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General TR Easy oil leak ID

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TR Tom

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Like a lot of you I run engine oil in my TR4’s overdrive gearbox, and also not surprisingly I get leaks from a lot of the cars orifices. While regular gear oil is pretty easy to identify, in this case trying to tell if the leak is from the engine or gearbox is a challenge.

What I wound up doing is going to my local petroleum distributor (the guys that deliver to all the farms and construction sites in the area) and talked them out of a small amount of the dye they put in red (untaxed) diesel fuel. Just a very small amount in the transmission makes it a lot easier to track down the source of those pesky oil spots on my garage floor.
 
In my experience most of the leaks in a Tr tranny are the seals in the top cover where the shiftrods live.
If you really want to fix this, it is a big job. I would re-condition a replacement top cover so that you could
simply change it out some fine day. Also use a modern gear oil(IMHO)
Mad dog
 
Some books talk about a dye that glows under a black-light and I tried to find some once, but nobody could find any. I gave up trying. Now that I see you found some I will look around here for some. Yeh multiple choices for oil leaks is impossible to find without something like dye.

Steve
 
sp53 said:
Some books talk about a dye that glows under a black-light and I tried to find some once, but nobody could find any. I gave up trying.
Click to expand...
Auto Zone. Look for the air conditioning refrigerant refills. Dumb place for it I know, but they have dye for finding leaks in the AC system there, and the oil leak dye is by the same people so they put them side-by-side instead of by the oil or oil treatments. IIRC they also had UV fuel dye.

I didn't buy any because I figured the entire underside of the car would glow. Along with my garage floor, driveway, my entire route home...
 
Unfortunately, found that the main leak was at the adapter plate between tranny and O.D. (The hardest to fix of course).
I use Redline MT90 in all my other old junk’s transmissions and transfer cases, but it’s way too expensive for the short time it would stay in that leaky TR box!
 
If this leak is THAT severe there is only one Hail Mary thing to try. Drain the box clean it EXTERNALLY with
carb cleaner then brake clean .Wait 24 hrs and repeat. Now use permatex super gray and go around the area.
Let it dry 24 hrs and refill the box. Good luck and God bless. Like I said just a Hail Mary ,works 50%...
Mad dog
 
TR Tom said:
Like a lot of you I run engine oil in my TR4’s overdrive gearbox, and also not surprisingly I get leaks from a lot of the cars orifices. While regular gear oil is pretty easy to identify, in this case trying to tell if the leak is from the engine or gearbox is a challenge.

What I wound up doing is going to my local petroleum distributor (the guys that deliver to all the farms and construction sites in the area) and talked them out of a small amount of the dye they put in red (untaxed) diesel fuel. Just a very small amount in the transmission makes it a lot easier to track down the source of those pesky oil spots on my garage floor.
Click to expand...
You might pick up a gift with that tip, Tom

MG Parts | TR Parts | Triumph Parts | Austin Healey Parts | Jag Parts | Jag Bits | Sprite Parts | Midget Parts | Spitfire Parts | Bugeye Parts | Frog Eye Parts | Jaguar Parts | Sunbeam Parts | Classic Car Parts | Pertronix | Gunson | Moto-Lita | LBCa

Little British Car Company, Ltd. is a supplier of quality classic British (and other) car parts and accessories. We always strive to have excellent customer service and lower prices. Suppliers of Moto-Lita, Gunson and Pertronix brands.
www.lbcarco.com
See "Tech-tips"
 
poolboy said:
You might pick up a gift with that tip, Tom

MG Parts | TR Parts | Triumph Parts | Austin Healey Parts | Jag Parts | Jag Bits | Sprite Parts | Midget Parts | Spitfire Parts | Bugeye Parts | Frog Eye Parts | Jaguar Parts | Sunbeam Parts | Classic Car Parts | Pertronix | Gunson | Moto-Lita | LBCa

Little British Car Company, Ltd. is a supplier of quality classic British (and other) car parts and accessories. We always strive to have excellent customer service and lower prices. Suppliers of Moto-Lita, Gunson and Pertronix brands.
www.lbcarco.com
See "Tech-tips"
Click to expand...
While I’ve heard of that company, I’ve never dealt with them.

That’s a great trove of tech articles they have! I’m still reading through them all, and just might make a contribution or two. Thanks for sharing the info.
 
Little British Car Company is great to deal with!
 
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