Gearbox oil change

[Bibs 11,665]

I've filtered the oil that came out and there are no particles at all, it's perfectly clean but it's pretty brown/black as in full of carbon. New blood in the box now so all is well, it was just old oil coming out

[davegtst 0]

Has it made much difference to the changes? Ordered my oil from opie today so hopefully it will be done before the weekend.

[davegtst 0]

Done mine today. Fortunatly for me the drain and fill plugs undid easily with only a 10mm spanner, easy job only took about 20 minutes.

[red vtec 203]

Need to do mine, If the sockets are very tight can I use my 12v impact wrench? or do I risk shearing them off? I also have a 18" breaker bar but Iagain I fear shearing the socket off.

[davegtst 0]

I wouldn't use either, if you shear it off you are buggered. Try and get the proper socket if you can, you can get them from Snap-on or Facom

[Bibs 11,665]

I got mine from Halfords,

[davegtst 0]

I searched Halfords and they told me they didn't do one. Oh well didn't need one in the end.

[Sparky 2,941]

When I did mine a couple of months ago, I discovered the filler plug had been totalled by some ape. I ended up tapping a 12mm (IIRC) face-drive socket onto it, and it came out fine.

[Bibs 11,665]

My gearchange has got worse and further investigation shows that one of the cables has pretty much melted. It's almost impossible to change gear now, especially from very hot or very cold

[Vulcan Grey 251]

Bibs,

Disconnect the cables from the translator and see if they still move in their sheaths.

You can use a spray that converts the rust (PB blaster) to loosen things up.

Clean the entire translator, replace the ball joints, or whatever is necessary to get things moving again.

Use a good synthetic grease on everything.

Make sure everything is correctly tight, these translator assemblies can get loose and then they won't shift because you aren't actually telling the shift forks to go into a gear.

The translator can actually get loose on the cross shaft and this will makes shifting very random.

Next, check in the shifter area to make sure the bushings are ok, and the shift lever mechanism is working correctly.

Does your gear change grind or does it not work with the motor off as well?

If it's only when the engine is on, then it could also be clutch or hydraulics related issues that are keeping you from getting in gear.

[fflyingdog 57]

What Travis said

Nick S4s

Edited September 12, 2008 by fflyingdog

[Bibs 11,665]

Fortunately Andy Clements has offered to cast a more experienced eye over this and the translator tomorrow so cross your fingers!

[Vulcan Grey 251]

Bibs,

They all do that. Mine has looked like that for 8 years (well without the rust part) and the cables still work fine.

There is the outer plastic, then the outer cable sheath (metal cable), and there is an inner sleeve (I believe), and then there is the shift cable inside that.

Clean it up, should look like this on my 89SE

Edited September 12, 2008 by Vulcan Grey

[Bibs 11,665]

Brilliant, that's a relief and those pics are a massive help, thanks Travis

[Vulcan Grey 251]

One more thing.

If you go adjusting your cables and translator. Take some time to make sure the cables are properly and rigidly fastened to the chassis and even the engine before you go to all the trouble.

Having the cables rigid will improve feel. But if you secure the cables after everything is adjusted, then the shifting probably will not work or feel like crap... Even just moving the cables will change their effective length...

So always make sure they are secure and then perform the adjustments, otherwise you are wasting your time.

[Jonathan 13]

Sure Jez (Jeremy Edwards) with the Green S4s had some cables he mis purchased from SJ.