R380 Gearbox missing drain plug

[greenpuma1]

Has anyone ever seen a R380 gearbox on a late 300Tdi Disco without a drain plug. The boss on the casting is not even drilled and tapped. I might have to drill and tap the casing?

[dave88sw]

I've never come across one without it.  Big plug (not sure exactly what size but around about 30mm head) on the drivers side below and to the rear of the filler plug.  I guess it's possible yours missed the stage where it should have been drilled?

[Boydie]

On my 1998 Discovery 300 Tdi the drain plug is tapped into the case below the inspection cover on the LH side of the box. I think old mate is thinking of the transfer box.   The oil filler / oil level plug is at the rear of the case to the left of and just above the drum brake.  

The original drain plug has a magnet pressed into it. From my old and at times befuddled memory the drain plug is 18 mm diameter 1.5 threads per mm.

 I think you must have an oddity, I'm amazed it got past Land Rover's assembly inspections.

I guess you could drill and tap one without removing the box as any aluminum swarf will be "washed" out by the escaping oil, if you dont drain most of it first you're going to get covered in oil though.

I would try getting as much oil out before hand as possible with a gear box oil pump and sucking it out first from the filler plug, then remove the inspection cover and again, suck out as much oil as possible before you drill the case just to avoid as much mess as possible, to say nothing of the oil getting into your drill.  

DO NOT use a 240 volt power drill !!    Use a cordless, oil will AND CAN conduct electricity !!     We dont want to hear of your escapades in an obituary column !   

Once you've tapped it you can flush it out with clean oil poured through the inspection cover opening to make sure there is no swarf left in the box. The casting "boss" is around 12 mm thick.

Good luck and keep us posted.  

[Boydie]

Make that 12 x 1.5 

 

[dave88sw]

As i said in my post above, filler plug is on the right hand side of the box (if sat in drivers seat), about half way up the side, drain plug is below and to the rear of the filler, the big bolt head in this image, borrowed from elsewhere:

[Boydie]

 There must be different R380 cases - mines on the opposite side below the connections to the oil cooler and below a small inspection cover. My gearbox was originally on a V8, would that make any difference ? 

[steve_a]

And make sure you can get the filler out first.... 

If it's a torx thingy then give it a really good clean before starting, they don't take much rubbish in them to cause poor grip and round out... then you have some interesting times.

The last one I did I reckon was also red or blue thread locked in... didn't get it out until the whole box was off and I could weld something to it.

[dave88sw]

On 3/29/2017 at 4:49 AM, Boydie said:

 There must be different R380 cases - mines on the opposite side below the connections to the oil cooler and below a small inspection cover. My gearbox was originally on a V8, would that make any difference ? 

I've never seen one like that, i'd be interested in a picture if you could next time you're under the car :).  Mine is a V8 manual with an oil cooler and have the same setup as in the image.  Land Rovers are full of weird surprises

[Sabre]

I have drained, and re-filled a few R380 boxes (messy job, that side drain plug) but do not recognise the R380, as I know it, in the picture above