Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Did they really overlook to fill the bevel box?

My M3 has 2,750 miles on it and I decided to treat it to a complete lube change etc.
Took out the bevel box drain plug and absolutely nothing came out I stuck my finger in to clear possible blockage and nothing but a finger covered in black light grease.
There has been suggestions of overlooking to fill these up at the factory, and others going through numerous flushing methods to get rid of the black stuff and feel with various types of heavy gear oil.
Years ago I had a 1948 or 49 Matchless and the transmission on that was 75% grease and 25% gear oil. The latter serving as a thinning agent to make sure the grease did not dry up.
I am wondering if this is also a similar situation. Once is supposed to top off with heavy gear oil and not try and replace. Mine took about 300 cc of oil without anything coming out in the first instance.
It would be good to know the real answer but in the meantime I am just going to let things be as they are.

Well, it is certainly a question that has been asked before - several times, but as it is such a fundamental mistake, I do not think so, but, it would be nice if we knew what the black gloop was, and why no oil comes out.

Perhaps our factory liaison member could let us know - Mark?

Since I posted the above the dealer from whom I booght the M3 wrote back and said "Some of them were packed with grease and not with oil. We have been using 75/140 Mobil 1 synthetic - it takes about 320 ml. the easiest fill is through the hole above the drain which is used for checking the fluid level."

does that mean yours was filled with synthetic during delivery but has since burned through it?

No grease only. You just add the synthetic oil recomended during the next scheduled service whenever it may be.

The grease must be to keep the box as quiet as possible, and probably suggests it is not a very refined one. Let us call it tractor grade maybe.

I do not think burning through gear oil in an application of that nature can be a valid concern.