Thread: tips for gear box and diff oil change?

You don't NEED any sort of pump to get the oil into the gearbox and diffs. You just have to remember the basic principles of head water.

Get a container. a 2 or 3L milk container is good as everyone has one. Cut the bottom off. Drill a hole in the lid and force a length of pipe into the hole. (Keep in mind the hose has to have a decent ID otherwise thick oil will travel slower) Making sure it's tight. But obviously not too tight to cut flow. Then run the hose into the desired equipment. Just to clarify, the bottle stays out beside the vehicle. Then, just pour the oil into the bottle. The crutial part of the process is making sure the bottle is well above the height of the next highest part of the feed (the secton of hose that comes back up to the box/diff after running under the body) and the gearbox/diff

Simple solution to pumps, air compressors and bottle of oil perched up ladders is to buy a cheap 5L garden sprayer (about $10 at KMart). Remove the spray nozzle/trigger assembly from the end of the flexible delivery pipe. Insert pipe end into diff, fill with sprayer with oil, pump up and wait. When diff is full pull the pressure relief valve on sprayer to "turn off"

That is an awesome idea thanx jonse

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

lets just say I've had the pleasure of educating one or 2 appies...

I may or may not own a sump plug for an isuzu that has only 2 turns of thread on it up near the head........





I'm now way to lazy to get under most vehicles so I just stick the oil sucker down the dipstick.

Dave, brings back memories of the time I needed to drain about a litre of oil out of my Macks 12 speed box. As it was raining and the truck was not undercover I put on a plastic raincoat. Slipped under with a container and undid the drain plug, which I held up next to the plug hole for quick insertion for when the correct oil had drained. Well I noticed there was no oil draining into the bucket, but I did have a warm feeling down the inside of my arm, armpit and then back. That's when I realised the cuff of the sleeve of my raincoat was acting as a funnel. Took a long time to live that one down, nearly as long as it took to get the smell of gear box oil out of my skin, Regards Frank.

Some interesting ideas for pumps here. I just bought one from Autocare.

Dave's ideas are all good, I can say from experience .

While the manual will tell you how much oil should go in, keep in mind that you should only put back as much as comes out, and then check it.

Does your manual say the gearbox oil should be checked with the engine running?

Are you doing the transfer case?

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Some interesting ideas for pumps here. I just bought one from Autocare.

Dave's ideas are all good, I can say from experience .

While the manual will tell you how much oil should go in, keep in mind that you should only put back as much as comes out, and then check it.

Does your manual say the gearbox oil should be checked with the engine running?

Are you doing the transfer case?

Yes will be doing case, gearbox and diffs.

What's the difference if i read the manual in fill with the correct amount it says. Putting back what i take out makes no sense to me as the box might have had a leak before or oil deteriorated and in correct amount comes out.

I also never have done a gearbox oil change with an engine running. Unless its in gear there no pointas nothing is really moving. Automatics you check final level running and warm.

oil

Originally Posted by Tdi Nico

Yes will be doing case, gearbox and diffs.

What's the difference if i read the manual in fill with the correct amount it says. Putting back what i take out makes no sense to me as the box might have had a leak before or oil deteriorated and in correct amount comes out.

I also never have done a gearbox oil change with an engine running. Unless its in gear there no pointas nothing is really moving. Automatics you check final level running and warm.

Yep, you fill 'till fluid comes out the fill hole, otherwise most of us with LT230's would be running around with too little fluid, and IMO they're marginal on capacity anyway, or the flip side is the front diff when the swivel oil blows through to the diff housing, overfilling it. (leaving the swivels low, and, well, it's a Rover....)

Sorry, I should have said that my service manual says to check the gearbox oil level with the engine running. I didn't mean you actually fill it with the engine running.
The theory behind replacing what you took out is that not all the oil comes out, as some remains stuck in various places. So, if you take out say five litres just to pick a random number, but the manual says to put in six litres, you might actually be overfilling with a litre. The alternative is to put back what you took out and then check if more is needed.