Diff oil

[Eve]

Modern cars' gearbox seals are far more effective in keeping dirt and water etc out of the oil than on our series motors.

[diffwhine]

I'm inclined to agree. Hands up anybody who can honestly say they change their differential oils at 6000 miles and gearbox oils at 9000 miles. I suggest that Pinnocio would be proud of you.

For a heavy duty full working commercial vehicle in the 1960s, probably fine and fits with more regular service intervals. For enthusiast low mileage vehicles, I'd just check every few months as part of routine service and replace if it looks wrong or smells sulphurous.

On all my Land Rovers, I tend to dump the axle oils every couple of years and that's always worked for me. I still do it now on my much unloved P38.

It's also a messy, smelly job which I do not want to be going every 6000 miles or 6 months.

Each to their own, but the original service schedules were issued at a time of lower quality oils and when these vehicles were really working.

I have a fleet of 18 109s running as wreckers in Central Africa. They get engine oil changes every 5000km and transmission and axle changes every 10,000km and they all are taking more of a hammering than probably any Series vehicle here in the UK.

The axles and gearboxes are entirely fitted with Britpart seals and bearings and we are having absolutely no problems. Since all were rebuilt, they have now done between 60,000 and 80,000kms in some of the toughest conditions available with no problems.

But... they may look like something the dog has chewed, but mechanically they are in tip top condition and properly maintained and checked. That's part of the contract.