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MG MGA - Sierra 5 speed drain

Has anyone with a Sierra 5 speed conversion successfully drilled a fluid drain in the trans? Looking for some details to drill and tap one in mine. Trying to avoid drilling to deeply and ruining the internals and keeping the metal shards out of it also.
Chris Velardi

The last issue of the NAMGAR magizine has an article in the Tech Session by Mike Ash on page 13 about five speed transmission drain plug, check it out. Norb
N Wessely

It is a while since I did mine but I seem to remember there being a circular magnet in the base of the gearbox case - and I think that I drilled through the centre of it.
Tony Mitchell

Thanks for pointing that out, I've had that issue unread on my kitchen island for a week now. I'll have to contact Mike and see how he managed to keep the drill shavings out (by the photo they may have dismantled all the internals before they did it . I'm not prepared (or qualified ) to do that.
Chris Velardi

A common method of retaining metal shavings when drilling a hole is pack the drill flutes with grease. Remove the drill several times to clean and re-pack with grease.


Mick
M F Anderson

I spoke with the chap who runs High Gear engineering (who supply the Ford type 9 gearbox conversion kits in UK) on this very subject and he confirmed what is suggested above - drill carefully through the bottom of the gearbox in the centre of where the swarf-catching magnet is located. Seeing a gearbox on the High Gear Engineering stand, it looked a quite obvious spot to identify and the advice re drill shavings was that very little gets above the hole and that which does will be retained by the magnet or be flushed out by the gush of oil.
So I was told!!
Bruce
Bruce Mayo

Does the Ford Type 9 gearbox have a cast iron casing?
If it is alloy the magnetic ring will not retain the drill shavings.
A combination of greasing the drill and flushing the gearbox should be OK.


Mick
M F Anderson

OK, I decided "thou who hesitates is lost " and drilled and taped and cleaned out the trans. The case is cast. I drilled a 45/64" hole to tap a 1/2" -14 tap (larger than what is needed and larger than the magnet hole) I also photographed the trimming of the Guide sleeve and the old trans mount. photos at the end of this site http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisvelardi/MGARebuild#
I also used a temperature sending drain plug (so if I do end up putting a gauge on it I'll now the trans temps.
Chris Velardi

This thread was discussed between 26/07/2009 and 28/07/2009

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