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Gearbox oil idiotic move



Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Servicing my clio today I managed to put a litre of engine oil into my gearbox ?
Had forgotten I'd ordered a top up and just thought it was 4 litres of gearbox oil in little bottles. Nightmare.

I've since driven slowly to halfords redrained and filled with this https://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs...goryId=255220&productId=1278571&storeId=10001

Now what are peoples thoughts on this? Obviously I had no choice but I presume I wont notice too much difference? Dont want to put any excess wear on any gearbox components.

I plan to order some more elf box oil and re-drain next weekend. I wont need to flush it will I?

Yes I'm an idiot and its cost me more than if I took it to a garage but i can only laugh now
 
  dan's cast offs.
don't hold me to this but 75-80 is about a 5-30 in engine oil so even less panic over it ?
 
  dan's cast offs.
You can't say that without telling us....


oh go on, this one is classic!!! bear in mind i've been dying of bloody pneumonia for a couple of weeks...

pulled a box to send a gripper diff off to be set up. all the bits got boxed up and left in the back of the car, got the diff back the other day and started to build if up yesterday morning. nice easy quick job, no power steering on the car so would have it up and running by lunch at the latest.
cleared the bench off, gave it a quick wipe down and put some tools down ready.
cleaned end casing and stuck the end seal on and set it to one side to dry while i did the rest of the build. laid everything out on the bench ready.

built everything up and fitted detent springs and balls in the casing, fitted the casing and then 5th gear, checked everything worked ok and was just about to fit the 5th gear casing when i spotted a detent spring left on the bench!!! tried everything again and was certain everything was in place as the shafts were locking as they should but had to strip the bloody thing just to make sure. stripped it again and everything was as it should be. the wife was messaging me so told her would be a bit late due to a random spring, she replied saying my lad said if it was on the bench next to the pillar drill it was there the other day!!!!! so built it back up, got 5th gear on, checked everything was ok and turned round to get the end casing and next to it was the plastic oil feeder for 5th gear, had dropped out and i hadn't even noticed it...strip box again.

so this time i make sure everything is as it bloody should be and built it back up again, double checking as i went. got it built and went through the gears again, reverse, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th ok but it made a slightly odd noise when it went into 5th, came out ok and went back in ok but checked the other gears again just to be sure. reverse ok, 1st and 2nd no chance and 3rd and 4th a struggle to get in and then nothing other than 5th and reverse. then realised i hadn't set the selector for 5th in neutral, it was in gear. selector was waggling round like a little willy in a bucket.

strip the bloody box AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

needless to say it was dark by the time i left and the first time i built it up i was tapping the box together with the handle of a hammer, missed and split the end of my little finger open.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
oh go on, this one is classic!!! bear in mind i've been dying of bloody pneumonia for a couple of weeks...

pulled a box to send a gripper diff off to be set up. all the bits got boxed up and left in the back of the car, got the diff back the other day and started to build if up yesterday morning. nice easy quick job, no power steering on the car so would have it up and running by lunch at the latest.
cleared the bench off, gave it a quick wipe down and put some tools down ready.
cleaned end casing and stuck the end seal on and set it to one side to dry while i did the rest of the build. laid everything out on the bench ready.

built everything up and fitted detent springs and balls in the casing, fitted the casing and then 5th gear, checked everything worked ok and was just about to fit the 5th gear casing when i spotted a detent spring left on the bench!!! tried everything again and was certain everything was in place as the shafts were locking as they should but had to strip the bloody thing just to make sure. stripped it again and everything was as it should be. the wife was messaging me so told her would be a bit late due to a random spring, she replied saying my lad said if it was on the bench next to the pillar drill it was there the other day!!!!! so built it back up, got 5th gear on, checked everything was ok and turned round to get the end casing and next to it was the plastic oil feeder for 5th gear, had dropped out and i hadn't even noticed it...strip box again.

so this time i make sure everything is as it bloody should be and built it back up again, double checking as i went. got it built and went through the gears again, reverse, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th ok but it made a slightly odd noise when it went into 5th, came out ok and went back in ok but checked the other gears again just to be sure. reverse ok, 1st and 2nd no chance and 3rd and 4th a struggle to get in and then nothing other than 5th and reverse. then realised i hadn't set the selector for 5th in neutral, it was in gear. selector was waggling round like a little willy in a bucket.

strip the bloody box AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

needless to say it was dark by the time i left and the first time i built it up i was tapping the box together with the handle of a hammer, missed and split the end of my little finger open.
Jesus. I'm not going to complain anymore Haha.

Going to buy some elf oil anyway and just change it next weekend after the engine oil has mixed with the comma stuff. Pretty sure I got most of it out anyway but theres always some left over. Was really dark when i drained it
 

bozothenutter

ClioSport Club Member
oh go on, this one is classic!!! bear in mind i've been dying of bloody pneumonia for a couple of weeks...

pulled a box to send a gripper diff off to be set up. all the bits got boxed up and left in the back of the car, got the diff back the other day and started to build if up yesterday morning. nice easy quick job, no power steering on the car so would have it up and running by lunch at the latest.
cleared the bench off, gave it a quick wipe down and put some tools down ready.
cleaned end casing and stuck the end seal on and set it to one side to dry while i did the rest of the build. laid everything out on the bench ready.

built everything up and fitted detent springs and balls in the casing, fitted the casing and then 5th gear, checked everything worked ok and was just about to fit the 5th gear casing when i spotted a detent spring left on the bench!!! tried everything again and was certain everything was in place as the shafts were locking as they should but had to strip the bloody thing just to make sure. stripped it again and everything was as it should be. the wife was messaging me so told her would be a bit late due to a random spring, she replied saying my lad said if it was on the bench next to the pillar drill it was there the other day!!!!! so built it back up, got 5th gear on, checked everything was ok and turned round to get the end casing and next to it was the plastic oil feeder for 5th gear, had dropped out and i hadn't even noticed it...strip box again.

so this time i make sure everything is as it bloody should be and built it back up again, double checking as i went. got it built and went through the gears again, reverse, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th ok but it made a slightly odd noise when it went into 5th, came out ok and went back in ok but checked the other gears again just to be sure. reverse ok, 1st and 2nd no chance and 3rd and 4th a struggle to get in and then nothing other than 5th and reverse. then realised i hadn't set the selector for 5th in neutral, it was in gear. selector was waggling round like a little willy in a bucket.

strip the bloody box AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

needless to say it was dark by the time i left and the first time i built it up i was tapping the box together with the handle of a hammer, missed and split the end of my little finger open.

Phew....I'm not the only one then.....?
 

leeds2592

ClioSport Club Member
  Bean 182 + E70 X5
You need to chuck some veg oil in to thin it down, run it for a week or so then drain it again. Then it's safe to put the gearbox oil in.

HTH.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Ragged it down the motorway and down some country roads and feels great. Engine always seems to revs better with a flush but the box is smooth. No crunches into third.

Happy to service CS members cars. Will cost you 6 litres of oil though.
 

Dr HMS Derv Destroyer

ClioSport Club Member
  MK1DTi/vivaro/corsa
Funny enough rover PG1 gearbox’s used to be able to use engine oil. Why I don’t know.

It’ll be fine. Run that around for abit and dump / refill if you wish later on. Not going to kill the box
 
  406 V6, Race Buggy
Loads of gearboxes did, old Peugeots were the same, because they all use yellow metal synchro's and bushes that were damaged by the usual EP gearbox oils available at the time, some used ATF's for the same reason until they started pulling the detergent packs out for dedicated MTF's.

I don't know about this particular Clio box but if it has yellow metal synchros the EP oil may be worse for it than the engine oil was...although it's a GL4 so it can't have that much EP product in it.
 
Last edited:

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Loads of gearboxes did, old Peugeots were the same, because they all use yellow metal synchro's and bushes that were damaged by the usual EP gearbox oils available at the time, some used ATF's for the same reason until they started pulling the detergent packs out for dedicated MTF's.

I don't know about this particular Clio box but if it has yellow metal synchros the EP oil may be worse for it than the engine oil was...although it's a GL4 so it can't have that much EP product in it.
It's a standard oem 136k mile 182 box
 

R3k1355

Absolute wetter.
ClioSport Club Member
Didn't they pull the stuff that damages yellow metal out of GL5 oil ages ago? So the whole GL4/GL5 incompatibility isn't so bad now?
 
  406 V6, Race Buggy
Some are dual spec but there's still a lot of GL5 oils that cause issues with GL4 boxes as the EP pack coats the synchros and drops the friction level (not good on a synchro cone) - loads of Mazda guys recently had problems with Fuchs oil that was supposed to be the recommended oil doing just that to their boxes.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Put some comma 75 80 in mine tonight after a clutch change.

Feels fantastic tbh.
Been out driving again today and it feels a bit meh. A little clunkier than with elf but still feels fine. Engine feels silky smooth which is nice.
 
  monaco 172
Been out driving again today and it feels a bit meh. A little clunkier than with elf but still feels fine. Engine feels silky smooth which is nice.
Sure it's just not ready for a rebuild? 136k is mad mileage on a jc5 lol, most are in a scrapyard by 120 lol
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Sure it's just not ready for a rebuild? 136k is mad mileage on a jc5 lol, most are in a scrapyard by 120 lol
Think its okay, sometimes third crunches slightly but it definitely feels different with this oil. Be reet for many miles to come ;)
 
  monaco 172
Think its okay, sometimes third crunches slightly but it definitely feels different with this oil. Be reet for many miles to come ;)
I'm hoping the same with mine, although I get no crunches so should be ok, but there's no way I'm having the box off again in the near future, I'm aching head to toe.

I think rust will be the death of my car before anything mechanical tbh
 

Darren S

ClioSport Club Member
Sure it's just not ready for a rebuild? 136k is mad mileage on a jc5 lol, most are in a scrapyard by 120 lol
North of 160k on mine and still crunch-free (fingers crossed).

I think what might have helped it was the first gearbox oil change at 12k. Somewhere in Northern Frenchland, my 182 gearbox mistakenly came off the custard doughnut line and not through Renault. Stirring slightly melted lard was more precise than the cog-shifting in the Clio and once drained and replaced - it was a revelation.

No idea what OEM horse jizz the French had packed that box with - but it certainly wouldn't have done it any good, long term.
 

Desmoben1

ClioSport Club Member
  172 ph2
You win
oh go on, this one is classic!!! bear in mind i've been dying of bloody pneumonia for a couple of weeks...

pulled a box to send a gripper diff off to be set up. all the bits got boxed up and left in the back of the car, got the diff back the other day and started to build if up yesterday morning. nice easy quick job, no power steering on the car so would have it up and running by lunch at the latest.
cleared the bench off, gave it a quick wipe down and put some tools down ready.
cleaned end casing and stuck the end seal on and set it to one side to dry while i did the rest of the build. laid everything out on the bench ready.

built everything up and fitted detent springs and balls in the casing, fitted the casing and then 5th gear, checked everything worked ok and was just about to fit the 5th gear casing when i spotted a detent spring left on the bench!!! tried everything again and was certain everything was in place as the shafts were locking as they should but had to strip the bloody thing just to make sure. stripped it again and everything was as it should be. the wife was messaging me so told her would be a bit late due to a random spring, she replied saying my lad said if it was on the bench next to the pillar drill it was there the other day!!!!! so built it back up, got 5th gear on, checked everything was ok and turned round to get the end casing and next to it was the plastic oil feeder for 5th gear, had dropped out and i hadn't even noticed it...strip box again.

so this time i make sure everything is as it bloody should be and built it back up again, double checking as i went. got it built and went through the gears again, reverse, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th ok but it made a slightly odd noise when it went into 5th, came out ok and went back in ok but checked the other gears again just to be sure. reverse ok, 1st and 2nd no chance and 3rd and 4th a struggle to get in and then nothing other than 5th and reverse. then realised i hadn't set the selector for 5th in neutral, it was in gear. selector was waggling round like a little willy in a bucket.

strip the bloody box AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

needless to say it was dark by the time i left and the first time i built it up i was tapping the box together with the handle of a hammer, missed and split the end of my little finger open.
Ok, you win buddy!
 


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