Draining MK2 escort gearbox

[Westy Pre-Lit]

The breather pipe came off the Westfields gearbox chucking a bit of oil about so have decided to change the oil.

It has a 5 speed box from a MK2 escort I think and can only seem to find a filler plug on the side.

Does anybody know where the drain plug is as I can't find one anywhere, surely you don't have to take out the box and tip the oil out ?

Cheers

[Big_Dog]

iirc You could jack the front up and drop the propshaft whereupon it should drain out of the tail or suck it out via a vacuum oil extracter.

[Westy Pre-Lit]

I think a mate has a vacuum pump so gonna give that a go I think.

Some sites have said the oil is for the life of the box but thought it would be a good idea to drop in some fresh stuff.

I think the box is a type 9 apparently.

[Incorrigible]

Westy Pre-Lit said:

I think the box is a type 9 apparently.

How many gears has it got ?

4 is "Rocket 'box" (almost certainly, however there are other options)
5 is "type 9"

No, there's no drain plug, but you can take the top off, use a GL4 'box oil, the ford synchros don't like the extra additives in a GL5

HTH

[Westy Pre-Lit]

It has 5 gears so I suspect your right in that it being a type 9. My RS2000 only had 4 which I know was a 'Rocket' box.

I can't take the top off without it coming out of the car so a friend has lent me a vacuum pump which I hope will be able to drag the stuff out, if only I could get the pipe into a hole to drag it out . Have been told though it might prove a problem due to the oil being so thick.

I doubt if it's ever been changed since new, so thought a few minutes work would have it sorted. No such luck and another one of my 5 minute jobs, which looks easy, is turning into a bit of a pain in the butt

[Justin S]

Hey Westie pre lit........... I was reliably told the person who put that box in your car was a type nine. It must run the correct oil. It had Comma oil in it for the type 9. They do not have a drain plug on the type 9's. Just remove the breather and top up through there. No need to go into the footwell. Apparently the same person made the diptick in the breather plate with marking on it for full, so should only take 5 mins to do...............
Not sure how I know all this ?? LOL

[Westy Pre-Lit]

and there's little Ol' me trying to be clever