Implications on overdrive of running low g/box oil

[John Bonnett]

I drove 220 miles with the gearbox oil leaking. On checking there was one about an inch of oil left in the gearbox and the overdrive stopped working.

Will this have done any lasting damage to the overdrive?

John

[Velocita Rosso]

It shouldnt have
The O/Drive has a lower casing than the gearbox so the majority of the time there is generally more oil in the O/D unit than the box.
The question should really be more directed to "would the low oil level have affected the box"............and I would doubt it

[John Bonnett]

michael_charlton wrote:

It shouldnt have
The O/Drive has a lower casing than the gearbox so the majority of the time there is generally more oil in the O/D unit than the box.
The question should really be more directed to "would the low oil level have affected the box"............and I would doubt it

Thank you for your positive reply. For reasons I'll not go into I'm not worried about the box, my only concern is the well being of the overdrive so fingers crossed you are right.

John

[Jason1969]

JOhn, didn't you have a new box fitted? Why is there a problem? I always found the overdrive a good indicator that I should add oil to my box when it stopped working :) :)

[GT6 M]

good chance it stopped wukkn as you went down a hill,!!!
and oil did not flow back into OD end, as its got to go over a wee hump to get thee.

Should be OK, but one never knows. Id be moer worried about the box.
an inch in the bottom,  by the time the gears have flung what thea is aboot, then there be no oil in sump bit.

M

[John Bonnett]

4545 wrote:

JOhn, didn't you have a new box fitted? Why is there a problem? I always found the overdrive a good indicator that I should add oil to my box when it stopped working :) :)

Yes Jason, it is a new box and it lost most of its oil on a 220 miles journey. I have a feeling that it was leaking as a spray from the overdrive.

Marcus, I'm sure you are right, the last bit of the journey was indeed downhill to our house so that explains that.

One odd thing I have noticed is that the overdrive solenoid is now only operating intermittently. The relay is clicking and I believe power is reaching the solenoid but have not confirmed that. Is there any mechanical rather than electrical reason why this should happen?

Thank you for your replies

John

[GT6 M]

Did you put some copper washers onto the top bolts / studs on the od,!!!
these go inside the OD, and can leak if not sealed.

M

[John Bonnett]

796 wrote:

Did you put some copper washers onto the top bolts / studs on the od,!!!
these go inside the OD, and can leak if not sealed.

M

I didn't do the job Marcus so I don't know.

[Jason1969]

JOhn, it has to be the last job that took place has the responsibility. Therefore whoever removed and replaced the box didn't do it correctly, sounds like it needs to be redone.

Jason

[Tim Bancroft]

Check the drain hole in the bell houising, if oil coming out of there it is probably the coppper washer on the bottom bolt of the 5 that connect the bellhousing to the box.

Is the breather clear?

[John Bonnett]

4545 wrote:

JOhn, it has to be the last job that took place has the responsibility. Therefore whoever removed and replaced the box didn't do it correctly, sounds like it needs to be redone.

Jason

You are quite right Jason and so far they seem to be accepting responsibility. The car was collected yesterday upon their instructions so, so so far, so good.

Here is a sad bit of video. Sad, because tomorrow we were due to take the car on a 2000 mile round trip to the Outer Isles. Sadly not this time but we do have the French holiday under the belt which was a fantastic experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0igVRi6qlIA