It appears I have an oil leak I had the engine and gearbox steam cleaned week before last, and now there is a light coloured film covering the top of the gearbox, with a different kind of smell to usual engine oil. Is it gearbox oil? The rubber gaiter round the gear leaver is loose, but I've been told that it's more of a dust/dirt cover than a plug. Thanks in advance

Jonathan,
if you have a good close look at the gearbox lid, near the front end, you'll find a tiny drilling.

That 1mm? hole is the gearbox breather and the reason for the oily film on the lid...

ken
( p.s. it's also one of the reasons why I'd advise changing the gearbox oil after a steam cleaning or pressure washing session.)

Thanks Ken, will take a look tomorrow

Ooo, what do I do? Do I prod it with a stick, or something? I'm guessing I need to unblock the hole with a pin, or similar.

If there's oil on the top cover, the breather is working as intended, n'est-ce pas?

Maybe worth checking that the gearbox isn't over-filled, though.

ken

Many gear box lids don't have this little breathing hole but the air is ''pushed'' passed the gear lever rod. They still sweat a fraction, quite normal.

Cheers guys, I don't think it's over full, but there's quite a covering on the lid, more than I would expect for around 1000miles of use. I'll take a look sometime today.

Any chance of a photo?

I'll try and sort a photo later.