Oil change for WO 3 litre

Nicholas Simons · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:46 am Post subject: Oil change for WO 3 litre

One benefit of this period of lock-down is in allowing us to check our cars and carry out all those jobs that need doing. My question is about gearbox oil change in a 3 litre car. The green book tells me to check every year, and fill to the centre of the layshaft. Thanks a lot WO! Where is the filler and where is the dip-stick? I have both on my similar vintage RR but WO appears to have forgotten to fit them. I have to remove the top of the gear box in order to check the oil level, probably damaging the gasket in the process. Even my 1903 veteran had a gearbox filler, drain plug and level plug.
What is the experience of others, and in reality, how often do people check the gearbox oil?

Robert Clifford-Wing · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:04 pm Post subject: Re: Oil change for WO 3 litre

John Murch · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:22 pm Post subject:

Same situation on an A box.
It is strange!

Iain Warner · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 4:30 pm Post subject:

As Robert says you have to take the lid off, but then you would have to do that anyway to check the level compared to the layshaft.
I try to change the oil annually now. After I left it for a couple of years the gear change got rather stiff and on inspection I found the oil had emulsified. A result I guess of condensation inside the gearbox. Anyone else found this?
Iain

Christopher Carnley · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:08 pm Post subject:

With all this time on your hands, why not drill, tap and fit a housing for a removable ventilated filler cum dipstick?

Carefully missing the gears of course.

Tony Johns · Joined: 10 Jan 1997 Posts: 8 Location: Victoria, Australia

Hello Nicholas
Once you make an inspection plug for the gearbox lid it is easy to check the oil level with a pre marked timber dipstick.
The first photo shows the plug and the other photo shows the breather on the side of the gearbox.
Also I am a great believer in lock wiring all the drain plugs.
Regards
Tony

Christopher Carnley · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:56 am Post subject:

Tony,
The photos are missing.

The prewar Derby and R-R gearboxes had a polished malacca cane dipstick, with a flat cut in it as an indicator. I believe the idea was that it was easier to see the mark than on a steel one.

Robert Craven · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:00 am Post subject:

I used to find that removing the floorboards was the major operation. After that, taking the cover off an A Box wasn't much more effort.
The VSCC makes you lockwire the plugs anyway if you compete.

Stephen Blakey · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:33 am Post subject:

Tony has asked me to post his photographs. Here they are

Nicholas Simons · Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:48 pm Post subject:

Tony
Thanks for the photos. My B box has 16 nuts so a bit more work to remove.

Paul Spencer · Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:29 pm Post subject:

Mine is a BS box, also with 16 nuts. I bought a two-part sump plug on eBay. The outer part is loctited into a tapped hole in the gearbox lid. Then the inner can be removed using a socket that goes through a hole I drilled in the floorboard. This is fine for checking the level and any top-ups, but I still remove the floorboards and lid for topping up every couple of years.

Christopher Carnley · Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 5:26 pm Post subject:

There are several avenues to follow. Thanks for the tip Paul

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