Gearbox Overheats When Towing Caravan

[(RIP) PLANK]

Definately the Gear Box getting hot only when under strain of towing, as posted before it can physically mark yer leg with hot air burns in the cab. under normal everyday use I can drive as far as a full tank lets me (480 miles, 244 Miles Towing) and it's just generally warm as to be expected.

So i'll give the Transmission Oil a change and see how it goes Whats a good type to use and is there a coolant additive i can use in the box that would help too?

Regards

your MPG seems a bit off too, I tend to get abround 25 mpg towing! the extra used by towing seems to be offset by the economy of a long steady journey, could you be having the start of clutch slip? both overheating the box and ruining mpg? it might only be slipping under the extra load of towing?

 

[Hilltop]

My Gear Lever covers have never sat correctly, im forever trying to tuck them back under the carpet, but surely that amount of heat is not good? especially when you can smell the transmission fluid in the cab

You have'nt got transmission fluid, it a manual according to you first post!



BOB




.

 

[Gadget2k10]

You have'nt got transmission fluid, it a manual according to you first post!



BOB




.

Oh Sorry Bob My Bad !

Gear Box Oil Then There's Some Sort Of Lubricant In There Otherwise It Would Be A Lump Of Molten Metal.

Surely You knew What I Meant, But Just To Carlify

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

i haven't read al the posts but im assuming you've checked the oil level in the gear box?

 

[Gadget2k10]

Nah.. I'm just gonna drop and change Oil with it being cooked a few times it won't be much use at the mo.

 

[Smegg]

hi; all the best advice as usual once youve sorted out what the other lads have suggested I put a drop of slick 50 in my g/box not in diff or transfer box i dont know what effect on them it would have them,I find it keeps the g/box cool and smooth.

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

your MPG seems a bit off too, I tend to get abround 25 mpg towing! the extra used by towing seems to be offset by the economy of a long steady journey, could you be having the start of clutch slip? both overheating the box and ruining mpg? it might only be slipping under the extra load of towing?

thats interesting Plank, could it be an issue with my troll overheating towing.

presume outfit makes progress, so is heat from transmission/clutch or engine
working harder to compensate.

on my recent tug home from wales mainly motorway and of course north bound
always feels more uphill. the car was getting very warm, made one of dogs
in passenger footwell quite lathargic! i thought was just heat in the heater that
was building up til released.

just wondering if would show as lack of umph esp hill climbing?

had tested clutch on stall techniques thought ok prev, but dragging a load
long distances could have this effect.

thoughts welcomed as might avoid ripping rad out of troll, omg whats a clutch
going to cost...

back to the thread oops

 

[solarman216]

To test your clutch, engage 4th gear, foot on brake, foot to floor on loud pedal drop clutch, should stall engine in 2-3 seconds if it starts to stall then keeps going (as it heats up) clutch on last legs, do not do this again for at least half an hour, this test applies to a car or a 520 bhp truck, across the board, if the clutch cannot take the full power of the engine then it is no good, Rick

 

[solarman216]

PS swifty (my fitter) can do you a cheap deal on clutches, you only have to get the motor here, south coast, Rick

 

[briggie]

i totally reccomend rick and swifty .... they fixed sally ..... now almost 3000 miles later she is still running superb , i love her to bits ...... cheers mate :thumb2

 

[solarman216]

Getting back on topic, something is wrong here, manual boxes do not get hot, towing or whatever, certainly not hot enough to feel the heat in the drivers and passengers foot well, this needs further evaluation cos if the box is getting that hot it would be molten metal by now, Rick

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

Getting back on topic, something is wrong here, manual boxes do not get hot, towing or whatever, certainly not hot enough to feel the heat in the drivers and passengers foot well, this needs further evaluation cos if the box is getting that hot it would be molten metal by now, Rick

Hence my quesrions, is there any oil in it? could the clutch be slipping under the extra load and generating heat?

 

[Gadget2k10]

Took truck to garage today, it used 1/2 litre oil to top up, transmission casing was topped up too again very little needed. stripped out centre console and removed gear stick gaitors to find them well and truly perished and not fastened down properly, got replacements on order and should be available tommorrow. Will see how that helps

 

[(RIP) rustygates]

Took truck to garage today, it used 1/2 litre oil to top up, transmission casing was topped up too again very little needed. stripped out centre console and removed gear stick gaitors to find them well and truly perished and not fastened down properly, got replacements on order and should be available tommorrow. Will see how that helps

Hi there,

did you get to the bottom of the g/box overheating as my new 2003 swb tdi is doing it pulling my van after about 50mls or so, the gearstick gets really hot, i will change g/box oil this week and replace with valvoline 75w-90 gl4 .

rustygates

 

[solarman216]

Well just to get the other side, I towed a car trailer with a Terrano on it and a spare engine in the boot from Brighouse to Bexhill 300 plus miles almost non stop at speeds that were more than a little high and the gear lever was only the same temperature as the inside of the car, even the engine did not get too hot on the toughest of grades, and the gross weight was 4,8 tonnes oh and it still did more than 21 to the gallon, Rick

 

[Gadget2k10]

Hi there,

did you get to the bottom of the g/box overheating as my new 2003 swb tdi is doing it pulling my van after about 50mls or so, the gearstick gets really hot, i will change g/box oil this week and replace with valvoline 75w-90 gl4 .

rustygates

I had mass amounts of hot air escaping through the gearshift gators into the cab (enough to burn ya leg as it did) and it wasn't just bottom of gearbox but the whole thing also the gearstick was very hot too.

However since topping up gear oil in box and transmission casings and replacing gear shift gators, I took me old trusty tentyhouse away for the weekend up n over hills galore in Huddersfield / Halifax area and since then the truck (t'old Frank) has been running sweet ,, Problem solved

 

[(RIP) rustygates]

Hi all,

Changed all the oils yesterday rear diff ( not LSD me thinks cos it only took 1.3 ltrs ) G/box and transfer box and then front diff, after removing sumpguard and all the bolts came out without snapping them (unusual or what ) so now i'll be using the van in acouple of weeks and check temp of gearstick and box.

watch this space.

rustygates.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

Hi all,

Changed all the oils yesterday rear diff ( not LSD me thinks cos it only took 1.3 ltrs ) G/box and transfer box and then front diff, after removing sumpguard and all the bolts came out without snapping them (unusual or what ) so now i'll be using the van in acouple of weeks and check temp of gearstick and box.

watch this space.

rustygates.

I thought they all had an LSD

 

[(RIP) rustygates]

Hi plank,

that's what i thought, but i'm sure i read it some where that the later ones were not LSD, the diff is different to my 97 one, as the diff bolts on the2003 model are on the back of the casing and the 97 model are on the front.
someone on here will put me right in due course.

rustygates