Gearbox drain / underguard

[garyd]

I've just done a gearbox oil change today and been reminded that you have to drop the whole of the rear underguard (GTi/JX engine) to get access to the drain plug. Thus turning a half hour job into a much bigger one.

Just wondered if anyone has modified their guard to give access to the drain without dropping it? If yes, then pictures or details would obviously be good.

cheers

[max and caddy]

I know the problem...and I was going to address it when I did my sika...but forgot and bolted the bash plate on...real pest ain't it...

[lsidir]

What I did is shown here:

http://pimpthevan.blogspot.nl/2011/04/s ... tions.html

just a small cut and bend.

[garyd]

Thanks for that link Isidir. However, his protection plate does not have the rubber section fitted to fill the gap between the plate and the gearbox that is visible in his picture.

I reckon that to do this properly would require a much bigger section, full width between the rails, to be removable (four bolts, perhaps) to give plenty of access for both the plug spanner and the flow of draining oil.

There is already a removable section just to one side for the engine oil drain, so something that covered both areas would be good.

[silverbullet]

Gary, I put an oval hole approx. 60 wide x 40 long transversely in my petrol rails armour plating. It's enough to get a drain plug tool and a ring spanner in there and remove the plug, I think in hindsight that it might just be on the small side and could have done with a levee welded to the topside to catch the initial outflow, but it does the job.