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Wed Apr 26, 2017 9:36 am

Where do you place the floor jack and the jacks both front and rear. You obviously can't have the jack and stand in the same spot. Do you use anything on the jack as to not mar the surface of the car?

Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:55 am

I personally don't like jacking up on four jack stands myself - I'm a $%&^##$%%^&*($## chickensh*t !!!

But what I did for my jack was to cut (with a jigsaw) a circular piece of wood to fit in the recess; I also found that handy for R&R of engine. I'd post a picture if I had one, and I do; except I now use a low profile HF jack with a longer lift range. Yes, I cut that "perfect" circle with a jigsaw.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:59 am

I never put mine on four jackstands. It's too many places I think can fail. Two jackstands and one or two jacks on one end of the car. If the wheels are off those get thrown under the car as well.

Cusser, I do my engines as you do as well. I had an idea with those Harbor Freight wooden dolly things. If you buy one and remove the casters from them and put another board on then and then bolt the board to the original and put the castors on the new board there will be enough room to slide the jack under it. You can then jack the engine out and let it rest on the dolly.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:06 pm

I'm not putting it on four jack stands either. I have them, not for me. Will my technique work that I described a couple posts back....

Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:08 pm

Frodge wrote: I'm not putting it on four jack stands either. I have them, not for me. Will my technique work that I described a couple posts back....

It sounds reasonable to me. If you are really worried about it you might get out a level and make sure the transmission is level.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:12 pm

I mean, level is as level as the suspension etc is. I bet if you put the car on a 4 point lift its not even 100% level. I would say if you dobqhat I suggested and fill it to close to spec and then back it off the ramps, check and add if necessary, it will be very close, assuming you're on level ground.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:40 pm

kawfee wrote: Cusser, I do my engines as you do as well. I had an idea with those Harbor Freight wooden dolly things. If you buy one and remove the casters from them and put another board on then and then bolt the board to the original and put the castors on the new board there will be enough room to slide the jack under it. You can then jack the engine out and let it rest on the dolly.

Yes, I gave thought to doing that, but I don't typically have much trouble with this process. Maybe with my new low profile HF jack it will be easier, as that goes lower. Type1Guy posted this

Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:47 pm

Cusser wrote:
Yes, I gave thought to doing that, but I don't typically have much trouble with this process. Maybe with my new low profile HF jack it will be easier, as that goes lower. Type1Guy posted this

That's about what I was going to do, but maybe not as fancy. I am trying to deal with the engine jack balancing dance I always do. Plus I had that one engine slide off the jack and bend the push rod tubes.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:29 pm

Cusser wrote: I personally don't like jacking up on four jack stands myself - I'm a $%&^##$%%^&*($## chickensh*t !!!

But what I did for my jack was to cut (with a jigsaw) a circular piece of wood to fit in the recess; I also found that handy for R&R of engine. I'd post a picture if I had one, and I do; except I now use a low profile HF jack with a longer lift range. Yes, I cut that "perfect" circle with a jigsaw.

If you weren't using cheesy Chinese tools you'd feel better about that. 40 plus years here. Three VW shops in town, thousands upon thousands of VWs done this way, no accidents, go figure. :D

Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:39 pm

MI-Bug wrote: Here's a pic of how I filled my transmission. Used a section of clear tubing, a funnel and a clamp. Then, let gravity do it's thing. It's full when the fluid starts to come out the fill port... when the car is level.

Same idea here, using my heater tube to hold up the trans oil bottle, with a hose going to a long neck funnel stuck in the filler hole:

Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:42 pm

79SuperVert wrote: MI-Bug wrote: Here's a pic of how I filled my transmission. Used a section of clear tubing, a funnel and a clamp. Then, let gravity do it's thing. It's full when the fluid starts to come out the fill port... when the car is level.

Same idea here, using my heater tube to hold up the trans oil bottle, with a hose going to a long neck funnel stuck in the filler hole:

I recognize that can, its Redline, that's synthetic

Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:52 pm

Correct. MT-90.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:57 pm

Here's a different way as other mentioned it screws into oil bottle and you pump the fluid in by hand. Little off topic but there is a line of specialty funnels made for specific car makes. The red funnel fits all Toyotas and screws in leaving both hands free. The blue one does Lexus models.

And then there's this old fossil, it still works and this is what gas stations used as bulk gear oil dispenser. It holds several gallons and the hose is long enough to operate the hand crank while not having to be under the car.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:25 pm

Cusser wrote: I've always used the little pump that threads onto the gear oil bottle (with a little curved copper tubing hook to hold it into the fill hole), but I'm intrigued by this procedure, clever. I've saved the photo.

Does that funnel stay upright, or does it tend to flop over and you need to hold it during the process. I'd assume you'd hold with one hand (or get a helper) and have the bottles of gear oil opened in advance to expedite this.

The hose I used is pretty stiff and stayed upright when clamped to the fender. The funnel I used was pretty small, and given that the fluid is pretty thick, patience was a virtue when pouring it in. I would have skipped the funnel and hooked up the hose directly to the fluid bottle, but the Amsoil I used did not come with those fancy cone shaped squirt caps. In the end all worked fine. No muss to fuss.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:30 pm

What kind of safety margin is built in to the oil level in a bug transmission? My transaxle is topped up to the bottom of the hole. But let's for instance say you developed a small leak, at what point of being low would you start to do damage to the tranaxle. Pint, 2 pints etc. I know on most cars there is an add and full line which on the newer VW's represents roughly a quart. Same with the engines in these cars. As long as your within the lines your OK, how about the trans, but how low before damage occurs.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:44 pm

Zundfolge1432 wrote: The red funnel fits all Toyotas and screws in leaving both hands free. The blue one does Lexus models.

How many different kinds of cars do you work on? Here I thought you were just a Volkswagen guru.

Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:45 pm

My procedure is similar to MI-Bug's method, using hose from the wheel well. I sit on a chair, as it takes a few minutes to fill with 2.5 litres of gear oil.

I use hose that fits snuggly into the fill plug opening:

Wed Apr 26, 2017 7:57 pm

Safety margin? I just check the fill hole a couple times a year. That's as safe as it gets for me. I do have some leakage. 3 or 4 ounces since I bought the car in 2012.

Tim

Thu Apr 27, 2017 5:56 am

I forgot to add that my drain plug has a really slow drip. The case is not cracked. I don't want to overtighten those tapered threads. Anyone else have this?

Thu Apr 27, 2017 6:02 am

kawfee wrote: Zundfolge1432 wrote: The red funnel fits all Toyotas and screws in leaving both hands free. The blue one does Lexus models.

How many different kinds of cars do you work on? Here I thought you were just a Volkswagen guru.

I got my first training in uncle Sams canoe club in 1978. If it's on wheels I'll look at it. :D