Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing '75 4/4 1600. Changing gearbox oil.

Hi guys,

I've had the car for 6 years now & not checked, let alone changed the gearbox oil. I reckon it needs doing but I'm damned if I can find any info on where the filler plug is. I'll happily do the work & have a four post lift so access is not an issue, but I don't want to take the gearbox tunnel cover off if there's no reason for it.

Cheers.
Tony. 1975 4/4 4 seater. LYN 902P.

Martyn will tell you exactly where the filler is, but IIRC it's on the right hand side, looking from the rear of the car, half way up the gearbox side.
Hope you have a good extraction pump to get the old oil out.

Cheers,

Depends on the gearbox fitted!

The gearbox fitted to my 4/4 (1972), the filler is on the left, ie the passenger side if it's a right hand drive car. But I suspect from the year, your box is a different type.

However, the metal gearbox cover has a hole in it, to align with the filler and the vinyl/leather cover that goes over the metal can be freed from the mounting press studs, rolled up and gearbox filled. I'd be pretty sure that Morgan carried on doing this so roll up the sides of the cover and have a look.

No extraction pump should be needed, both mine and the later gearboxes have a drain plug at the bottom of the gearbox. Does take a while to empty out, I generally position my catch tray remove both filler and drain, leave to drain and go and have a cup of tea!

As original, it's a 12000 mile replace oil and check level at 6000. Original recommendation was for EP90 or 80 but I suggest not using EP90 as the thicker oil can cause problems in gearchanging until it has warmed up. EP80 hasn't given me any problems.

Same as Martyn on my car. spanner width is 11/16 AF (nut for the filler, ring for the drain). I use EP90 without gearchanging problems and think about a thicker oil for quietening the layshaft.

I'd have to do some research but it looks like a modern gear oil is slightly multigrade so one can get good cold performance with an oil that's acting like a thicker one when hot (same as modern engine oils).

Castrol don't seem to make a monograde gear oil now!

Hey guys,
Just been out to have another look. Doesn't look like I'll get access through any holes in the gearbox cover, the only ones there are for the reverse switch and the speedo cable.

Tucked on the left hand side, in line with the bulkhead, looks to be a plug. Getting to it is going to be a nightmare, and then as I can't see any drain plug I guess I'm going to need an extraction pump to get anything out of it.

Oh well, MOT tomorrow so she'll have to wait a bit longer before I change the oil.

Thanks for your replies.
Tony.

Tony
If you are getting your MOT done at a friendly garage, mention that you want to change the gearbox oil but can't find the drain plug. If they are as nice as my local village MOT garage they'll probably point it out to you while the car is on the lift.

There are modern gearboxes made where you have to such the oil out through the filler, but I'd be surprised if one from 1975 was in that bracket. I'm not ruling out the drain plug being above the cross member (mine isn't) but a few spanners to undo the single mount and a trolley jack to raise the gearbox a bit would be one way if that was the case.

No drain plug on a Type 9 Martyn (at least, not on my '82 Tasmin).
Pretty sure a pal in S. Glos had to use a pump to empty his former CVH engined (now fitted with Zetec) car with a Type 9.
Will have a look at my '76 when up on the ramp next month...

Cheers,

No drain plug How un-Morgan.

His one though won't be a type 9 as they were first made in 1982 and are a 5 speed box. The lack of a drain plug is mentioned on the type 9 website as being a contributory factor to layshaft bearing problems.

Hope the car passed the MOT and he's found a drain plug... I really don't like the use of oil pumps as the bits you really want out of the way, pumps often don't pick up.

A 72 4/4 will have the 4-speed Cortina box, won't it?