| Author | Message | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
Member Username: Dom Post Number: 435 Registered: 11-2002 |
Woo hoo!! I checked my gearbox, and sure enough, I did not have a vent hose. So, I removed the breather cap, and fitted a hose. I ran the hose up high, then down as described by phil. I did this about a week ago. No more leak!!!!! Thanks. I really love ferrarichat! Dom | ||
| Phil Hughes (Ferrarifixer)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarifixer Post Number: 116 Registered: 7-2003 |
Yeah sorry jeff, I confused Jim Avery with you. Too many "J"s for my eroding brain! | ||
| Jeff Green (Carguy)
Member Username: Carguy Post Number: 472 Registered: 10-2002 |
Reading this thread I was surprised to see my name mentioned by a person whom I much respect, Ferrarifixer Phil. Phil...it was not my TR that had the slave cylinder issue. I don't recall who was having trouble, but it was recent. I wanted to speak up right away to prevent someone from chasing a wild goose. | ||
| Phil Hughes (Ferrarifixer)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarifixer Post Number: 114 Registered: 7-2003 |
The cap just pops off with minimal force from some vice grips, without much damage too if you're careful. Oil from your bell housing, could of course be either gear or engine oil. | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
Member Username: Dom Post Number: 415 Registered: 11-2002 |
This thread really answers some interesting questions for me. The original reason for me checking the gear oil level was a slight leak that appeared to be coming from the clutch housing (maybe 1-3 drops/day). If I am understanding this correctly: If my gearbox was overfilled, the excess oil is coming out of the breather cap. This may explain my leak. If this is the case, I should remove the breather cap, and refit a hose as described. This would eliminate my leak, and allow for more oil to be placed into the gearbox. Rob- Great picture. I will look at my setup to see how it compares. I am assuming that I do not have the vent hose. Question: Is removing the vent cap and replacing with a vent hose something a beginner can do? Or is this best left to a pro? Mitchell- Your answer also seems probable, so I may need to have a pro check it out. Thanks, Dom | ||
| Robert W. Garven Jr. (Robertgarven)
Member Username: Robertgarven Post Number: 266 Registered: 2-2002 |
All, Here is a picture of the vent hose on a gt4 running up the frame and ending down near the rear anti-roll bar. I put a fuel filter on it at the end to keep dirt out also. Rob  | ||
| Phil Hughes (Ferrarifixer)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarifixer Post Number: 113 Registered: 7-2003 |
I guess you've used a 512 gearbox casing, or it already had one, that explains the extra capacity. It is less common for BB's to leak from their breather, but not un heard of (of course!) To get the level on BB's, check the Jeff green slave repair topic, but basically, fill it through the transfer filler, with the gear box level plug removed until the oil comes out. There is no need to overfill BB boxes. | ||
| David Feinberg (Fastradio2)
Member Username: Fastradio2 Post Number: 295 Registered: 4-2002 |
Phil, Your comments about the breather mod I find most interesting... After rebuilding the grearbox in my 365BB, and adding 7.75l of oil, versus the orginal spec of 5.75 l (per a factory service modification), I now notice what appears to be an oil leak from the front transaxle breather... As this breather is very low on the transaxle case, reading your post makes alot of sense...and perhaps a breather mod, as described, is in order. David | ||
| Verell Boaen (Verell)
Intermediate Member Username: Verell Post Number: 1091 Registered: 5-2001 |
re:"you may see many QV's with short hoses plugged with bolts sticking out the side of the condensor pot!, and a 'box breather hose fitted" AHAH, THANKS!! Spotted that a while back on my car & have been wondering if someone had done something dumb. Glad I haven't had time to reconnect the breather hose to the condenser pot! | ||
| Phil Hughes (Ferrarifixer)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarifixer Post Number: 108 Registered: 7-2003 |
I'm not sure if it's an actual official procedure, but from 1987 when I started on these things, it was a common practise to deliberatley overfill the 3x8/246 box. It helps the diff sit in oil and not go rusty when the cars are laid up. You just jack the car up from the rear and fill it to the level at an angle. You'll need to rip off the breather cap and fit a hose that goes up high to the chassis, and then back down the LH fuel tank strap with the other overflow lines. This stops the breather leaking, and also stops the glugging when you drain it. It must also help reduce pressurisation and leaks from the box/shift O rings etc, but that's hard to prove. Consequently, with this mod and overfill done, the oil will be higher up the plug when the car's level. The other thing is that the filler on the transfer casing can be used to fill the gearbox much like on the TR we went through with Jeff Green recently. But on the 3x8 series, it's very slow as the bearing that the oil has to flow through to get to the box is quite small. Some early euro QV's and Mondial's had a 'box breather hose that was directed into the crankcase vent/condensor pot! The factory quickly realised this put's gear oil in the engine sump, so you may see many QV's with short hoses plugged with bolts sticking out the side of the condensor pot!, and a 'box breather hose fitted as I just described | ||
| dave handa (Davehanda)
Intermediate Member Username: Davehanda Post Number: 1714 Registered: 5-2001 |
My 78 308 GTS did this. Filled it, then checked the level 9 months later (had a tiny drip) and stuff comes dripping out...okay, okay full! :-) wondered the same thing... | ||
| Jim Avery (Boxer12)
Junior Member Username: Boxer12 Post Number: 139 Registered: 6-2003 |
I was just working on a leaky slave cylinder, and know that there is a transfer tube which allows gear oil to flow from the gearbox to the transaxle and vice versa. The gear box is not full when level with the drain plug, accord to specs, since more oil is added into gear box after level at transaxle plug. Also, it is very diff to tell if oil is level at plug, esp if the car is a little off level, then it won't do to measure at plug. I think you can put a UV dye into the gear box oil and find out if it is migrating. You will have to use enough dye to show up if a small amout is migrating. Good luck. Jim | ||
| Mitchell Le (Yelcab1)
Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 653 Registered: 11-2001 |
The color wouldn't change a whole lot if you are just adding 1/2 pint to a whole gallon of gear oil. This is not a common problem, but a friend of mine did have it before. You will likely get more engine oil to gear oil direction than the other way around. Probably because the engine case will be under some pressure, while the tranny is not. | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
Member Username: Dom Post Number: 411 Registered: 11-2002 |
Engine oil looks fine. The swepco 201 is green, so I think I would notice if there was some gear oil in the engine oil. Also, if there were engine oil in the gearbox, I think the green color would change by the addition of regular motor oil. Also, the car does not seem to consume much oil at all (strange for a ferrari...). Dom | ||
| Mitchell Le (Yelcab1)
Member Username: Yelcab1 Post Number: 652 Registered: 11-2001 |
It does not expand, that much. What may be going on is the seal between the engine oil and the tranny oil is gone, and you are transfering from one side to the other. How does your engine oil look? Just a thought. | ||
| Dom Vitarella (Dom)
Member Username: Dom Post Number: 410 Registered: 11-2002 |
A while ago, I reported checking the gear oil in my 308 GT4, and having a whole bunch (a pint or so) run out when I undid the plug on the side of the gearbox. After that incident, I assumed the oil level was at the proper level. Since I have a slight leak of oil from the clutch housing, I decided to recheck the gearbox oil level. Yesteday, I checked the oil again. Same thing happened. Maybe 1/2-1 pint of gear oil dripped out of the plug opening. In both instances, the car/gearbox was level (I measured). I am using Swepco 201 gear oil. Why would this happen? Does the oil expand when it is warm? Is my car the new messiah, that can continously replenish gear oil? Dom |