gear oil level check

[miked]

My S4 does not have a rubber grommet at the side of the gear tunnel to allow the side gear oil plug to be removed to check level. I am sure the plus two's I had were like this.

Should there be one on the little Elan? Other wise you are bauked by the exhaust and have to go under to check.

How should it be? I am tempted to cut one in. Am on a spyder chassis so there is likley good access

Mike

[garyeanderson]

I get under the Elan and remove the pipe plug on the right side of the gear box. From the inside I move the gear lever gator back so I can get a piece of 4 foot long 3/8 inch i.d. diameter tubing through it and insert it in through the gear plug hole in said side of the box. I then insert a small funnel into the tube and tie wrap or hose clamp it in place. I then support the funnel to the inside mirror with a piece of 12 gauge copper electrical wire or other at hand wire and pour gear oil into the funnel until it over flows the side level hole in the gear box. The box is now full. your mileage may vary...

Gary

p.s. - the 3 1/2 inch hole in the tunnel is for greasing the front u-joint and not so useful for that purpose either.

[elancoupe]

I always acted on the advice given me by an Elan sage years ago.

Remove the drain plug, empty the gearbox. Remove the console and shifter. Replace the drain plug. Dump one quart of your preferred gear oil in the 'box, replace shifter and console.

I did this procedure just last week, took less than 15 minutes. Gear oil is cheap, and rebuilds are expensive, so I prefer to change instead of check and add.

I use Motul 300 or Redline MTL.

[nebogipfel]

Or use a squeezy bottle from under the car (the ones with the longish plastic tube) .

[Frank Howard]

And when you torque the plugs, don't get carried away as I did. Snug enough so that they don't leak is what you want and no more.

[264889socal]

Years ago I had a race car, which was difficult to fill both the transmission and the differentia. I found a couple of small refrigerant tanks, cut a hole in the top portion of the tank and welded in a screw on cap. Added a fitting for a Schraeder valve, a barbed fitting and fitted a 3/8" diameter piece of clear tubing. I now keep gear oil in one and diff oil in the other. Put about 10 to 15lbs of pressure in the tank, turn it upside down, stick the tube in the fill hole and open the valve. You can control the flow with the valve and you wind up with little waste. Takes just a couple of minutes.

Rob

[ElliottN]

I have a small hand-pump - came with a 1 litre bottle but will screw into the top of any standard oil/lubricant container. Cost about GBP 8 from local motor parts shop. I do have to get under the car but it's clean and easy - just hook the end into the gearbox filler plug and pump until you get a trickle running back out. The diff is just as easy.