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Gearbox dipstick

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IanIrving

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My OD, which was working fine until yesterday, is sometimes engaging sometimes not and when it does, it's slow and only at high speed. I'm going through the checks as per the manual. Electrically all seems well, nice clunk of solenoid when going from neutral to either 3rd or 4th and throttle switch seems correctly wired and set. Next instructionis to check the oil level in gearbox which again looks ok however when I looked at the dipstick, I see that the measuring rod has been brazed at some time to the dipstick top and has been cut off at the bottom and left rough and square whereas I think it should have a chamfer on the bottom edge so I'm not sure it's even the correct dipstick. My car is a BJ8 MkIII, 1965.
Can someone tell me please what length the dipstick should be and how high up the dipstick from the base the HIGH line should be. Am I correct that it should have a chamfer on it?

Thanks

Ian Irving
 
Hey Ian,
Wish I could help with the length of the dipstick for a BJ8 but I have
a 100-6 so don't know if a sideshift trans has same dipstick as center shift
for a BJ8 - probably the same but sure someone will add a post here.
However, on your overdrive issue I went through the same
problem and after checking out all electric, the solenoid itself,
overdrive relay, etc, turned out to be low on transmission/OD oil !
Kinda of embarrassing but at least I know all the other parts and pieces
are functioning correctly. Now that I keep the correct level of oil in
there, O/D is working great.
Regards,
Mike
 
Hi MIke
Thanks for the info, I think it s a problem with the oil level because the gearbox is now the only part of the drivetrain which leaks. The engine and box were overhauled over the winter including the uprated rear oil seal and now that everything has bedded in, no more leaks except from around the joint between the gear box and the OD. There's not a big leak but over time, who knows how much has gone. I've driven 3k miles aready this summer. However I don't trust the dipstick which is definitely canibalised from what could be different parts. Once I know what length it should be and where the high mark should be I can re mark it if required and then I'll know where I am.
It's the kind of info that might be useful to others as well. It could be worthwhile posting a listing of the requisite lengths of dipsticks for each model, engine and transmission. Maybe when I'm too old to drive it anymore, I'll do that.

Regards


Ian
 
IMG_2221.sized.jpg


High resolution image: https://www.rfdm.com/gallery/album144/IMG_2221?full=1
 
Thanks Randy, my dipstick proved to be exactly the length it should be, thanks for the info, and filling oil to high mark restored the OD to normal working. It's now up to high on the dipstick when cold, didn't need much, less than 1/2 pint but that did the trick. Any danger in running it a bit over high? other than a slightly quicker leak I assume?

Ian
 
I don't know of any specific problem, perhaps more of a tendency to foam, if the level is too high and getting whipped about.
 
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