Automotive Products
Source-verified model
Automotive Products AP Mark 3
AP is the 4-speed automatic gearbox created by Automotive Products and the BMC for MINI vehicles. The prototype of this famous gearbox was released in 1962. It took about a decade of engineering and manufacturing efforts before ordinary 2-speed gearbox turned into the unique 4-speed automatic gearbox.
Speeds
4
Type
AT
Drive
FWD
Other and alternative codes of this transmission
AP MK1
AP Mark II
AP MK II
AP MK2
APMK3
AP MK 2
AP MK I
AP MKI
AP MKII
AP2
AP Mark 2
AP3
AP MK 1
AP Mark 3
AP Mark 1
AP
AP Mark I
verified naming
OEM designation
source name
Common problems & symptoms
Problems and symptoms reported for this transmission, compiled from repair sources. Not a complete list.
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F-Clutch Failure
F-clutch fails due to receiving drive torque after multiplication through gearbox, a known design vulnerability.
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Lubricating Oil Degradation
Crankcase oil condition critical for gearbox function; degraded oil leads to transmission malfunction.
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Transmission Oil Contamination
Use of incorrect fluid type (ATF instead of crankcase oil) can cause internal damage and shifting issues.
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About this transmission
Transmission general data
AP is the 4-speed automatic gearbox created by Automotive Products and the BMC for MINI vehicles. The prototype of this famous gearbox was released in 1962. It took about a decade of engineering and manufacturing efforts before ordinary 2-speed gearbox turned into the unique 4-speed automatic gearbox.
Technical issues and repair guidelines
This was a great achievement to manufacture a 4-speed automatic gearbox that could be operated like a manual unit. It was one of the first automatic gearboxes with east-west mounting produced for FWD vehicles. Moreover, the construction of this gearbox implies the usage of lubricating oil instead of common ATF. This gearbox was also installed in BMC ADO16 and Austin vehicles. Specialists claim, that the crankcase oil should be changed every 10 thousand kilometers, because the oil condition is very important for this type of gearbox. One of the most common malfunctions in this transmission is related to the F-clutch that may get out of order because of the gearbox construction peculiarities (clutch gets the drive torque after multiplication via the gearbox).
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