I don't think so 🤔, oil has a shelf life according to it's specific use.

Oil will breakdown, it doesn't repair it self, it's job is to lubricate moving metal parts, it cleans & cools at the same time.

Having a good engineering back ground in the chemical industry, oil was a crucial part of keeping things going 24/7.

If we do a recommended engine oil change, why not the gearbox, after draining mine, I'll do mine on a regular basis.

After checking the old oil, NO metal contamination, the old oil wasn't as thick as the new oil, emptied approx 1.8 litres, filled with 2.3 litres.

Gearbox very smooth all gears silky in operation, another item off the list.

Just service items make a big difference, I can now put Fred's face back on😉

Hopefully there isn't any diesel or exhaust blowby in your gearbox.  And it shouldn't be getting anywhere near as hot as engine oil.  Horses for courses.  

Thanks for the reply, the old oil had no odour of diesel, although dark, it still had a tingle of yellow, the new oil was very pungent, but most thicker oils always do, mainly due to additives.

20 minutes ago, Fred fusion said:

Thanks for the reply, the old oil had no odour of diesel, although dark, it still had a tingle of yellow, the new oil was very pungent, but most thicker oils always do, mainly due to additives.

That was the point really.  Diesel and exhaust can't contaminate gearbox oil like they do the engine oil.  It doesn't need frequent changes because it's in a totally different environment.  On a manual gearbox I wouldn't recommend a change any more often than every 10 years.  And generally the clutch will fail before then so the box needs to come out and gets refilled afterwards anyway.

Again thanks for the feedback, having done so much to get this car back to a very usable condition, these cars are so easy to work on.

Next phase is the rear bumper, it's in need of a repaint, it's had two reverse knocks in it's time, paint has split, but hopefully no issues underneath.

I need to know if there is a modified exhaust for these cars, also I want to change the wheels.

Currently they are 16X5.5j, I don't want to go tooooo wide, I'm thinking 16X6.0, but what would be the best to fill the arches, allowing for tyre bulge 😮 my choice are "mini litres" with a rim.

I’m also ‘untrusting’ of the ‘lubed for life’ oil concept in my 2007 1.4 tdci 5-speed gearbox. Just seems wrong in a car 17 years old with 145,000-ish miles to not have had a gear oil change … though still going strong. I just think that gear oil needs to be changed occasionally.

As mentioned above, during a clutch repair would be a logical opportunity to tip the gearbox on its side to fully drain. In that case I’d be tempted to flush with diesel and brake fluid too, before refilling with whatever is the best available gear oil.

Since I’m so light on the clutch a clutch job might be very far off (I’m only doing about 6k mpy). So, I was thinking about drilling about a 5mm into the lowest point of the gearbox casing to act as a drain. The hole would then be tapped and closed/sealed with a screw and washer. Then oil draining would be simple, if slow, and refilling/topping-up could happen as I see fit … without dropping the gearbox. I might do this next year.

I’d like to get a good idea of the lower portion of the gearbox casing’s metal thickness and internal features before proceeding.

 

 

All you need to do is remove box end plate on the 1.4tdci to get most of oil out, also jack car up on drivers side to get a bit more out thereafter.

There is no gasket for the refit, well i couldn't find one listed at the time so used an appropriate sealant.

You also shouldn't need to flush it, them days have gone and only existed upto 1995 imo.

Thanks for posting that picture👏👍

The 8 spoke and the 12 spoke (as fitted to the Fiesta Zetec S) is a 16x6.5.

12 spoke with 195/45s

Those wheels look great, should I be looking for fiesta rather than fusion, I'll still keep my old one's, but I'll get them re-freshed & new tyres.

I'm also looking for a rear spoiler, it's finding which one will fit, if it needs modification great, always up for a challenge.

The one on your fiesta is a perfect size, but my rear lights go to the top corners.