Transmission Gear Oil - How to check or change? Options

[kbrunk1]

Trying to get one off blocks.

How do you check or change the transmission fluid?

Thanks

[cary]

To check, the car needs to be level.
General rule is use your pinky finger to see if there's oil right there at the edge of the hole.
I don't trust that method. I use a pipe cleaner bent in a U to measure.

To fill. You need to get a suction pump.
I use one like this. But you need get the oil warm. 75 degrees plus.
http://www.harborfreight.com/sta-lube-gear...pump-40714.html
I also have one of these. But kind of messy.
http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogI...1245_0361176035

Oh yeah. Rule one never drain the tranny until you remove the fill plug. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[r_towle]

Pull out the filler plug, it's a 17mm Allen head plug, passenger side TOP plug.
Stick your finger in and see if it's level with the bottom of the fill hole.

That's it...if its not to the bottom, fill it up with gl5 Dino non synthetic gear oil.
The synchros don't work well with synthetic oil.

Rich

[steuspeed]

I'm going to get one of those pumps next time.

Carquest sells the GL5 Hypoid gear oil by the gallon.

[tomeric914]

To fill. You need to get a suction pump.

Grab a 1' length of 1/2" clear hose from Home Depot. Cut the tip off the quart bottle of gear oil. Shove the hose over the tip and squeeze the bottle to fill.

Leave the hose on the same tip and move from bottle to bottle. Mine's been on for at least 10 years now and has never come off.

This won't work with gallon containers though!

[mittelmotor]

Capacity of the transaxle is about 2.6 quarts...a lot!

Make sure you break the fill plug loose first, as there's no point to drain the gearbox if you can't.

[euro911]

There are two popular tools available. I use both types:

One is just a big 17mm Allen wrench. Most FLAPS or aftermarket VW parts houses carry these




The other is a 1/2" drive ratchet/breaker bar attachment (Hazet, Proto, Sears, Snap-On, etc.)




As for gear oil, I use Coastal GL-5 80/140W (Autozone) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ... Swepco has the propensity to seep from every seal (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[stugray]

Grab a 1' length of 1/2" clear hose from Home Depot. Cut the tip off the quart bottle of gear oil. Shove the hose over the tip and squeeze the bottle to fill.

I agree. I never needed a pump.
I have even done it without the tube, in a pinch, but be prepared for a bit of a mess.

And I just fill until it starts to overflow.

Stu

[TheCabinetmaker]

I just cut the top of the quart bottle and squeeze it in. Only mess is when it runs out of the plug hole when full. Easy.

[TheCabinetmaker]

I just cut the top of the quart bottle and squeeze it in. Only mess is when it runs out of the plug hole when full. Easy.

[Richard Casto]

When draining fluid, make sure you can remove the fill plug before you remove the drain plug. It sucks to drain it all and not have a way to fill it up (fill plug stuck).

Plugs that have not been removed for years can be difficult to remove. Be careful to not chew up the plug in your attempts to remove it. I have found that on stubborn plugs that the application of a little heat from a torch on the case right around the plug (not on the plug) helps a great deal.

Richard

[Richard Casto]

To check, the car needs to be level.

Very good point. People commonly overfill and I suspect it is when they jack up the rear of the car and as the fill/drain plugs are near the rear this will cause you to overfill (more fluid required to get it to the top of the fill port when angled like that). Then the overfill causes a leak from the output flange seals.

Richard

[dian]

i used a clear hose and a funnel that a helper held over the fender. had to soak the plugs for three days. does anybody really use 80/140W in there?

[JawjaPorsche]

I use 80/90w gear oil. Never heard of anyone using 80/140w until just reading on this forum.

[euro911]

Ambient temperatures get pretty hot when traveling on So. Cal desert roads during the summer months. 80/140 seems to work well for me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)