Swivel drain plug

[ahebron]

I might be a right numpty but I cannot find the drain and level plugs for the front swivels on my 1997 300TDi Auto Discovery:o. The Rave shows me where they should be but I do not seem to have any. I can see the fill plug on top (square headed) at about 11 o'clock towards the rear.
Or are they hidden and I need to remove stuff?

Thanks
Adrian

[Les Henson]

11mm spanner should fit the drain plug.

[ahebron]

Thanks for that Les but mine doesn't have a drain plug there. I even checked three times just in case it was hiding from me and on both sides.
Hopefully I have managed to attach a couple of photos

[Les Henson]

In that case I think that your swivel housings are the later type that are filled with One Shot swivel grease. There is no replacement interval for this type of lubricant, so no drain plug. If you want to drain the grease out you will have to remove one of the lower swivel pin bolts.

[ahebron]

Thanks Les.
It is good not to be a numpty:D.
Though there is plenty of time for that to happen later:rolleyes:.
Both Microcat and Rave list the '97 as having drains on the swivels.

So what is the life span of the grease. My Discovery has covered 133,000kms and had very little off road use (ex Japan).

Adrian

[Les Henson]

I don't think there is a life span as such, just whenever you have to do other work on the swivel, the grease will drain out and you will have to replace it - hence the filler plug but no drain.

[cedarland]

Mine is also a 97 tdi and has the sealed units. Was changed only whn the big ball was changedThanks Les.
It is good not to be a numpty:D.
Though there is plenty of time for that to happen later:rolleyes:.
Both Microcat and Rave list the '97 as having drains on the swivels.

So what is the life span of the grease. My Discovery has covered 133,000kms and had very little off road use (ex Japan).

Adrian

[ahebron]

Mine is also a 97 tdi and has the sealed units. Was changed only whn the big ball was changed

So why and what was changed on the big ball?:eek:

[Les Henson]

The swivel ball is usually replaced due to corrosion ruining the surface which then allows oil/swivel grease to leak out.

[ahebron]

Whoops, sorry I didn't read cedarlands message correctly:rolleyes:.
I thought he wrote they changed the design of the ball not that he had the ball changed.

Adrian

[cedarland]

Yes Les is right At MOT garage reckoned that a small stone/grit had got in under the seal and scored the Ball It was replaced as was the seal with new grease pack.Whoops, sorry I didn't read cedarlands message correctly:rolleyes:.
I thought he wrote they changed the design of the ball not that he had the ball changed.

Adrian