Fitting a gearbox/back of block magnetic oil trap

[kenb]

Hi Folks,

As ever looking for some advice please.

Am looking to fit a gearbox / back of the block magnetic oil trap (like minispares HPS5 or 6) and from what I can see should be able to do it from outside as long as I don't undo both bolts at the same time and the oil pick up pipe becomes disconnected?

Will this work or am I fooling myself and should leave it till I'm doing more major work and got the engine and gearbox separated.

Also anyone got any good reasons against using one of these?

thanks

Ken

[Chalkie]

As far as I remember installing one it has to be done while the gear box is off the block.

[Spider]

I don't see why it couldn't be fitted as you've suggested, just a bastard place to try to work. I would however suggest after fitting it, disconnecting the coil and ensuring you can get oil pressure up on the starter before running it. I'd also add, to do it at a time where if this doesn't work, you do have time to remove the engine.

[rich@minispares.com]

to fit it in situ you would be relying on the gasket sticking enough not to allow the pickup pipe to pull back and break the seal and potentially cause problems later down the line.

im sure it can be one, and im sure loads of people have got away with it in the past, but I would put such an endeavour in the same camp as people who attempt to fit 1.5 rockers without removing the head to replace the gasket at the same time.

i.e. chancers..............

[woodypup59]

I stick the magnets out computer hard drives onto the oil filter.

Non-invasive, quick and effective as these magnet are incredibly strong.

[mab01uk]

These are the Minispares fitting instructions and how to avoid loosing the oil pickup pipe when fitting insitu......the only thing that has always bothered me about fitting one is the warnings about potential debris build up (see below) but as long as you remember to clean and check occasionally as stated should be ok.


FITTING INSTRUCTIONS

Mini oil pumps are susceptible to premature failure caused by excessive large particle contamination of the oil, mainly metallic debris created by the gearbox. The situation is not helped by the oil getting to the pump before being filtered. Mini Spares has developed components to help minimise this problem, including these in line magnetic oil traps. Their design allows easy fitment, as the adapter simply replaces the standard oil pick up pipe blanking plate on the back of the gearbox. It’s position in the oil supply gallery necessitates frequent removal of the trap to clean collected particles out, more so for the filtered version. Failure to do this will cause premature failure of the pump and possibly engine bearings.

There are no hard and fast rules for this periodic maintenance as vehicle usage will determine debris build up. Obviously a carefully driven road car will not need as frequent attention as a race car. Certainly clean it at every oil change. This frequent servicing can be of benefit as excessive amounts of debris could indicate a deteriorating gearbox. Fitting to a gear box with the engine out of the car

• Remove standard oil pick up pipe blanking plate (oval plate to top right of diff housing) by removing the two 7/16” AF bolts, one at a time.
• To avoid ‘loosing’ the oil pick up pipe, undo the lock tabs and remove one of the 7/16” AF bolts, then loosen the other.
• Swing the plate to one side and clean off as much of the old gasket as possible from the gearbox mounting face.
• Fit adapter to the removed bolt location with gasket applied but no lock tab.
• Remove second bolt, complete removal of the old gasket, then fit second bolt again with no lock tab.
• Use a little thread locking fluid instead on the tips of the bolt threads.
• Bolts should be just nipped up (8-9 lb ft torque).

DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN – you may strip the threads.

• Screw in magnetic trap using new copper washer provided, and torque up to 25-28 lb ft. Again, do not overtighten. Fitting to the gearbox with engine in the car:
• Jack front of the car up and sit securely on axle stands. On a pot joint type fitment:
• Drain oil from gearbox
• Remove right hand wheel and disconnect top suspension ball joint
• Disconnect pot joint from gearbox, pull hub outwards to remove pot joint from gearbox. Lower shaft out of the way.
• Alternatively to proceed without draining the oil, cut pot joint boot strap and carefully pull hub outwards to pull inner bearing cage out of pot joint casing. Make sure the balls do not fall out or are properly replaced before refitting. Lower shaft out of the way. On cross joint type fitment (including rubber coupling, Hardy Spicer and nylon Quinton Hazel types)
• Undo relevant nuts/bolts/U bolts on right hand driveshaft inner coupling and lower driveshaft out of the way
• After trap installation, reassemble in reverse order, using a tie wrap/lock wire/new boot strap if latter method used. In either case, once these steps have been done, fit traps as detailed as above.

[rich@minispares.com]

These are the Minispares fitting instructions .

its still a gamble in my opinion.......

[kenb]

Thanks for all the replies folks, think I'll leave it for now but am off to canilbalise an old hard drive for the magnet

[Smiffy]

I've got one of these and have never found any swarf on it, but I also have one of those Magnom magnetic oil filter adapters. And the amount of swarf that collects is amazing.

[surf-blue-850]

Cant see the oil pick-up falling away or getting lost, its bolted to the gearbox case by a bolt on the inside.

[rich@minispares.com]

Cant see the oil pick-up falling away or getting lost, its bolted to the gearbox case by a bolt on the inside.

the bolts on the std oil trap only hold the filter block, the pipe is free floating - its only held in place by the two upper bolts.

the single bolt holding a centre oil pick up pipe tab into the gearbox case MIGHT stop the flange from springing away from the case when the bolts are undone, but as its just on a tab of flimsy metal, its a bit of a gamble.

ive stripped a lot of gearboxes and have noticed that the pick up flange will spring (or relax) away from the case as the bolts are undone sometimes, it depends on the gasket glue used and how much tension is in the tab - the tab is designed to stop the pick up pipe vibrating and cracking the weld around the flange, not as a primary holding device.

the problem is that the bolt holes only need to move a tiny amount and you risk pushing the flange away from the case, or worse stripping the threads in the flange.