Overdrive questions

[chuckstp]

On the top of my overdrive unit there is what appears to be a breather. There is a rather obvious puddle of oil on the top plate around the breather. I cleaned it off, took it for a drive, and no surprise, it reappeared. I wasn't able to find anything about the overdrive in any of the manuals I have except to review the manual that came with the unit which wasn't with the car when I got it.

I took the filler bolt off and saw it had a dip stick on it with a has mark about 1/4" from the bottom. My oil level was significantly higher than this and looks quite new.

Questions:
Is this indeed a breather at the top of the unit?
Should I remove most of the oil down the the hash mark on the dip stick so it doesn't leak?

[o2batsea]

yes and yes

[bugeye88]

Chuck,
As @sea says, there is a breather at the top of the overdrive (I assume its a Fairey OD) They generally leak a bit of oil at the breather as the oil inside is being flung around and some finds its way to the breather. Not unusual. This is also why you need to inspect the oil level in the overdrive often. You don't want the oil to go too low! It should read at the line on the dip stick. Change the oil at least as frequently as you do the engine oil as it works quite hard in the Fairey overdrive.

Cheers,
Rob
Bugeye88

[Manny]

I check and top off my overdrive every two weeks when I drive my Series regularly and I had the same problem with the overflow leaking out of the breather and spraying the rear axle and sometimes the tailgate with oil so I added an overflow reservoir. I would have used a British beer bottle but was unable to find one in an aluminum bottle.

[mearstrae]

Could this be one of those internal seal problems? i.e: trans leaks into the t-case, t-case leaks into the overdrive, oil spills from the overdrive. Or, some combination there of. It could explain the high oil level found in the overdrive. After all O.D.'s don't manufacture oil, do they.

'99 Disco II
"95 R.R.C. Lwb (Gone...)
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S

[bugeye88]

If the "one leak leads to the next case" scenario is the cause, then tranny oil level will go down when measured. I think this scenario is unlikely and the slight overfill is from the previous owner. The fluid volume of the Fairey is quite small making it easy to overfill.

Rob
Bugeye88

[TedW]

My OD is always overfilled - I am told that it is because of oil from the t-case leaking into the OD. I tapped in a breather like Manny's, but just ran it into the frame. No more mess! Been this way for years with no problems.

[chuckstp]

Well, I like the approach of Manny's overfill bottle, with a minor deviation. You already pointed out one extremely serious issue with it being a Budweiser product. I'm going to go with plastic so I can see inside more easily. We typically accumulate an abundance of Gatorade jugs around the house which should be sturdy enough and fit the bill.

I suppose this brings up another question. There is a rather long tube coming from the transmission going nowhere, but is this likely a overflow tube as well, leaking out into the netherworld?

[cedryck]

I see an abundant problem with both of you solutions,the container should be a British beer container,
2p

[chuckstp]

I had thought about that, but was forced to compromise based on the following. Most of the beer I drink is home-brew. Considering that the Land Rover is a field serviceable vehicle in which customization and alterations may be required using local resources, using a discarded British made beverage container isn't readily available, it would be acceptable to find a suitable alternative. Somehow strapping a 5 gallon keg to the frame to catch a few ounces of oil seemed a bit of an overkill, so I decided I would be able to live with the personal shame of the compromise knowing that no Anheuser Busch products would have any chance of contacting the vehicle.

[triumphtr7guy]

Hmmm, somehow that idea looks vaguely familiar, coming thru the haze of Narragansett bay now!!!

see my post in "what did you do with your land rover" if the connection if a bit foggy!! chuckle chuckle

Bruce 73 series III