Originally Posted by The unpaid groom
Hi Lorne, Firstly thanks for all the assistance so far :-)

..er.... my pleasure! innocent hide

Originally Posted by The unpaid groom
Just popped out to the garage and I can confirm there are no openings on the drivers side of the gearbox tunnel, so everything would need to be from the bottom.

I think the staff made a little mistake with your car.. It happens. I will not dwell on this.

I have prepared some diagrams for you to better explain. (below) I have never heard of a Morgan R380 filler car without the circular little "access door" in the gearbox cover. Those newer covers, illustrated below, reduced a lot of precious footwell space for owners. frown2 But they are much less effort to make than the earlier ones. Beware they also have thick heat insulation on the inside. I am not sure how you can slip your hand, with a plug opening tool, then a filler tube and then fill the box upwards easily. Then you must replace the hotly debated plug. I have never run across that. Even when I installed R380s in my 1984 and my 1990 with their older steel gearbox covers, I simply made little access panels for the R380 fillers. My 2002 came with the panel. See below.

The problem will come if you cannot find have sufficient access. Without an access panel or any compromises, the seats, the propshaft tunnel, the propshaft tunnel abutment at the rear, and that big bulky gearbox cover must be removed (which on your later car may require the removal the heating system along with the top of the safety brake). The later cars do not have much room above the gearbox over and the plug is towards the rear. Though I have done these tasks for other reasons, I have honestly never attempted this sequence for a gearbox refill.. Removing the engine is easier. laugh2 And I am far more familiar with that!

Originally Posted by The unpaid groom
I suggested the garage ramps as my garage has the unusual and unuseful feature of being sloped, by over a foot from back to the front. Hence jacking is only safe at one end of the other with chocks under the other set of wheels.

(ugh) get your life-partner pay you to danger pay!

Originally Posted by The unpaid groom
I will jack the car up at the weekend and see if access is possible from the under side..

Best game plan. I expect you to report!

Originally Posted by The unpaid groom
I need to order the crush washer and oil.

Buy a few. They're cheap and saves the hassles next time. A little roll of petrol PTFE tape is a good idea as well..at least it is for me. You can also buy a spare filler and drain, wise with a sloped garage floor. (wryly)
https://www.jgs4x4.co.uk/gearbox-oil-level-plug-r380-defender-discovery-1-discovery-2-rrc-ftc4056/

But if you wish to avoid discussions on what you use to remove on your torx plug, merely buy the filler plug for the LT77. It is interchangeable with the R380's and that LT77 filler has a square head. (make sure of they send you a LT77 plug! They are also 1/3 the price with a 50 year history of reliability. Buy 2-3. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141154145131

Originally Posted by The unpaid groom
I will also order a spare grub screw as suggested on your site.

Yes. That experience made me a hero at Silverstone months later in 2004. With later SD1 remotes, they planned for this disaster by making the remote's drain hole too small to allow the screw to fall out.

[quote=The unpaid groom] I was thinking of getting the polybushes, I am assuming I need 8? Regards Laurie

Where did you get so smart?!!! cheers There are 8 per Sd1 remote, 4 per side and 4 at the remote's front where it joins the gearbox case..some for LT77s and R380s.

Here are your made-order-diagrams. Lorne

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