Long Term Gearbox Oil Leak on E11 (1998) Corolla

[mickburkesnr]

Hi everyone,

I'm in a position now that I'm going to start maintenance work on the 1998 E11 Toyota Corolla I bought last month. On the hit list for this Saturday I'm planning on changing the timing belt (which is about 10 years old), change the engine oil, spark plugs and filters. So just a general service really.

However, I found on the forum a site from the DVLA which lists the history of the car's MOT. I looked through them and for a good 6 of them there has been an advisory on them saying there's a gearbox leak. I haven't noticed any oil under the car since it's been parked up, and when I drove it a few times I didn't notice any unusual noises or grinding from the box.

What I want to know is how hard is it to top up the gearbox oil, and what are the possible reasons for it to be leaking? I wouldn't say the gearbox is chucking oil out and is probably leaking once it's warmed up.

[oldcodger]

Not familiar with your older model, but think they will be the same.

To top up your geabox is easy enough, just remove the filler plug( can be tight) and you use the long nozzle extention that comes with the gear oil and steadly push it in untill it overflows though the same hole.

However, think if you are giving it a service, then a full gear oil change would be wise; typically about 2 ltrs.

As for oil leaks, found that mot testers often say they leak around the bottom of the bellhousing, if so, it could be from the engines flywheel oil seal or the gearboxes input shaft seal; though do check for missing or damaged oil plug washers etc

Generally they are just a minor niggle, with the resisdue coating the bottom of the engine, though major dripping needs work.

If its more the residue and no serious drop in engine or gearbox oil levels then should be ok and replaced when you need to change the clutch.

Pointless removing the gearbox without replacing the clutch...

[mickburkesnr]

Thank you for the advice.

I haven't been under the car yet so I haven't seen how bad the leak is myself. In regards to the topping up of oil does the car need to be flat or would I get away with jacking it up on the one side? I don't have access to a proper lift you see.

I just wonder about this because the car will be doing about 200 miles a week to get me to and from work which is a combination of mixed driving. I guess in this circumstance the best thing is to monitor the oil levels weekly and see if the leak gets worse?

[oldcodger]

It always makes me laugh when I see folk checking the oil levels on a sunday morning while its parked on a steep slope.

The filler /level plug can be accessed from the top of the engine bay, well at least on my 2006 model, so no need to jack up just to check or top up the level, but as said, if the cars history is unknown I would do a proper ggearbox oil change, you are going to have to buy 1 ltr of  gear oil just to check the top up.

You say change the  timing belt, do you really mean that or the Auxillary belt which drives the alternator etc ?

If you do mean the timing belt, are you sure if your model has one or is it a timing chain ?

Changing a timing belt is quiet a job and my need special tools like  pullers etc.

You do not say what engine type/model/size you have.

 

 

[mickburkesnr]

Hi mate,

Got you in regards the slope. I thought I may have to get underneath to fill the oil in to the gearbox but if it's done through the engine bay that's going to be OK.

In regards the timing belt it is indeed the timing belt, I have the 1.3 model which came with the belt. Another 6 months it'd have had the timing chain. I've looked through the manual and a video or two on the subject and I think it's within my skill and tool set. But yeah the Auxillary belt would be changed as well as the belt was last changed 10 years ago and has done 30,000 miles since then.

[mickburkesnr]

So this evening I managed to get the car up on a jack to change the transmission oil. It's fairly easy job, just a bit fiddly. Just my luck though that the gearbox oil completely missed the oil pan and covered my hand, and it was brown/black colour so I don't think it's been changed for a good long while.

Before that I noticed the bottom of the gearbox is wet, it isn't pouring out at all it's just wet. I touched it and I did get a clear looking oil - which was completely different colour to what came out of the gearbox itself. It isn't pouring out though, but I plan on topping up the gearbox oil in a week's time as I had a mishap filling it today. But it's parked over a bit of plywood so I'm going to monitor any oil drops throughout this week as it'll be driven daily.

[oldcodger]

Assume you are keeping an eye on the engine oil level as well as it could be engine rather than gearbox oil ?

Have you sprayed the underside with a degreaser like Gunk  so you can better see where the oil is coming from ?

If you had a problem with filling the gearbox and it was not full, do not delay in topping it up, a gearbox is very  expensive.

 

[mickburkesnr]

I first drove it properly today, I checked the engine oil and it's full and it's not something I've topped up. It didn't feel like engine oil, I will say that.

I haven't sprayed anything under it, I wiped it bone dry as best I could.

I'm going to take it to a local garage tomorrow and ask them to just top it up. It's silly awkward to get any sort of pipe in there.

[oldcodger]

?   why is filling up the gearbox a problem ? 

The 1ltr bottles of gear oil typically come with a clear flexible spout/tube so its easy enough to place the tube into the level/filler hole and hold the bottle above so you can let the oil run in, giving it a gentle queeze to help it along.   Assume you are filling it from the top of the engine bay and not from underneath ? 

[mickburkesnr]

The bottles of oil I had didn't have the spout, so I took a brake bleed kit which I hadn't used and used that. I had no hose pipes or anything else to do the job, but I only found out about that when I had emptied the gearbox of oil.

[oldcodger]

Should think that way would be quiet painfull !

Have always used Comma gear oil 1 ltr bottles which like several other makers , comes with a tube , packaged inside the bottle ready for inverting to use.

Those Comma bottles were the old Red type, seems they have now changed to a Grey bottle, so not 100% sure they still have a tube fitted.

If you look at the cap top its usually quiet obvious there is a tube inside, think Castrol and others still have tubes fitted.

Pic below shows what I mean, tube the length of the bottle.

 

[mickburkesnr]

Yeah I saw them but I had given the Triple QX a go as I heard Shell made it, and I was cursing the change because I haven't exactly small hands (been told I have "shovel" hands) so it was fairly fiddly for me to get the pipe in etc.

I have now bought a funnel with a pipe extension which should fit and go in to the gearbox, and bought a litre of Halfrauds gearbox oil which Comma make. It's the same specification as the Triple QX so I'll top it up before I leave work tonight and the job should be done!

[mickburkesnr]

Right, parked it up and used the new filter with the extended hose. Apart from burning the underside of my forearm against the manifold (I had driven home and decided to top up as soon as it was light and wouldn't rain), it's now full up. It took about 500ml, but I'd say I over filled it by 150/200ml judging by what was left in the drain pan.

Drove it a short distance to pick the girlfriend up from the train station, changes gear that bit better although I'll know properly tomorrow morning going to work.

[oldcodger]

You might want to look at getting one of the Parkers manuals - lots of helpful info for basic and advanced  diy servicing and repairing.

[mickburkesnr]

Yeah I have the Haynes manual for it which I was studying yesterday. It's the subject of a topic I have to post shortly as I found some differences between the manual and the car's service book.