Charles:
Checking a ribcase tranny for oil level is a blast (just one more reason to
switch to a 5-spd IMHO). After discovering that no socket in your tool box
actually fits the bolt, you will drop it in the tranny tunnel never to be
found. Then you squirt oil on your carpet as you try and watch for it to
overflow out of the fill hole.
Seriously, maybe not quite that bad but close. Never use gear oil in the
ribcase, though. The sulfur in it is bad for the bearings and syncros. Use
straight non-detergent single viscosity, like a 40 weight.
I'm sure there are lots of opinions on gearbox oil, these are just mine.
Oh, and while we're on the subject, never park on a hill. If you are facing
down hill, the oil will leak out the front of the tranny onto the clutch,
and if you are parked facing uphill, the oil will leak out the engine onto
the clutch. Just another of the endearing qualities we all cherish.
David Riker
74 Midget (I really do love this car)
63 Falcon
----- Original Message -----
From: Charles D. Sorkin <cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com>
To: <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, August 14, 1999 8:01 PM
Subject: Some further Midget musings
> Good evening list:
>
> Despite the thunderstorms, I still managed to get the Midget on the road
> today. But I noticed some irritating developments with my fuel guage.
> Humidity has gotten inside, and fogged up the inside of the lens. The
other
> lenses are relatively clean and clear, and I never thought that they were
> airtight. How could I clean the inside the lens and prevent moisture from
> becoming apparent? Just so everyone knows, the car hasn't seen a rainy
day
> in months.
>
> Additionally, other relatively cheap maintenance seems to be working well.
> I suspect that there may have been some flaws in my recently flushed
> radiator, so I used a tube of alumaseal, and I was surprised to notice
that
> I was running a bit cooler than before. As for topping up my dashpots, I
> was truly unable to make sense out of the earlier debate on what was the
> best fluid to use, so I went with run-of-the-mill 3-in1oil from the
hardware
> store. The resulting idle was as smooth as it has ever been since I've
> owned the car (about 6 weeks now.)
>
> The only thing which was causing some irritation was the fact that when I
> tried to check the transmission fluid level, I didn't notice any sort of
> convenient dipstick setup down there, but rather just a bolt. I assume
that
> the bolt gives one access to the gearbox, but there seems to be no
> indication as to how high the level should be. What goes in there (I
think
> that a 90W oil is required) and how much? The Hayne's manual seems to
have
> a lot of material on taking the gearbox apart, but not much on
maintenance.
>
> Regards,
>
>
> Charles
> '74 Midget
> cdsorkin@ix.netcom.com
> Bloomfield, NJ
>
> Re
>
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