpg

The Plastic Pump pictured below can be obtained from any auto shop ,and it screws into the Oil container,obtained from an auto shop such as Auto-one and they are relatively cheap , from memory it was about $15.00 or so,the clear plastic tubing attached to the Pump can also be obtained from bunnings hardware and it was a couple of dollars , attached to pump nuzzle for ease of pumping oil into the Swivel Pin housing , I found it was easier to fill the housing from the Level Plug check very slowly to avoid spilage.

[Blknight.aus]

Top effort but a little skewed.

the filler plug is the one right at the top.
the level plug is the one just up from the halfway point and the drain plug is the hex one at the bottom.

to check.

open the level plug and if you have oil on the threads OR oil seeps out then your oil level is correct.

to drain.

remove the fill plug and then the drain plug

to fill.
on firm level ground with the vehicle chocked or supported level on 4 jack stands turn the steering to lock on the side that you are about to fill
remove the fill plug (which should already be out)
remove the level plug
fill with 80/90wt gear oil (or as per your local requirements as derived from your users manuals/servicebooks) untill oil first apears at the level plug.
replace the level plug after coating the threads in a non hardening thread sealant
replace the fill plug after coating the threads in a non hardening thread sealant.

Alternatively you can take the easy way out IF your running greased bearings (do this with oil filled bearings and your toast)

follow the steps as prior upto and including "remove the fill plug"
after that you
cut the top off of the oneshot grease tube and squeeze contents into the filler hole
coat the threads in a thread sealant
replace filler plug
paint both the filler and drain plugs (if drain plugs are fitted) in yellow paint and affix the supplied "one shot grease" sticker to the top corner of the corrosponding side of the windshield.


its not usually a problem overfilling the hubs (some hubs do not have a level check bolt so you fill them to the bottom of the threads on the filler hole) as the oil will migrate past either the axle seal into the diff raising the level of the diff or past the bearing seal into and finally out of your hub seals. However about 1 time in enough to make it worth mentioning the oil will work past the swivel seal and allow crap to pick up onto the chrome and kill the seal.

[Disco_owner]

Thanks for correction , my mistake on the Pic :(, I have now corrected this on Microsoft publisher and re-uploaded it here again :), I think the Top effort was on your part , thanks again.

[waynep]

Good clear tutorial thanks
That level check plug can be a bit tricky to get out because of the big bolt behind it ( what's that bolt for anyway ? ) - I found an 11mm open ended spanner works best.

Now I've asked this before but I'm still a little confused.

My Disco had the stickers saying the one shot grease was installed.
However I the guy that previously serviced my car has put oil back in them. ( why i don't know )
There's now oil leaking past one of the swivel hub seals.
Can I just drain the oil and put a one shot grease back in there ?
Or should I just keep topping up the oil until I can get around to doing the seal ?
I keep checking the level by poking a bit of wire into the filler plug hole every couple of weeks, but it doesn't seem to drop much. I gues it's becoz the weep is only slight at this stage.

[Blknight.aus]

the big bolt is the steering stop bolt. if you take it out(or shorten it) you get a better turning circle but is has some potenial risks so I advise against doing it un less your willing to take the chances.

you can just put the one shot grease back in after draining out the oil without replacing the seal

I think the oil is better but it does tend to do the leaky thing and the miniscule difference in the protection offered by the grease as opposed to oil so far as the CV is concerned its often easier to use the grease. That however does not apply if you are running the wheel bearings in oil.

you can get a split seal to replace the existing one and theycan be fitted up in under 20mins per side in your driveway by anyone who can read and knows which end of a ringspanner to hold.

most times the back to oil conversion is done because the oil seal on the diff side has failed and the diff oil is diluting the hub grease or because they want to run oil fed bearings.

[waynep]

you can get a split seal to replace the existing one and theycan be fitted up in under 20mins per side in your driveway by anyone who can read and knows which end of a ringspanner to hold.
.

Where can I get some info on those Dave ?
Sounds like the ducks nuts.

[Blknight.aus]

they aint, I only use em IF I have to fix one on the side of the road and just dont have the time/space to do it properly.

If you really want one MR automotive or four wheel drives down in melbourne should be able to supply it.

[PhilipA]

Is it me or has everyone missed the important step.
Between opening the filler cap and putting oil in.
Turn RH wheel onto right lock to uncover the CV chamber under the hole.
Ditto LH.
Regards Philip A

[Blknight.aus]

Is it me or has everyone missed the important step.
Between opening the filler cap and putting oil in.
Turn RH wheel onto right lock to uncover the CV chamber under the hole.
Ditto LH.
Regards Philip A


Urm


Top effort but a little skewed.

the filler plug is the one right at the top.
the level plug is the one just up from the halfway point and the drain plug is the hex one at the bottom.

to check.

open the level plug and if you have oil on the threads OR oil seeps out then your oil level is correct.

to drain.

remove the fill plug and then the drain plug

to fill.
on firm level ground with the vehicle chocked or supported level on 4 jack stands turn the steering to lock on the side that you are about to fill
remove the fill plug (which should already be out)
remove the level plug
fill with 80/90wt gear oil (or as per your local requirements as derived from your users manuals/servicebooks) untill oil first apears at the level plug.
replace the level plug after coating the threads in a non hardening thread sealant
replace the fill plug after coating the threads in a non hardening thread sealant.

Alternatively you can take the easy way out IF your running greased bearings (do this with oil filled bearings and your toast)


did you mean that bit?

You should do it before you open the filler plug because If like mine your underbody isnt exactly surgicaly sterile type clean you might drop something in there when you turn it to lock.

[PhilipA]

Whoops missed it sorry mate!
But at least it is emphasised.
I usually wire brush around the filler plug before opening, not that I have done it for years as I now have one shot.
regards Philip A

[Disco_owner]

Phillip;

Haynes manual didn't mention nothing about the Process you just described , although I must say I have found Haynes to be very lacking in a lot areas ,obviously this is my first time I've heard that Wheels needing to be turned in the direction of the swivel Housing being filled with oil Full Lock to Uncover Constant Velocity chamber under the Hole ?:confused:

[PhilipA]

First time in about 1985 I did it the hard way.Tried to put oil in for most of it to come out. Twisted inside out to look in the hole. What the ? is that shiny thing under the hole? Ahah its the swivel ball!
Turn onto lock and the swivel goes past the edge of the ball leaving a gap.
Eureka!!!
Regards Philip A

[lewy]

well done chaps.sorry If this is hijacking the thread please delete but here in Darwin i am having trouble finding this magic one shot grease is any one willing to suggest a home brew mix i can make.

[rick130]

well done chaps.sorry If this is hijacking the thread please delete but here in Darwin i am having trouble finding this magic one shot grease is any one willing to suggest a home brew mix i can make.

you can get some One Shot mail order, but when i checked the spec it's a fairly ordinary NLGI 00 grease with 3% moly in it.

Maybe some SAE 140 gear oil with some Molybond thrown in ?

I've used an 80W-140 gear oil that I had on hand and my normal NLGI # 2 moly fortified chassis grease mixed roughly 50/50 for the last three years.

[Blknight.aus]

certainly 50/50 mix of 80/90 (or 85/140) wt gear oil and a grease with a heavy blend of molybdenum in it mix it well and tip it in.

Dont fill it as full as the bottom of the threads with the one shot as bad things can happen make sure you grease the wheel bearings well before you put this stuff in as you will be removing their reserve of lubricant.

I think from memory the proper rover grease pack is only 250ml or so.

I can check that when I get back to work.


and as a side....

Its not really one shot set and forget like a lot of guys treat it. your hubs are still capable of getting contaminated in the same way as the oil is.

[rick130]

<snip>

I think from memory the proper rover grease pack is only 250ml or so.

<snip>.

330ml ?? :confused:

[rick130]

<snip>


and as a side....

Its not really one shot set and forget like a lot of guys treat it. your hubs are still capable of getting contaminated in the same way as the oil is.

I love how it says it's a "for life" fill in the manual :rolleyes:

[Blknight.aus]

perfectly accurate, the lubircant lasts for its life and then needs to be replaced.



perfectly acceptable to the marketing gits just like a life time garentee.

[frog2]

Phillip;

Haynes manual didn't mention nothing about the Process you just described , although I must say I have found Haynes to be very lacking in a lot areas ,obviously this is my first time I've heard that Wheels needing to be turned in the direction of the swivel Housing being filled with oil Full Lock to Uncover Constant Velocity chamber under the Hole ?:confused:

Haynes even bails out of a simple job like replacing trans fluid and screen with the one sentence 'this is an involved operation and is best entrusted to a land rover dealer' These forums are so much more valuable, Thanks to all contributors for sharing.