Gearbox drain bolt ,

[Tintop]

Was moving the van today and when going back in reverse the van was juddering or shuddering ,so I had a quick look online and checked the engine mounting blocks also checked the gearbox ones ,while I was under there I noticed some oil and upon further investigation there doesn't seem to be a bolt in the bottom of the gearbox , I had just driven the van about 15miles drives great and was only juddering in reverse so hoping I didn't do any permanent damage , it's my own fault I should of checked over the van before it was driven at all ,so if anyone gets a new old van make sure u give it the once over ,ah sure in years to come I,ll laugh about it. , but at the moment I,m nearly crying lol

 

[Panky]

Don't panic that's not a gearbox drain, it's a tell tail hole in the bell housing to indicate if the gearbox front seal or crankcase rear seal is leaking. There is a tiny drop of oil there but I wouldn't worry about it as they are rarely completely dry. It is possible that you have a little contamination on the clutch plate, try squirting a can of clutch and brake cleaner through the clutch arm hole pointing the spray at the flywheel ang turning the engine to different positions. The gearbox drain plug is further back, it's a large hexagon headed plug.

 

[Tintop]

Thanks panky , that's great to hear , I was just going to order a bolt for it and put it in, that's a relief , I will do what u said with the clutch cleaner spray, does it matter how much I spray into it ? Would air in the clutch lines cause the juddering, or would it just be the oil on the clutch thingy

 

[Panky]

Soak it all you like as the excess fluid will just drain out of the drain hole. Be generous with the cleaner. There are a number of things that could cause the juddering - it could be oil on the clutch plate or wear in the propshaft universal joints, wear in the rear spring eye bushes or worn engine or gearbox mounts. What are the rear springs like? are they flat or do they have a nice curve to them. What you describe could be axle tramp when the axle tries to twist back and forth under load, weak springs or knackered shock absorbers can cause it. if you can live with it don't worry, make sure nothing is loose or damaged and be careful when you reverse

 

[Tintop]

Soak it all you like as the excess fluid will just drain out of the drain hole. Be generous with the cleaner. There are a number of things that could cause the juddering - it could be oil on the clutch plate or wear in the propshaft universal joints, wear in the rear spring eye bushes or worn engine or gearbox mounts. What are the rear springs like? are they flat or do they have a nice curve to them. What you describe could be axle tramp when the axle tries to twist back and forth under load, weak springs or knackered shock absorbers can cause it. if you can live with it don't worry, make sure nothing is loose or damaged and be careful when you reverse

Here's some photos panky that I tried to take tonight cheers

 

[Panky]

Difficult to tell from the pics but they do look flat so have weakened over the years. A lot of people like the lowered look it brings but as said before it does mean they are bouncier than they should be and could cause axle tramp. You will probably have difficulty finding replacements, the usual option is to look for a company that reconditions them or send them to Martin who can get them done. You may even be lucky enough to find a decent second hand pair but don't hold your breath. Personally I would change the oil in the rear shock absorbers for SAE 40 oil (motor bike fork oil or motor mower oil from B&Q) which is thicker than normal and will give an extra dampening effect and use the van. Like I say loads of people run their vans like this but start looking to replace the springs sometime in the future.

 

[Tintop]

Hi panky thank u , are these the parts I fill with the sae40 oil

 

[Tintop]

Sorry forgot to put pictures , any idea what that is in last picture? Also with the oil coming out of the hole in the gearbox would u need to check levels and top it up regularly

 

[Panky]

The last pictures are the shock absorbers, these need to be drained and re-filled with the new oil. You can check the gearbox oil level by removing the hexagonal plug about half way up on the right hand side of the gearbox casing, it's the same kind of plug as the drain one. You will need a 1" AF socket or ring spanner to undo it, once it's off put your finger in the hole and if you can feel any oil then the gearbox is at the correct level. If you need to top it up use 20/50 engine oil until it starts to dribble out of the level hole.

 

[Tintop]

Panky thank you for ur help , I am going to have a go at filling the shock absorbers tommorow and also check the gearbox oil , I now know how to do it. Any idea where these parts go on the van?

 

[Panky]

The first two could be a repair section for the rear number plate panel. Pics three and four look like a repair panel for the lower section of the front of the engine cover but not like any I've seen before and I've no idea what the recesses are for. Can't identify the frame sorry.


Scroll down a bit from the top of the page on the link below to see details of how to re-fill the rear damper. I took them off but it is possible to do them on the vehicle - you will need to bounce the van to get the new oil circulating. And be careful when you take the drain plug out not to loose any of the springs and washers in the valve under the drain plug. Only fill the dampers to about a 1/4" below the top cover

Back of the garage

You're too kind[8)] I get by with what I've got and have learned just to have a go - if it's broke you can't break it anymore so what the hell;) The most important bit is the reamer, an R-10 if I remember correctly , and a decent sized tap wrench is better than a spanner to turn it with. Don't...

forum.commervanfan.co.uk

 

[AAA]

Pic 3 and 4 is the panel that fits at the top of the engine air intake. The central shaped area is to clear the starting handle tube, (when a starting handle was fitted as an option on early vans), the side shaping clears the gear selector shaft. The four holes along the edge are where it screws to the centre of the base of the front panel of the van. I suspect the frame is to support a rear step, (although mine is completely different). It might be that pic 1 and 2 are an air deflector to fit at the base of the front crossmember, (fitted as standard to early diesels, but a good idea on petrol models). Mine doesn't have one, although it's on the job list to fabricate something and fit.

 

[Panky]

Of course it is, I'm so used to seeing oily rusty ones I didn't recognise the scoop

 

[martin maltas]

Panky thank you for ur help , I am going to have a go at filling the shock absorbers tommorow and also check the gearbox oil , I now know how to do it. Any idea where these parts go on the van?

Pic 1&2 are deflector panel goes below the rad. 3 is a very early air scoop panel goes under the front panel. Last picture probably a frame for roadworks sign.....