Can someone please tell me what type and weight of gear oil I should use for the stock transmission in my '75 1.8? I knoq this has probably been in the forum before, but I need to know quickly. Thank you.

The quick answer is SWEPCO 201. $39.95 from Paragon

Just received mine. For a more detailed answer comparing and contrasting all the possibilities check the history, its been discussed time and time again.

Thanks for the quick reply, I will check the history.

Any good quality GL-5 should be fine. That's GL-5, not GL-4, GL-4/5, not some top-off crap, just plain GL-5. NO MOLY ADDITIVES!!!!!!! If they tell you it's all the same, take your business elsewhere. 75w90, 80-/90w140, whatever.

The Cap'n

Ok Kap and where do you buy your GL5 and it's name ?? Thanks

Thanks Cap'n! Is this something that I can buy at a local auto parts store, or do I need a specialty shop?

you can buy it at Walmart or any FLAPS
I use Castro 80/90 gear oil
$3 a quart

Make sure you get the $5 tool to take off the tranny plug. And always take the fill plug off before the drain plug.

Walmart too?

checker
but you can get a really nice gun rack for your 914 at Walmart

ZZZZzzzing!!!
Mark D.

What's the spring and ball bearing for on top of the transmission drain plug? And why do you need to remove the fill plug first?

That's NOT the drain plug. Put it back! The drain plug is low on the passenger side and requires, in most cases, a 17mm allen tool for removal (same as the fill plug). The Cap'n

Cap'n whats wrong with the moly additives? Is that what the Swepco 203 has in it?

you remove the fill plug first, to make sure you will be able to fill the transmission once it's drained.

Your synchros operate on friction, moly additives are used to reduce or eliminate friction, you do the math ....................... I dunno anything about Swepco products. The Cap'n

Okay, I admit my stupidity. What was the plug that I removed first? (you know, the one with the spring and ball bearing)

Part of the shift lockout detent assembly. Ball first, then the spring, then the plug. 18 ft/lbs is plenty. The Cap'n

Giving this a little bump and a question. Have heard various things with respect to synthetic oil in transaxle. I think I remember the Krusty One being opposed to synthetics and to regular changes, but he does not indicate that here.

It seems the synthetics are more slippery than regular dyno juice, but if they are rated for the appropriate viscosity would they be okay, so long as they don't have friction modifiers such as the moly stuff? If synthetics are okay, sorry to try and steer you wrong Mike, keep that stuff and I will give you a couple of stickers to match

I agree

i use basic dino gl5 sludge

and it tends to get changed every year ish...

I don't know about synthetic, and I wouldn't argue with the Cap'n on much of anything... But Jim Patrick swears by the Swepco 203 which has the Moly additive. He sold me a gallon before I realized what I was getting and now I'm a little gunshy about trying it.

I used Valvoline 80-90 in my bug for 300,000 miles with no worries, I am sort of with Mr Cox on the changes, but I go every other year or every 10-15K on the odometer.

I can get the Swepco down at Bugformance and save on shipping. I sort of have a problem with spending that much dough on something that is not going to be in there that long. If I raced it rather than jsut driving it like it is stolen, or lived somewhere cold I would be more interested in the syn. Put Redline MTL in the Integra, but that is a different kind of critter.

For some reason both of my 944's seemed to shift smoother with Sweepco as does the 914.Sweepco 201 has no moly additive it's the 203 that has moly.