gearbox refill bolt[alan key head]

[sillysport]

can anyone shine a bit of light on this subject for me,,on the side of my gearbox {getrag} ther is a alan head bolt for refilling the gear box wit oil,,,problem is that some bright spark went at it with a grinder,,ther is no way it will open,,is there any other way i can put oil back in if i drain it,, any help would be great,,,,, cheers

[gazza]

other than turning the car upside down after you drain it ....try turning it with a centre punch or welding something to the allen key to enable you to get something on it ....but dont drain it untill you have the filler off.....good luck mate

[wildeian]

Im pretty sure there is a breather on the top of the box, I'll have a look on my spare in the morning. I think you will probably have to take the box off tho...

[Matt_T]

Ouch that will be a bitch, its pretty hard to get at too!

Welding a socket or nut to it would be the best idea really, apply some heat if need be (try not to set alight to any oil though!!), and remember to use plenty of penetrating lubricant

[sillysport]

she's a tricky one alright,,,just had box of monday for clutch,,will try that weld might do the trick,,see what happens,,saw that breader alright,,possible,,let us know...cheers boyz,,,,,,might turn her upside down,what ya wreckon ,,say that would do it alright,,,hopefully there is a handier way

[Brianmoooore]

Breather is at the back of the bell housing on the left hand side on the top. Would neec a carefully cut access hole in the tunnel to make use of it though.
I would have thought that if you drain the oil, fit a rubber bung in the drain hole with a bit of plastic tube through it, fill the box through the tube with a bit more than the correct amount, and then quickly remove the bung and replace it with the drain plug, you could do the job without too much mess. Use a large pan to catch the spilt oil, so that you can check how much is still in the box.

What facinates me, is why anyone would angle grind their gearbox!

[sillysport]

ya have giving me enough to think about now,,will surely get fressh oil into her ,,all hope is not lost,,as for why someone would go at it wit a grinder is beyond me,,, done a smashing job on it,was a credit to them,they wern't worried about the next poor sole who had to try and open it,, cheers boyz