I seem to recall that the manual mini and metro have the gearbox underneath to engine crankshaft and the oil is shared.

Assume its 20w50 or similar.

Is the automatic transmission the same in that it shares the oil with the engine.

Does the auto transmission have paper clutches and valve block strainer and filter and so on.

Is it 3 or 4 forward speeds.

Is their what would be considered a torque converter located where the clutch would be on a manual.

Correct, the gearbox basically sits in the sump.

This is one of the innovations of the Mini, reducing the overall size of the power plant and fitting the engine in the transverse position, giving more space in the cabin area.

They made use of the new 20W50 multigrade oils.

Don't know what the auto version arrangements were.

I do recall that when we had a Land Rover specialist workshop in London, jobcard number 1 was for an Allegro Automatic Vanden Plas which had a fault with the autobox. Don't ask me why we took the job on - I have no idea. When we closed the workshop some 6 years later, job card number 1 was finally closed down. We never touched the car - nobody could face going near it, so it sat in the corner of the yard slowly rotting away. I have no regrets! I think the customer actually died waiting for us to look at it.

Therefore, aside from knowing that the autobox and engine shared the same oil sump and used 20W50, I have deliberately spent the last 30 odd years steadfastly refusing to learn how that engine (O Series?) and autobox worked together.

If you seriously want to know the specifics, I know somebody who may be able to help if he's not gone too far into senility by now.

Try this link for full description of the Mini auto transmission.

http://www.austinmemories.com/styled-105/index.html

Brings back fond memories of the Austin Maxis I drove. In total seven of them, if memory serves. A dark green one, a beige one, blue, orange even... All 1750s. Brilliant cars. Did on average 2,000 mpg in them. Yes, you read right: 2,000. Oil that is. The green Duckhams stuff. The car John Lennon crashed, and we all know what happened to him...

It is like Wittsend writes: the gear box is in the sump, clutch to the side. I never had one with an auto box, but maybe this thorough write-up on the AP automatic gearbox could be of help...

Richard

The Allegro Vanden Plas had the 1500 E series Maxi engine.

Mini autos did use 20/50 engine oil. You could tell when it needed changing because it would hunt between third and top at 30mph.

They're a fairly advanced system, let down by the materials and lubrication technologies of the time.

I'm sorry, but if you lot keep going raking up ghastly subjects like Metro automatics, I'm going to have to go back into therapy. I thought I'd got over this 30 years ago...

My psychiatrist wife tells me there are no known therapies for Metro related mental disorders. Some doctors see patients improve after Prolonged Exposure Therapy, but that would mean, well, prolonged exposure to Metros. Are you up to that? The only other treatment consists of invasive brain surgery.
Richard

I work with Land Rovers. That has to be enough immersive therapy for anybody...

Had the lobotomy some time ago, so there really isn't much hope.

Thanks all.

I had not received an alert that the topic had been viewed or commented on what whatever reason, maybe it was during the tech glitch last week or maybe it was for my own protection based on some of the comments.

I had seen some of the info that has been suggested, it was on a site titled mini and 1100.

The useful cutaway and write up has opened my eyes to the terror!

I had it in mind that auto's like scrupulously clean fluid, so sharing it with the engine was potentially on hiding to nothing.

The most indecisive auto I had been subjected to was a renault 5 with a much beaten peugeot 505 with a ponderous wait for ever change coming in at the other end of the spectrum.

It does sound like although the bmc bl offering could work, it rarely did to full effect due to some design flaws?

On a different planet has anyone owned or run a toyota yaris mk1 or mk2 with the automatic gearbox.

MMT I think its called.  What is it like, what goes wrong and so on.  Assume it will have ecu's and complexities?

DW I only know the 'O' series from the sherpa and the maxi, never knew the allegro got it.

Quote from: diffwhine on Oct 06, 2023, 02:20 PM....spent the last 30 odd years steadfastly refusing to learn how...

Yup, with me it's football and cricket. I know one of them has 2o odd players, don't ask me which - George Best is the footballer one and if you do ask, I'll puff my chest and be proud to tell you, I have no clue. i just hope that one day, just once they put Minder in to delay or interrupt a match.

Quote from: 2286 on Oct 09, 2023, 12:28 PMOn a different planet has anyone owned or run a toyota yaris mk1 or mk2 with the automatic gearbox.

MMT I think its called.  What is it like, what goes wrong and so on.  Assume it will have ecu's and complexities?

I believe the mark 1 yaris has a standard 4 speed auto gear box the mmt came in with the mark 2 and isnt well thought of.

Is the MMT more like a manual box with an automated or assisted shift from servos or actuators or similar.

I had heard that it is not well received, I wondered if that was due to the way it operates, changes or fragility and repair costs and servicing.

The yaris has a camchain so the engines will to some extent cope with neglect, but the gearboxes can suffer, I have seen some low mileage manuals with whines and selection issues, so wondered how the autos/mmts tolerate high mileage and driver abuse or operator error. 

Perhaps not the same gearbox but when working I had a new Morris Marina Auto on hire for a day to take me to Newcastle and back, it was the worst car ever, if you put your foot to the floor to overtake it changed down but when it got the high revs would not change up till you slowed right down, this made overtaking very hard and the trip very long