Transfer Case Fluid Level check

[Brian McVickers]

Hi,
Anyone know of the best way to check the fluid level in the transfer case of a DII?

The fill hole is positioned up behind the parking brake and requires a 1/2 inch socket to open. Is there an easy way to access this and check the fluid level using the finger dip test?

The reason for my wondering is a small, ever so slight drip.

Thanks
Brian

 

[gjackson]

I suspect that the finger dip test will prove best. That is what works on the LT230.

cheers

 

[Brian McVickers]

Well some good old brute force and determination did it.
The most dificult part was spending 5 minutes to figure out how to position the 1/2 inch ratchet, then I practically had to hang from it to break the filler nut loose.

As soon as I had it out the gear oil began to drip from teh fill hole so it's plenty full, just has a bit of a weep - most likely from some of the mounting bolts which cleverly enough go through all the way to the inside.

The Tcase mounts were replaced recently along with the case being resealed. The liquid gasket can be tricky for a completely dry seal from what I have read.

Brian

 

[TeriAnn]

Well some good old brute force and determination did it.
The most dificult part was spending 5 minutes to figure out how to position the 1/2 inch ratchet, then I practically had to hang from it to break the filler nut loose.

Too many people over tighten the fill plug. They have been doing it for as long as there has been Land Rovers. I've used a normal length wrench to tighten it and hold it about half way up the length while I do so. I have a long handle 1/2 inch wrench that I used to remove the drain plug.

About 8 years ago I replaced the plug with a dip stick threaded into the filler hole. I did a very similar modification to the gearbox filler. Now I can sit in the drivers seat of my Series II and check both the gearbox and transfercase fluid levels. I really hated crawling under the Land Rover in freezing mud first thing in the morning before hitting the trail. It is much easier to be sitting inside a warm interior, nice and dry with a nice hot cuppa tea while checking and topping off fluids.

 

[njtaco]

About 8 years ago I replaced the plug with a dip stick threaded into the filler hole. I did a very similar modification to the gearbox filler. Now I can sit in the drivers seat of my Series II and check both the gearbox and transfercase fluid levels. I really hated crawling under the Land Rover in freezing mud first thing in the morning before hitting the trail. It is much easier to be sitting inside a warm interior, nice and dry with a nice hot cuppa tea while checking and topping off fluids.

TeriAnn,

I've never heard of such a modification! Are there pics on your website? Great idea.:clapsmile

 

[TeriAnn]

TeriAnn,

I've never heard of such a modification! Are there pics on your website? Great idea.:clapsmile

Sorry no pictures. I never documented these mods. But the vehicle is scheduled to be in Moab for the National Land Rover Rally.

 

[Brian McVickers]

Thanks TerriAnn, I'll be in Moab as well and would love to take a look at your Rover.

You know the dealership was the last to reseal the tranfer case and it was about the third time they had done so over a year, kept leaking. Yesterday I read an interesting thread on another forum regarding the liquid gasket that is used. This person who wrote the thread tried three times, first - liquid gasket on and everything torqued down = leaks, second - liquid gasket applied and allowed to set up for 12 hours then bolts tightened = leaks after a day, third - all surfaces scrubbed and cleaned with brake cleaner, liquid gasket allowed to set up for 24 hours then all bolts tightened = no leaks.

 

[TeriAnn]

You know the dealership was the last to reseal the tranfer case and it was about the third time they had done so over a year, kept leaking.

I don't know why they bothered. Its British. They are supposed to leak. British car manufactures are pathologically incapable of creating an oil seal that doesn't leak.

Just think of it as the vehicle marking its territory.

 

[gjackson]

I don't know why they bothered. Its British. They are supposed to leak.

I'm sorry, but that's just BS. My 110 doesn't leak and neither did my 90. There's no reason why a positive seal shouldn't be made on any mechanical mating surface. Just because it's 'British' doesn't mean that the metal is suddenly substandard or the mating surfaces suddenly warped. A good seal is efficient, dripping oil everywhere isn't. It was never designed to leak; don't buy that argument.

cheers

 

[I Leak Oil]

Graham, I think she's kidding about it being designed to leak.....
Jason T.

 

[gjackson]

Graham, I think she's kidding about it being designed to leak.....

I know, but it's only funny the first 255,000 times you hear it. After that it's just old. I was in a bad mood yesterday anyway, sorry for my lack of humor.

cheers

 

[R_Lefebvre]

It may be an old joke, but it's true. I really can't figure it out myself, having been an automotive engineer. I don't know what they do differently over there.

That being said, my Rover doesn't leak anything, and my Ford does.

 

[Oilburner]

I know, but it's only funny the first 255,000 times you hear it. After that it's just old. I was in a bad mood yesterday anyway, sorry for my lack of humor.

cheers

The old stuff is pretty much impossible to seal up. The Series T case leaks due to very coarse output flange splines, that allow some movement and eventually tear up the felt washers. It's pretty much destined to leak 90wt. Most of this Series stuff had leather seals from the factory, which have to let some oil by in order to survive. Yo uhave to rememebr that in the 50's, Rover has leather oil seals and cork gaskets in their toolbag. That's it.

LT230s are pretty good and can be sealed up very well, but they rely on Neoprene seals and composite gaskets, complete different technology.

 

[TeriAnn]

The old stuff is pretty much impossible to seal up. The Series T case leaks due to very coarse output flange splines, that allow some movement and eventually tear up the felt washers. It's pretty much destined to leak 90wt. Most of this Series stuff had leather seals from the factory, which have to let some oil by in order to survive. Yo uhave to rememebr that in the 50's, Rover has leather oil seals and cork gaskets in their toolbag. That's it.

There is another thing. The Series gearbox uses input shaft scrolling to pump oil back into the gearbox that otherwise would get splashed out the front. This scroll "seal" only works when the input shaft is turning. If the gearbox oil is full and you park it nose down on a hill, oil will seep along the input shaft and onto the clutch & out the bottom of the bell housing.

A series should always be parked either on levelish ground or nose up.

And of course that doesn't go into why LR changed the Diff breathers. The early breathers used a caged metal ball as a breather. The only problem with that is that a film of oil gets on the ball and is sticky enough to stick the ball to the seat forcing oil out the pinion seal.