Am I missing something?

[kurts100]

Bought a TR6 a year ago and have been working on it any chance I get. Wanted to put Brad Penn's new GL4 transmission and differential oil in it. Drained the tranny and went to differential and there's only a fill plug on the side. Am I missing something? Every other British car I've worked on has a drain plug. What, do you have to suck the old out from the fill plug with a tube? Hate to just fill with new oil without removing old, since I have no idea what the prior owner put in there.

Hopefully, I'm losing it and there is a drain plug that I missed.

Thanks!

Kurt

 

[70herald]

Bought a TR6 a year ago and have been working on it any chance I get. Wanted to put Brad Penn's new GL4 transmission and differential oil in it. Drained the tranny and went to differential and there's only a fill plug on the side. Am I missing something? Every other British car I've worked on has a drain plug. What, do you have to suck the old out from the fill plug with a tube? Hate to just fill with new oil without removing old, since I have no idea what the prior owner put in there.

Hopefully, I'm losing it and there is a drain plug that I missed.

Thanks!

Kurt

Most likely not missing anything. Triumph stopped putting in drains at some point. If you have an air compressor, run a tube in, and then push the use compressed air to force the oil out. use plenty of shop rags to seal it.

 

[TR3driver]

Or just add the drain plug.

 

[billspit]

I've ended up adding a drain plug to all my Spitfire diffs.

 

[kurts100]

Thanks for the feedback. Glad to know I'm not losing my mind. That's crazy there's no drain plug. Must be Triumph's version of planned obsolescence. Probably not a good idea to try a drill and tap a drain plug while in place, though I am tempted. I'll try pumping it out from the fill hole. If that doesn't work, I'll just top it up and hope what was in there isn't black tar.

Thanks again! Kurt

 

[martx-5]

I don't see why it should be a problem doing it in situ, unless there is something in the way of where you have to drill and tap. Maybe someone can verify if it's clear enough to do it while it's still together.

 

[TR3driver]

I think there is enough clearance inside; my concern would be over leaving chips behind inside the housing; maybe a burr stuck to the edge that could break off later. I have done such things in a pinch, and cast iron rarely leaves burrs like that, but Kurt probably has the safer idea.

Triumph's position was that the differential oil should never be changed without disassembling the unit. I don't know the entire rationale for that, but I believe it was at least partially over oil quality. I doubt they were worried about "planned obsolescence" or saving the cost of drilling & tapping one hole.

 

[HerronScott]

They were just ahead of their time. Doesn't Ford have "lifetime" lubrication on some of their transmissions and diffs now?

Scott

 

[CinneaghTR]

I'm always curious to see what you guys use for tools. Haven't added the drain plug yet (but will...) and use this for removing the old fluid from the diff fill plug now:

Dutton-Lainson Suction Gun

It is less capacity, but I think it is made better than the ones at the auto parts stores.