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MG MGA - Change Gear Oil in a 5-Speed tranny

Is there an easy way or short cut to changing and filling the gear oil in a Ford Sierra 5-Speed tranny? There's no drain plug.

thanks,
Tyler
Tyler

See page 21 for Ford Sierra Manuals.

http://64.202.180.37/files/xr4.pdf
D Sjostrom

Sorry,
The Company for Sierra parts and manuals is: BAT Inc.
Their address is on page 1 of my previous link.
BOL,
Doug
D Sjostrom

You could send an email to a person who has done the MGA/Sierra conversion. Try this site, it has an email address.

http://www.mgcars.de/seiten/trans.html


Mick
Mick Anderson

I have done a bit of research on Sierra geaboxes and it appears that there is no drain plug.
A length of plastic tubing in the filler hole and a suction pump is the best method.
There are many 12 Volt small suction pumps sold at marine stores for emptying the bilge water on small boats.
I certainly prefer the "old days" when there was a magnetic drain plug at the lowest point of a gearbox.

Mick
Mick Anderson

I did as Mick suggested. I used a pipe and an old washing up liquid squeezy bottle to suck the fluid out. I am also aware of one Sierra box owner who tapped a hole into the bottom of the casing.

Steve
Steve Gyles

My recollection is vague but it was my impression that it is a maintenace-free unit. What need is there to drain/replace the oil? Is there a recmmended freqency?
Steve
Steve Meline

Mick: The trick is to get a tube successfully to the bottom of the crankcase.I used my hand pump and managed to get a 1/4" tube (reduced from 1/2" to 3/8" to 1/4") bent and into the hole, but not deep enough to reach bottom. Can you reach bottom? What little oil I removed (no where near the 2-qt+ capacity) was very dark, and needed changing. I'm tempted to put an access hole in the tranny hump, inside, near the gas pedal, to access the fill hole (less turns the tube has to make to get inside the tranny, and easier to fill), and/or tap a drain plug in the bottom (but don't want to tap the drain plug until I've heard from someone who's done it). Topped off the fluid for now.Who did the drain plug tap?

thanks,
Tyler
Tyler

Ford intended that the oil would never need changing, just topping up. You should use the proper Ford recommended oil, its a light oil, usually red. Don't use ATF, Dexron or heavy gear oils (75,80 or 90 weight)

Terry
Terry Drinkwater

But Terry

How long was a Ford Sierra expected to last before it rusted to bits? No wonder the gearbox oil never needed to be drained!
dominic clancy

I fitted a drain plug to my Sierra 5 speed box while it was still dry and before fitting in the car.
It would be a bit of a pig of a job to do it after, but if you want to try:
There's a bulge or boss near the front of the box casing at what appears to be the lowest point. Inside the casing at that point is a circular doughnut-type magnet with about a 20 mm hole in the middle. I managed to drill and tap a 1/2-13 hole in the middle of the magnet hole (probably more good luck than management). I used a teflon gasket on the drain plug and safety-wired the plug to a small hole drilled in one of the webs of the casing.
I wasn't as optomistic as the Ford engineers, or perhaps they realised that the factory oil in the box would outlast the Sierra, anyway!
Fraser Cooper

Fraser,
Did you know there was a magnet beforehand? Could one use iron filings outside the case to map the position of the annular magnet? A target for drilling maybe ;)
Thanks,
Doug
D Sjostrom

Dominic I had a 1.8 sierra from new i sold it after 11 years use with 220000 miles on it. the body had no rust and it never missed a beat. So do not knock it till you try it. baz.
Barry 74 midget

This thread was discussed between 08/04/2006 and 11/04/2006

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