gearbox oil filling

[gt6878e]

hello all....can anyone tell me where exactly to do a hole cut in my fibreglass gearbox cover so i can check and fill up the oil without having to totally dismantle the interior of my car? know i probably should've done it when i put it in but i didn't give it a thought. anyone got the measurement from the bulkhead and how far up from the base of the cover???

many thanks in advance

darren

[rotoflex]

You'll still need to remove the carpet covering the transmission cover.

The most accurate way would be to raise the car, put it on jackstands, go underneath, locate the square-head threaded filler plug on the right-hand side of the transmission case, then use an awl or ice pick to plke a hole in the cover directly opposite it from the underside, thus marking the location.

Then you can go inside, see the little hole you've made, & cut a suitably-sized hole for access around it.  I'd suggest first finding the item you'd be using to plug the hole afterwards, so you'll know exactly what size to make the hole in the cover.

Poking the hole will be easiest if you've got an original-style fiberboard transmission cover.

I take the passenger seat out.  I sort of like it, it's fast & easy after the first couple of times, & replacement of the original seat slider bolts w/stainless items.  There's less chance of messing the seat up, more room to work, keeps the seats from getting stuck in & thereby easier to remove if you must work under the dash, etc.

[Tim Bancroft]

Rotoflex,

Why not pull out the seat base, this unclips.

Of course this is not poss. on a mk 1

Tim

[gt6878e]

thanks for the advice rotoflex....was a bit confused when you said it was on the right hand side of the car, then said take the passenger seat out.....forgot for a min where you are from.....

thanks

darren

[rotoflex]

timbancroft61 wrote:

Rotoflex,

Why not pull out the seat base, this unclips.

I've never noticed that possibility before.  Are the Mk2/+ seats different?
The base on my seats tilts forward as the rails remain on the floor, & the tilting pivot is a nut/bolt setup, not a clip.

The nice thing about taking the seats out is it becomes fast & easy after you figure it out, & as the seats are out, you can inspect the bottom frame for rust, flush out the old lube in the sliders with WD-40 or something, then re-lube the sliders with spray lithium grease.  Fast, fast, fast.

You kids!  You don't know or appreciate the modern wonders of your world!  SRAY LITHIUM GREASE!  Back in my day...

[JohnD]

Darren,
I don't know if rotaflex has ever done what he suggest, but it sounds a damned difficult method to me.
Fortunately, you do need a hole that is a a few inches across, else you can't see what you are doing through it.  I suggest making a good estimate of where the filler is - height above chassis rail, distance back from front of bulkhead - and drilling a hole there.  You can them orientate yourself  reference the filler and cut the definative hole around that.
That's how I made mine.   Then spire clips in the edges of the hole and an alloy plate with rubber seal on the edges to fill the hole.
I know it's not a GT6 but see the pic.
John

[gt6878e]

many thanks john.....i'll get it up on the ramps this wkend and see if i can sort it.......i've got a bit of a leak on the off side driveshaft too so i'll have a busy weekend on it.....always some tinkering to be done

cheers

darren

[gt6878e]

hello all.....i tackled filling the gearbox this weekend and i found that when i put it on the ramps i was able to get at it from under the car without destroying the interior.....just had to extend the pipe on the oil bottle with a piece of thin air pipe........result

darren