Ford Pop 103E - Gearbox filler plug

[Dobbin]

I was about to drain the gearbox oil on my ford pop this evening but stopped when I couldn't find the filler plug. My question is simple, is there a filler plug? Do I fill via the dipstick hole? The workshop manual page 80 says 'Refill the gearbox with the correct grade of lubricant, to the FULL mark on the dipstick'. Having never changed this oil before I'm unsure as to how to fill it. Google searches haven't came up with anything either. Thanks in advance

[JPB]

If there's no obvious sign of there being a filler plug, then yes, I'd say they intended that the box be filled via the dipstick hole. It’s not an uncommon arrangement, quite a few cars were intended to have their gearboxes filled this way so I'd do exactly that.
Take it slowly, check the level as you go and don't overfill because Reliant Rebel owners have had all of the rear extension oil seals for these boxes so you don't want to blow that inside out, they're stupidly expensive now.

[Dobbin]

Thanks, I managed to get this resolved. You do indeed have to use the dipstick hole.

[Pbogers]

Does anyone know how much oil is in the gearbox (how many should i buy ?)
Thanks in advance, Peter Bogers.

[Dobbin]

Peter, according to the manual there is approx 1 pint (568ml) of SAE 90 oil. although when i did mine there wasn't quite that amount so one container of oil would suffice assuming your buying litre bottles. A tip that might be useful when filling the gearbox as the plastic tube included with the bottle wasn't flexible enough, is to attach a small length of plastic or rubber hose, approx 6 - 8" onto the bottom of a small funnel. This I fed into the dipstick tube and filled via the funnel. No drips on the floor either!

(edited) I meant to say that it's the same oil for the rear axle and it takes approx 1.5 pints (850ml).

Hope this has been of use.

[JPB]

And don't forget: Do not use oil with an Extreme Pressure additive in these. EP isn't suitable for the bushes and spacers in the 'box, these will be eroded by the additive. "Straight" (non-EP 90 weight) is slightly harder to find but not as hard as finding an overhaul kit for the gearbox, though ideally, 20w50 engine oil would be the kindest thing for the box, unless the layshaft bearings are worn and beginning to make their objections known then you'll get far better gearchange quality with the engine oil. Use EP in the diff by all means, there's nothing in the back axle that'll be harmed by it.

[Dobbin]

John, after reading your post I 'Googled' about EP oils and additives and found the following http://www.classic-oils.net/Content-68/- I'll be changing the oil in the gearbox again tonight! Thanks.

Interestingly Castrol produce this http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performan ... 0-gear-oil I wonder if it's ok?

[JPB]

That's a very interesting link that you've posted. It would appear - if I've understood correctly - that the older GL3 or GL4 oils contain EP additives that don't harm yellow metals, which would imply that the Castrol product in your other link is OK, yet the tribology guys at work, who spend each and every working day playing with lubricants and one of whom worked in research for a major oil company for over fifteen years before he decided to come into education, say otherwise and that it's better to avoid EP additives entirely if possible but that this only matters if the phosphor bronze surfaces in these older gearboxes haven't previously been contaminated. How anyone would know the answer to that one - when their gearbox works but they haven't replaced everything inside it - is a mystery to me so my feeling would be to stick with a non-EP oil. By doing so, I could be confident that I wasn't taking any risk.
If I currently used a classic as daily transport and had spare gearboxes standing around which could be swapped in if anything did go wrong, as I did when I had a few old Reliant four wheelers (whose gearboxes share many parts with the SV Fords of an earlier period), then I'd give that Castrol product a go as a means of discovering for myself whether in fact it would be non-damaging to older yellow metals. However I don't, so I'm erring on the side of caution as non-harmful advice based on known facts beats even a 99% chance that in fact that stuff would be suitable.

[zipgun]

EP 90 in Series 3 Landy boxes is bad .. I had two ex MOD recon boxes a few years back from Craddocks...Pristine, like new ones,(i believe British Rail did the reconditioning ?) Within months they graunched.Both were nailed to a v8, but it wasn't that ,or BR ,it was me ,filling them with smelly EP

[tractorman]

EP 90 in Series 3 Landy boxes is bad .. I had two ex MOD recon boxes a few years back from Craddocks...Pristine, like new ones,(i believe British Rail did the reconditioning ?) Within months they graunched.Both were nailed to a v8, but it wasn't that ,or BR ,it was me ,filling them with smelly EP

Or Land Rover for telling you to use EP - I've just checked my Series 3 handbook (the one LR supplied with new ones) and it specifies EP90!