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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 51151
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 Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Alex Proulx wrote: |
The next smallest size available in town was a SAE 5/8 hex allen key so I got one. Had to hammer that one out of the socket too and used it with a 14mm wrench like on the picture below.
Some good news, the 5/8 key fit quite nicely and I managed to open first the fill plug then the drain plug. |
Sounds like your drain and fill plugs are no longer stock as is. Go forward with care on this as the threads in the case may already have been damage by the use of a non standard plug.
There is almost always some fuzz on the magnetic plug, this is perfectly normal. |
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Alex Proulx
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2010
Posts: 294
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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| randywebb wrote: |
metal flakes on the magnetic shaft of the drain plug are common and no big deal - wipe them off
big bits would be an issue...
sounds like you either had the wrong oil in there, or it was in there way too long
how long was it in there?
I would replace that plug |
No metal bits, just super fine flakes. I cant say how long its been in there but I never changed the tranny oil in the 4 years and 20k miles I owned the van, I have no idea of the history prior to my owneship. I will absolutely replace those plugs.
Alex
_________________
Vanagon GL 1988 Full Camper, 4 speed manual, 2.1 stock engine
Audi A3 2.0T S-Line Quattro 2015 |
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randywebb
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2005
Posts: 3815
Location: Greater Metropolitan Nimrod, Orygun
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 2:04 pm Post subject: |
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metal flakes on the magnetic shaft of the drain plug are common and no big deal - wipe them off
big bits would be an issue...
sounds like you either had the wrong oil in there, or it was in there way too long
how long was it in there?
I would replace that plug
_________________
1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans. |
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Alex Proulx
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2010
Posts: 294
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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Made some progress today.
First the bad news; my newly acquired 17mm hex allen key once installed on the ratchet was too long to access both fill and drain plugs, so I hammered the allen bit out of the socket like sugested earlier and used it with a 17mm simple wrench.
More bad news, the 17mm allen key does not fit in either of the plugs even after I cleaned them out thouroughly with a toothbrush until shinny.
Back to the store to look for a 16mm but they dont have it. The next smallest size available in town was a SAE 5/8 hex allen key so I got one. Had to hammer that one out of the socket too and used it with a 14mm wrench like on the picture below.
Some good news, the 5/8 key fit quite nicely and I managed to open first the fill plug then the drain plug.
More bad news, there was some metal flakes on the magnetic shaft of the drain plug and some yellow flakes in the the old oil. The oil did not look too bad but given the amount of gunk on the inside of the drain plug I guess that transaxle has not been serviced in a while, anyways I never did it and I own the van since 2009.
Some more bad news, the first couple of threads on both plugs have been hammered flat (see picture) and I am not sure why. They never leaked but I am thinking that cant be a good idea?!? I will order new ones shortly.
So because I am planning to swap the old plugs for new ones soon, I decided to put cheap motomaster gear oil 80/90 GL4GL5 in it and save my precious Penzoil synthetic 75/90 GL4 (16$/l) for later.
Took a while for the oil to go in, I used a long hose attached to a funnel and gravity fed the whole lot, from the side of the van, flush to the fill plug.
OMG shifting improved SO MUCH! Everything feels so much softer and easy! Quieter too!
Thanks Samba for the help and tips!
Alex
_________________
Vanagon GL 1988 Full Camper, 4 speed manual, 2.1 stock engine
Audi A3 2.0T S-Line Quattro 2015 |
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connorsvw2
Samba Member
Joined: August 16, 2008
Posts: 352
Location: Denver, CO
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| Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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I've found an extra FI fitting from my old VW GTI CIS-E fuel filter which happens to be 17 mm hex and fits right into the VW plug. You can then turn it in tight clearance with 17 mm open end wrench. Cost=$0.
_________________
'85 Westy Wolfsburg camper/2002 2.5 Subaru since 2003.
'85 GTI 1.8L 1-owner 8v-gave up on 9A 2.0L 16v transplant. Keeping her stock!
'99 Passat 1.8T Variant-AKA "The Money Pit". Still limping along...
'09 Subaru Outback XT 5-speed, 245 hp rocket (wife's car) |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 51151
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Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5911
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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| Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Ahwahnee wrote: |
| dobryan wrote: |
| ...By hex socket I think he means a hex shaft that is housed in a socket so you can put it on a ratchet or better yet a breaker bar... |
Perhaps a photo to illustrate one such tool...
That bad boy will loosen them every time. |
I have one of these and its perfect for the transaxle plugs.
_________________
'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com |
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Alex Proulx
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2010
Posts: 294
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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You got me onto something dhaavers, we don't have Harbour Freight in Canada but I found out online that the Canadian equivalent is called Princess Auto. There is one in town and I have been driving in front of it for 2 years thinking it was a second hand car dealer, lol at me, its the biggest freakin tool store in town! I found precisely what I was looking for, a set of large metric hex key that fits on a 1/2" ratchet. Cool. But no gl4 magic tranny fluid. VW dealer is out of stock, going to check out Walmart tomorrow.
_________________
Vanagon GL 1988 Full Camper, 4 speed manual, 2.1 stock engine
Audi A3 2.0T S-Line Quattro 2015 |
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Ahwahnee
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2010
Posts: 9934
Location: Mt Lemmon, AZ
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| Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| dobryan wrote: |
| ...By hex socket I think he means a hex shaft that is housed in a socket so you can put it on a ratchet or better yet a breaker bar... |
Perhaps a photo to illustrate one such tool...
That bad boy will loosen them every time. |
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Timwhy
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2009
Posts: 4018
Location: Maine
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wecm31
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2012
Posts: 371
Location: Eganville, Ontario
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| Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 5:23 am Post subject: |
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| Alex Proulx wrote: |
Does anyone know a cheaper source for GL4 oil in Canada other VW?
Alex |
Check your FLAPS for Royal Purple. It is a combined GL4/5 rated oil, which some say is verbotten...but the label specifically refers to it being brass/bronze friendly, which was the issue with GL5 IIRC...
....and hey, my bus shifted noticeably nicer with fresh oil.
Be sure to remove the filler plug first!!
_________________
Gerald P
1985 Vanagon (Betty) & 1985 BMW R80RT (Wilhelm)
vintage boxers!!
Gone are the days we stopped to decide
Where we should go, we just ride:) |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 7848
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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I had no luck when I tried the 10mm bolt trick. My plug was quite plugged.
I took my (cheap: Harbor Freight) 17mm hex bit socket & pounded it out of the socket fitting.
That by itself was short enough to clear the drain plug, and worked easily with a 17mm wrench on the bit.
Try it - you'll like it. Cheap, too...
http://www.harborfreight.com/9-piece-38-and-12-drive-metric-hex-bit-socket-set-67880-html.html
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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Alex Proulx
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2010
Posts: 294
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| dobryan wrote: |
| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| chimivee wrote: |
| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| Does anyone know where to buy such a large hex key? |
Are you looking specifically for a hex key / allen wrench? You may have better luck finding a hex socket in that size. I've had no problem finding them at my local auto parts store. You'll need the socket anyway to stick on your breaker bar... And a tissue to wipe your tears when still can't get the sucker out.  |
The transaxle plugs are sunked in so really need an hex key like an allen wrench. Sockets of that size are indeed easy to find but of little use for changing the transaxle oil, unless I am missing something... |
By hex socket I think he means a hex shaft that is housed in a socket so you can put it on a ratchet or better yet a breaker bar. It is not a socket in the sense that it fits over a nut or bolt head. If you find a 17mm hex key ('L' shaped) you likely won't be able to get the drain and fill plug off since they usually are in there very tight and you'll not have enough leverage... Good luck.  |
Ahh I see, sorry Chimivee, I could not find anything 17mm that looked like a key or allen wrench or what not that would fit in the transaxle plugs anyway. The trick below by srxrs will do just fine.
_________________
Vanagon GL 1988 Full Camper, 4 speed manual, 2.1 stock engine
Audi A3 2.0T S-Line Quattro 2015 |
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chimivee
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2009
Posts: 741
Location: Orange, CA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| chimivee wrote: |
| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| Does anyone know where to buy such a large hex key? |
Are you looking specifically for a hex key / allen wrench? You may have better luck finding a hex socket in that size. I've had no problem finding them at my local auto parts store. You'll need the socket anyway to stick on your breaker bar... And a tissue to wipe your tears when still can't get the sucker out. |
The transaxle plugs are sunked in so really need an hex key like an allen wrench. Sockets of that size are indeed easy to find but of little use for changing the transaxle oil, unless I am missing something... |
Sorry - it's probably just my misunderstanding/msiuse of the terminology. I was trying to distinguish between using this:
versus this:
Just trying to clarify whether you were looking for a hex key for a socket wrench, which are off-the-shelf items at my FLAPS. (perhaps not where you are though) Sorry for the confusion.
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-James
86 Syncro Westy, etc |
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Alex Proulx
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2010
Posts: 294
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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| rsxsr wrote: |
| You can make a tool out of a 10 mm bolt and two nuts. They should be 17mm hex. Word of caution, do not drain the trans until you can remove the fill plug. They can be seized pretty tight and it would suck if dumped the oil and could not refill it. I use Swepco 210 and before that was using RedLine MT90 I believe. Not sure what is available in your neck of the woods, but the VW stuff is not that bad a deal since you don't change it all the time like engine oil. |
That is brilliant, great idea rsxsr  I will do just that. I might bite the bullet and go with the VW oil, it will make the van happy for sure.
_________________
Vanagon GL 1988 Full Camper, 4 speed manual, 2.1 stock engine
Audi A3 2.0T S-Line Quattro 2015 |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16635
Location: Brookeville, MD
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| chimivee wrote: |
| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| Does anyone know where to buy such a large hex key? |
Are you looking specifically for a hex key / allen wrench? You may have better luck finding a hex socket in that size. I've had no problem finding them at my local auto parts store. You'll need the socket anyway to stick on your breaker bar... And a tissue to wipe your tears when still can't get the sucker out. |
The transaxle plugs are sunked in so really need an hex key like an allen wrench. Sockets of that size are indeed easy to find but of little use for changing the transaxle oil, unless I am missing something... |
By hex socket I think he means a hex shaft that is housed in a socket so you can put it on a ratchet or better yet a breaker bar. It is not a socket in the sense that it fits over a nut or bolt head. If you find a 17mm hex key ('L' shaped) you likely won't be able to get the drain and fill plug off since they usually are in there very tight and you'll not have enough leverage... Good luck.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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Alex Proulx
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2010
Posts: 294
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| chimivee wrote: |
| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| Does anyone know where to buy such a large hex key? |
Are you looking specifically for a hex key / allen wrench? You may have better luck finding a hex socket in that size. I've had no problem finding them at my local auto parts store. You'll need the socket anyway to stick on your breaker bar... And a tissue to wipe your tears when still can't get the sucker out. |
The transaxle plugs are sunked in so really need an hex key like an allen wrench. Sockets of that size are indeed easy to find but of little use for changing the transaxle oil, unless I am missing something...
_________________
Vanagon GL 1988 Full Camper, 4 speed manual, 2.1 stock engine
Audi A3 2.0T S-Line Quattro 2015 |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17941
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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You can make a tool out of a 10 mm bolt and two nuts. They should be 17mm hex. Word of caution, do not drain the trans until you can remove the fill plug. They can be seized pretty tight and it would suck if dumped the oil and could not refill it. I use Swepco 210 and before that was using RedLine MT90 I believe. Not sure what is available in your neck of the woods, but the VW stuff is not that bad a deal since you don't change it all the time like engine oil.
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K.T.24 |
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chimivee
Samba Member
Joined: September 23, 2009
Posts: 741
Location: Orange, CA
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Alex Proulx wrote: |
| Does anyone know where to buy such a large hex key? |
Are you looking specifically for a hex key / allen wrench? You may have better luck finding a hex socket in that size. I've had no problem finding them at my local auto parts store. You'll need the socket anyway to stick on your breaker bar... And a tissue to wipe your tears when still can't get the sucker out.
_________________
-James
86 Syncro Westy, etc |
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Alex Proulx
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2010
Posts: 294
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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Hello all,
I bookmarked this very informative thread a while ago for when it would be time to change my transaxle oil. Now is the time.
So today I started to look for SAE 80W/90 GL4 type oil and could not find it at NAPA, Canadian Tire or Carquest. Carquest has GL3,4,5 but I read here it is not recommended. Funny enough, the Volkswagen dealership near home has the right stuff but it is 20$ per liter.
Does anyone know a cheaper source for GL4 oil in Canada other VW?
Also I looked for a 17mm hex key for the transaxle plugs and it is bloody hard to find. The biggest one at NAPA is 16mm and all the other places I checked dont have anything bigger then 8 or 10mm.
Does anyone know where to buy such a large hex key?
Thanks in advance.
Alex
_________________
Vanagon GL 1988 Full Camper, 4 speed manual, 2.1 stock engine
Audi A3 2.0T S-Line Quattro 2015
Last edited by Alex Proulx on Wed Oct 30, 2013 2:06 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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