Hey guys, Im new to the Radical community so still getting to know my SR3 XX. The car has had no oil leaks and only had 8 run hours all by me since new. I trailered the car and noticed as I was backing the car off the trailer there was a small amount of gearbox oil on the trailer. After starting it I saw no warning lights.
Has anyone seen this after a trailer ride? I was thinking that the winding roads may slosh the GDU oil where it exits out an air vent. Hopefully this isnt a seal thats gone bad after only 8 hrs use
Thanks !
With my semi-expericanced first hand knowledge.... 'cause race car!
Hi Ron (@schneller), unless you’re pulling over 2Gs when cornering with your trailer I don’t think it is coming out of the vent. Perhaps it was overfilled and blew out on the diffuser on the track and then seeped down while trailering? I would start by inspecting the GDU visually and with your hands to see/feel where the fluid is coming from. Were the drops in the trailer lined up under the GDU or were they closer to the right hand side of the car? If they are on the right hand side of the car it is possible that you have a leak in your oil cooler or a hose. If they are lined up with the GDU it could be coming from the vent as mentioned, or it is possible that one or both of the axle seals are not doing their job for some reason. After one of my GDU overhauls I was getting a leak from one of the axle seals. I replaced the seal and it didn’t help. I took it to the shop that did the overhaul and they said that they needed to shim the axle and that seemed to help. It is also possible that you have a loose hose around the GDU.
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With all leaks, find the source by carefully examining the GDU. Anything is possible, but common sources that I have seen:
- Hose clamp is not tight
- overfilling and oil exits the orange vent
- oil seeps out of the cover on the ratio side
- oil seeps out of the gasket
- the vent vibrates loose -- sprays a lot of oil.
A few drops of oil here and there from seeping is no big deal but it is annoying to have to regularly clean the rear diffuser. I usually end up pulling the factory GDU sooner rather than later because someone at Quaife or Radical uses gray silicone instead of Hylomar Blue. New gasket with Hylomar Blue sealant does wonders.
