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phil60 Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2025 Posts: 5 Location: Sussex UK
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 9:13 am Post subject: Beetle gearbox oil problem |
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Hi - having trouble getting oil into my gear box (1960 Beetle chassis number 3129033, engine 3832490). Removed 2 drain plugs and left to drain overnight. Filled via fill plug on left side of gearbox (left as viewed from rear of car). Could only get about 1 litre in before it started pouring out. Left to settle for a couple of hours, turned rear wheels etc but made no difference. The strange thing is that I have found a similar fill/level plug on the right side of the gearbox. Putting a finger down this hole there is no oil. I have tried to find out some info about this but not come up with much. It seems my car has a split transmission? So do I need to put oil into this other hole as well? Both fill plugs are the same - 17mm. All very confusing - the more I read the more confused I get! |
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mukluk Samba Member

Joined: October 18, 2012 Posts: 7405 Location: Clyde, TX
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 10:38 am Post subject: Re: Beetle gearbox oil problem |
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The fill plug is the one located on the right side of the split case transaxle.
_________________ 1960 Ragtop w/Semaphores "Inga" |
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phil60 Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2025 Posts: 5 Location: Sussex UK
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 1:56 pm Post subject: Re: Beetle gearbox oil problem |
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OK thanks. There is a fill / level hole on either side - both the same 17mm and in the same position each side, no other side plugs at all and 2 drain plugs. I removed the left hand fill plug (as I thought this was the one to use) and oil came out so this must have been used before to fill the gearbox. After removing both drain plugs and removing the oil I refilled using the left hand fill hole but as I said only about a litre went in. So my question now is should I pour more oil into the right hand fill hole? |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado

Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 27622 Location: Free State of Florida
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2025 9:08 pm Post subject: Re: Beetle gearbox oil problem |
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Fill until gear oil runs out the hole. _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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phil60 Samba Member
Joined: May 24, 2025 Posts: 5 Location: Sussex UK
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 1:17 am Post subject: Re: Beetle gearbox oil problem |
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OK thanks - what I think I'll do is drive the car to warm up the oil, remove both drain plugs to drain the gearbox and then refill using the right fill hole. The right plug is much easier to get at than the left as that is very near the chassis. I'll see how much I can get in doing that. I just didn't want to pour oil into the wrong hole. Looking into the right hand hole I can see oily cogs so I think it must be OK. |
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