The 'E' Type Forum

A dumb newbie question, but how do you get at the gearbox filler?

Haynes says nothing about changing or topping up the gearbox.

In the Supplement about removing the engine, it tells you how to get the cover off - start with removing the radio console. Then pull up the handbrake and "Lift up the cover panel at the rear and at the same time tilt it to the left to clear the handbrake lever. No mention of any screws, bolts, Blu-tack, skyhooks...

How is it done?

Tx Steve

Hi Steve....can you please try to put your car model and name in the signature area..it helps.....what model do you have......a service manual and owners handbook would also help you......we have a knowledge base section...copies of the manuels are in there.......assuming you talking about a manual jaguar gearbox the filler plug is on the side of the box.....access via a large rubber grommet/ plug on the side of the tunnel under the carpets...Steve ps a quick search ..fill gearbox...http://forum.etypeuk.com/viewtopic.php? ... box#p87807

The filler plug is on the side of the gearbox. Access can be tricky. Some cars have the plugged hole as described. Others don't.

Once you've drained out the old oil and got the filler plug out, the best thing to use is a Tom Thumb oil pump.


Fill the box until oil just starts to spill over the bottom of the filler hole; usually about 1.7 litres in a standard all synchro SWB box.

Brilliant
I have heard of them, but they just went straight to the top of my list for Santa.
I know everything about refilling the gearbox except getting at it from inside the car.

Thanks


Steve

I have change my signature as requested.
I have done a fair amount of research, but details on removing the internal trim is hard to find. Some say it is impossible, which saves looking!

Steve

If there is a hole it's under the carpet on the front section of the tunnel. Have a look under the car and see if you can see it.

Personally I don't bother filling the GB from in the car any more; it's no more fiddly from below with the TT pump.

In all probability for your car the access hole in the transmission tunnel is on the wrong side so it is best and probably easiest to drain and refill the gearbox oil from underneath as long as you can raise your car into the air whilst keeping it level. From underneath both the drain plug and the filler plug are easily accessible. The filler plug will be on the right hand side.

If you can't get your car up in the air and level, then you can drain all the oil, refit the drain plug and pour 1.7 litres of replacement oil in via the breather which should have a pipe attached to it coming out into the engine compartment by the bulkhead. It will be slow and not a perfect option but a close substitute.

Hi Steve...you dont have to remove any trim to look at the side of the tunnel to see if you have access hole for gearbox.....you just lift the carpets.......Removing any trim is not really that difficult.....if you do want access to the gearbox top then its quite straight forward to remove the console.....Steve
Edit...just looked in my Haynes manual..routine maintenance page 10 how to change gearbox oil and page 12 access photo

Then on page 26/27 full details with pictures of how to remove remove center console etc

Hello Steve,
Irrespective of whether you carry out the task from inside the car, or from underneath (I'm in Andrew's camp and do it from underneath), you will save time by locating the Filler Plug on the Left Side of the gearbox. I doubt that the access hole in the tunnel will be on the wrong side. It will either be on the Left Side (Overwhelming majority of cases) , or Nonexistent (Minority of cases)

Regards,

Bill

The filler and access hole on my 1970 S2 are both on the RHS of the car.

Hello Tom,
I have to say, I've never encountered a Gearbox for an S2 with the filler plug on the RH Side and I handle a lot of Gearboxes. Currently I have three Gearboxes from S2 cars going through the workshop for full refurbishment and two other S2 cars with their Gearboxes not yet to that stage and all have LH Side Filler Plugs.

Regards,

Bill

Maybe Tom's car doesn't have the standard gearbox. I added a right hand side access hole and grommet when I fitted my T5 gearbox.

Regards

As I am without any form of lift, I check/top-up using the access hole at the same time that I spray the inner panels with waxoyl as part of my winter routine. This means I never glue the carpets or underlay down. No problem they don’t need to be secured that way as the studs are all that is needed. At the same time the tunnel trim comes off so I can access the front prop shaft grease nipple. Lots of jobs done at the same time.

Checking the axle oil level I find is best done with the IRS cage tie plate removed (exhaust tail pipes dropped as well). I need to do this to access the lower wishbone fulcrum grease nipples, which for some reason on my car, can be seen but will not take grease from any of my grease guns unless perfectly square. Long job, pain in the arse as I am lying on my back to do it, but only needs to be done once each winter.

Just for info...my 69 S2 2+2 filler on right access grommet on left....Steve

Both on the LHS side for me.

Sorry guys, I honestly did give it a reasonably good shot without bothering the group. I just looked at gearbox, lubrication, oil etc in the Haynes index, nothing. And 'gearbox oil change' in the group didn't get what I wanted. I didn't think of it as a 'routine' item - gearboxes are usually lubricated for life - aren't they? It didn't help that I was stupidly looking too far back on the transmission tunnel.

This MT-90 stuff reminds me of Arthur Daley at the funeral of a fellow second-hand car dealer "The first man to put a bri-nylon shirt into a dodgy gearbox" he said respectfully. I am hopeful.

Gearboxes are lubricated for life ? I did not get the memo on that .

“gearboxes are usually lubricated for life - aren't they? ”
No no no no no......

Only do this if you want that gearbox to have a short life. There is a service interval for E-Type gearboxes and axles, it is 12,000 miles. And don’t forget that the oil change interval for the XK engine is 3,000 miles. Brake and clutch fluid change every two years.

Other will chime in with recommendations for owners manuals and workshop manuals. I’ve always used Haynes, mainly because they are local to me and I did once buy a vehicle from them after it had been used to make a new manual. Or you can find reproductions of the original owners service handbook online.

angelw wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:29 am

I have to say, I've never encountered a Gearbox for an S2 with the filler plug on the RH Side and I handle a lot of Gearboxes.
Bill

Bill, my S2 built August 69 has the filler on the RHS. Why they changed who knows and there's no access plate on the RHS of the transmission tunnel so filling is from underneath.
Gearbox No. KE7969 for comparison with any of yours.

Geoff

My Series 2 OTS built November 1969 also has the gearbox filler plug on the right hand side.
The gearbox number is KE9979 and is original to the car.
It appears a fair few of later S2 cars are like this

ditto to the right side filler. Aug 69 build. box #KE8095
its a PITA to fill, I bought a small hand pump and I pump the thick oil up from underneath.