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Saracen Owners question


Alaskan

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Guys I feel like I am losing my mind....

 

My 1976 Saracen Manual says that I should have (at a minimum) dipsticks for the rear bevel boxes, filler plugs for the rear boxes, and filler plugs (inside vehicle) for the center, and filler plugs (and sometimes dipsticks) for the front bevel boxes inside the engine.

 

Well... nothing, nada.

 

Pulled the rear floor plates and can clearly see the rear bevel boxes on each side of the gas tank. No dipsticks, no filler plugs, no access ports / plates, etc.

 

The center bevel boxes only have a plate (4 bolts) that I was able to remove to peer inside.

 

The front bevel boxes have no dipsticks in the engine area (that I can see) and no filler plugs that the manual says should be just forward of the air cleaners.

 

After racking my brain, I noticed that outside the vehicle, on the underside each bevel box has a filler / level plug. I pulled each plug and filled until fluid ran out.

 

Has anyone ever hear of this? Do I have some prototype "black ops" Saracen that has the interior access to the bevel boxes hidden in some secret compartment?...lol

 

I also appear to have a leak from the gear box, not sure where... any advise? Thanks guys, I will take a few pictures and post later today.

 

Rodney

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Hi Rod,

The very early saracens did not have dipsticks but used level plugs instead It was an early modification to fit dipsticks and they are very much of an improvement. I am surprised that yours was not modified (mine was and that is chassis number 12) as the level plugs are such a pain in the butt!

Are you sure the leak is from the gearbox? It could be but leaks are rare from there, as is a leak from the transfer box. A leak from the fluid flywheel is the most common. You can tell by what the fluid is: engine oil, gearbox. Gear oil, transfer box and from the fluid flywheel you get water thin hydraulic oil. I am afraid that such an old and complex vehicle does tend to be a bit incontinent at various joints: I just top mine up regularly!

Cheers

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Hi Rod,

The very early saracens did not have dipsticks but used level plugs instead It was an early modification to fit dipsticks and they are very much of an improvement. I am surprised that yours was not modified (mine was and that is chassis number 12) as the level plugs are such a pain in the butt!

Are you sure the leak is from the gearbox? It could be but leaks are rare from there, as is a leak from the transfer box. A leak from the fluid flywheel is the most common. You can tell by what the fluid is: engine oil, gearbox. Gear oil, transfer box and from the fluid flywheel you get water thin hydraulic oil. I am afraid that such an old and complex vehicle does tend to be a bit incontinent at various joints: I just top mine up regularly!

Cheers

 

Thanks John... I checked all levels of everything yesterday, including the FFW which was rather stressfull to make sure I did it right. Everything looks good, but since I have been putting extra gear oil into the transfer case I am fairly sure that is where my leak has been coming from...somewhere. Pics posted below

 

I have also noticed that on the pedel up proceedure (prior to starting) the pedal can be rather hard to push, and my second gear is not working well. All other gears work fine. Worried that Iwill have to open the gear box... any ideas?

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Thanks John... I checked all levels of everything yesterday, including the FFW which was rather stressfull to make sure I did it right. Everything looks good, but since I have been putting extra gear oil into the transfer case I am fairly sure that is where my leak has been coming from...somewhere. Pics posted below

 

I have also noticed that on the pedel up proceedure (prior to starting) the pedal can be rather hard to push, and my second gear is not working well. All other gears work fine. Worried that Iwill have to open the gear box... any ideas?

 

Hi Rodney, sounds like you have been driving your sarry! Did you have some manuals during this episode/ordeal? You would be one of the lucky few! I don't have a troubleshooting manual and it would surely be handy now. Do post more pics!

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Hi Rodney, sounds like you have been driving your sarry! Did you have some manuals during this episode/ordeal? You would be one of the lucky few! I don't have a troubleshooting manual and it would surely be handy now. Do post more pics!

 

I have some original NOS user handbooks for sale. PM me if interested.

 

Chrs

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Thanks John... I checked all levels of everything yesterday, including the FFW which was rather stressfull to make sure I did it right. Everything looks good, but since I have been putting extra gear oil into the transfer case I am fairly sure that is where my leak has been coming from...somewhere. Pics posted below

 

I have also noticed that on the pedel up proceedure (prior to starting) the pedal can be rather hard to push, and my second gear is not working well. All other gears work fine. Worried that Iwill have to open the gear box... any ideas?

 

What exactly do you mean by not working well? Do you mean it slips (very bad: brake band problem probably if pedalling up does not fix it) or that it does not engage everytime and the pedal stays down or alternatively it flies up and gives your leg a right push and almost needs two feet to push it down again then it is just adjustment of the linkage that needs fixing

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