Changing Manual Transmission Oil

[AndyBees]

For what it is worth, here is a pic of my oil drain plug removal tools and two oil drain plugs.

The tool on the extreme right was purchased at a flea market and was in the original package (old with no bar code). I wish I'd save the package. I like it much better than either of the other tools.

EDIT: In the photo below.

Left to right: 17mm oil drain tool from Autozone (1/2" drive), 17mm oil drain tool from unknown sources (3/8" drive), 17mm drain tool from a flea market purchase (3/8" drive), a Vanagon transmission oil drain plug with magnet, and an oil drain plug from the transmission of a 2001 VW New Beetle (NB)without a magnet.

The oil drain plug on the right, without a magnet, is from a 2001 NB transmission. It will fit the Vanagon transmission. If I am not mistaken, all VAG transmission oil drain plugs of the era of the Vanagon and probably before and after, are interchangeable. (I doubt the u-pick junk yard will let you rob a drain plug from a tranny. )

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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[Steve M.]

You do not have to do the complete Oil Cooler modification to get the AN8 Flared fitting with a cap to get the fitting with a cap.
If you ask Sodo nicely he may modify a plug to have a AN8 male fitting welded onto it. You can just put a cap on it and be done with removing the oem plug.
(probably make a whole new cottage industry for him!)

Just so you can see what the cap looks like here it is with a "T" fitting mated onto the AN8 male welded to the plug and the end capped for filling it.

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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[Paulbeard]

So after my weekly provisioning run, I think I am happy I tackled this job. I still get a slight catch on my first shift into second gear but once things warm up, it's all good in every gear. Feels a little smoother as I row my way through them. So that, plus the knowledge my drain plug wasn't a horror show, makes this worth a recommendation for your own health and beauty regime.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Team WorldTour]

Ok, so I changed the transmission oil again today. After a week of driving it around, I figured it was pretty well mixed.

Here are my Officially Licensed Cool Kids tools:

I would love to get a little more clearance.

A little sparkly...

And still a little brown:

Link

Here is the fit at the fill plug:

A view to a fill....

Oil Pump:

After doing the transmission, I realized the diff hadn't been touched!
So I did a drain and fill for it as well.

Looks a little black....
_________________
1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
Click to view image
H6 Subaru Engine Swap Thread
WV2ZZZ25ZFH094138(x)/ WV2YB0257LH057308(x)/ WV2ZZZ25ZLG113270/
"Where am I going? And what am I doing in this handbasket?" -Nicodemus Jordan
When All Else Fails: Lather, Rinse, Repeat!

[Waldi]

Looks like silicon oil inside.

[Team WorldTour]

[IdahoDoug]

The silicone oil I've messed with and seen is actually perfectly clear, so I'm wondering why black would indicate it is in the gear oil? It may simply be you have 30 year old original gear oil in the front diff. In my experience, the end color of all neglected engine and gearcase oil and even grease is black. I hate seeing it in friend's vehicles I'm helping with, but I guess its (barely) better than finding nothing!

Doug
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Team WorldTour]

[Waldi]

If you open a old VC you will find black silicon oil inside.
And you will "never" find black gear oil in a old front diff if not mixed with old silicon oil.

[IdahoDoug]

Ah - thanks Waldi. So it looks like a difficult decision as to the silicone. Either the dealership did not actually change the oil, or they did and your VC seals recently failed. I have had places hand me lists of grease fittings greased and odd components drained and refilled and found it not to be true. Who knows? Either way, now you will have fresh oil in there protecting the gears. Does the VC seem to function? I've always wondered if the VC "burps" silicone out when overheated and weak seals and that's the end of it, leaving as much vacuum as the seals can handle. Or if the VC then cools and is able to draw gear oil into itself. The seal design I remember would favor the VC drawing in the same volume as I don't recall the lips being directional or held by anything that would favor better sealing in one direction vs the other.

Doug
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Alaskaberrys]

[Alaskaberrys]

[Sodo]

GOOD stuff TeamWorld ! And good pics too. I think many vans need a double-change (if a big hairy magnet or any sparkles in the oil). Ya gotta get to a good baseline, where you KNOW if the trans is generating lots of sparkles, and the only way to do that is to get a clean slate.

[IMHO] Owners of valuable, antique collector vehicles (attentive owners who claim their machine is well-maintained) should change their gear oil often enough that it's obvious whether something in the gearbox has changed (at the next inspection).[/IMHO]

It's not that difficult though it smells bad. But not so bad if it ain't so old. Vanagon owners who can turn a wrench should consider that "it's a do-able thing".

Understood this is not very popular now, but as the vans get even rarer, and parts get even more NLA, as rebuild costs get even higher, as more transaxle shops quit vanagons......

And note the desire to return from a trip on your own 4 wheels may increase as well......
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Tom Powell]

I used a pump similar to this one from Amazon. I bought mine from NAPA but I can't find it on the website. The NAPA pump screwed onto my gallon bottle of GL-4 for my '69 camper. CAVEAT: Other pumps may not fit the gallon bottle and/or quart bottle. Quart and gallon bottle tops have several different sizes.

Aloha
tp

[Team WorldTour]

The one I used started out as a sprayer....
_________________
1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
Click to view image
H6 Subaru Engine Swap Thread
WV2ZZZ25ZFH094138(x)/ WV2YB0257LH057308(x)/ WV2ZZZ25ZLG113270/
"Where am I going? And what am I doing in this handbasket?" -Nicodemus Jordan
When All Else Fails: Lather, Rinse, Repeat!

[Alaskaberrys]

FINALLY got to my transmission and differential oil change this last week. A big thanks to Team WorldTour for starting this thread - the insights, tips and tool info helped me immensely.

Van-Cafe Toolkit arrived and I set about battling the damn fill plugs armed with the 17mm allen, hex socket and replacement plugs.

The front diff fill bung looked like it was cast in place - nary a mark on it

Had soaked it for a week in PB Blaster, so now heated it, beat on it and cursed it a tad. Finally succeeded about an hour later. Wining combo

Drain plug came right out, of course. Most accessible fitting on the whole damn doka.

Oil looked pretty black, am worried about VC leakage as per Waldi's comments above

Front diff mag plug didn't look too bad. Especially if this was the first changing of the differential oil

Rinsed off

Transmission was no easier, and it looked like the fill plug had gone to battle before

Took another hour or so but it came out (full tool story here in the Trans Oil filler tool thread Sodo started https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=693507)

Drain plug looked intimidating but I did have good access there

I (or rather, physics) won

Oil looked about the same

...but the mag plug looked ALOT hairier

Rinsed off

I wish I knew how long since the last change.

Oh well, new oil in, new plugs installed to 15 ft/lbs and with a mag plug in transmission fill port too. It shifts great on a short test drive and a benchmark started....

Note; DO NOT use open flame torches to heat fittings and such on the underside of a vehicle - use an electric heat gun. Plumbers have bad habits....
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'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
'91 T3 Syncro Doka, Escorial Green 1.9L TD AAZ “Gremian” (to provoke, irritate, exasperate, vex...)

[Team WorldTour]

Ok, here is an update on MY trans oil:
Did a FULL change yesterday. Enjoy!

Link


Link

_________________
1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
Click to view image
H6 Subaru Engine Swap Thread
WV2ZZZ25ZFH094138(x)/ WV2YB0257LH057308(x)/ WV2ZZZ25ZLG113270/
"Where am I going? And what am I doing in this handbasket?" -Nicodemus Jordan
When All Else Fails: Lather, Rinse, Repeat!

[jimf909]

I just had my 4spd manual transaxle rebuilt. The first oil change at 550 miles showed more than desired swarf on the drain plug so i’ll Be changing it every 500 - 1,000 miles for awhile so I’m improving my gear oil change process. It takes an easy hour.

The Vanagon.org walk-through is a good start.
https://www.vanagon.org/gear-oil-change

I’ll add a few tips:
- A wobbly 3/8” extension is helpful in removing the fill plug w/out removing the gear shift mechanism as suggested at the Vanagon.org article.
- Use a funnel, not a pump. For me, a pump is too much stuff not doing enough to earn its keep (what to do with the pump between oil changes? gravity does the work for you with a funnel, etc.)
- Warm the fresh gear oil on the stove in a pot of heated water before pouring it into the funnel. Pouring 50-60* degree oil into the funnel? Expect a lesson in patience. Pouring 120* degree oil into the funnel? It goes much faster.
- if using the 5/8” O.D. hose suggested in the Vanagon.org article: Wrap some bailing wire around the hose 4-6” from the end of the hose and use the bailing wire to secure the hose in the trans fill hole. Otherwise, the hose may exit the trans and spill your fresh gear oil on the drive. DAMHIK.
- Do not overtighten the drain or fill plugs! 14 ft lbs is easy.
- I’m gonna buy a 24” 3/8” extension from harbor freight to try removing the fill plug through the wheel well as Steve M. suggests.

Gear oil warmed in a pot of water on the stove top flows much faster than 50* degree oil...

The shiny half-moon is the splash plate inside the trans. Either that or it's the sun from an alternate universe inside the trans...

Bailing wire wrapped around he hose to secure the hose in the trans fill hole can be seen here..

Drain plug at 550 miles...

Drain plug at 1,100 miles...

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- Jim

[uberaudi]

I did the funnel fill and it worked great, but I prefer the hacked Ace Hardware pressure sprayer. I removed the filter and let it flow. It's a bit slow but painless, and works for other applications as well.

[jimf909]

^^^ That looks more interesting than the pumps sold at the FLAPS dozens or more pumps to fill the trans.
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- Jim