Changing the transmission fluid

[Zundfolge1432]

[Cusser]

If the transmission is actually leaking gear oil, there will be evidence of that; so in that case I'd check periodically - like once a year - and top up if necessary.

Swing axle VWs can also leak at the boots or the rear axle seals.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[Frodge]

[Zundfolge1432]

So here are aircraft jack, same principle just bigger would you tell the man no I'm not going to work under that jack I'm a puss?

We used to jack it up then run the landing gear up and down. It's called a gear swing.

[Zundfolge1432]

I was thinking about a couple of posts yesterday concerning jack stands and was surprised at what sounds to me like irrational fears. Having done it and seen others do it this way for 40 years I wondered how else could you work on your car. First place I worked had a three bay garage with two in ground lifts, state of the art built in 1969. These were the old center lift where hydraulics were in ground, you don't see them anymore because EPA didn't like fluid leaking into ground. Now you can purchase two post or four post, I like two post. A few scissor lifts around, I don't care for these at all to restrictive. Bumper lifts are out because everything is plastic now.

So Whats left? How do you get a car up high enough to work on it? Then I thought about what I'd seen for the last 30 plus years in aviation. How do you get a 767 up and work under it safely? Answer jackstands. Yep. It's the same thing just on a larger scale. You jack a specific points and nobody questions this, it's accepted practice. So I took a walk to find one jacked up and closest I came was this 737 with nose jack installed but not up. Don't be afraid to work on your car with jacks, be smart enough to locate them properly. As an aside I've seen and done this ------> place the wheels you take off as a block under the car so if it fell it would land on the wheels instead of you. funny noises from low fluid level would be howling,squealing and shifting might be rough because sycronizers aren't getting enough lube.

[Frodge]

Can you elaborate on noises and shifting funny? I'd like to know. Like I originally said, at what point low would you estimate it starts to act weird. An ounce, a pint. When would you say you start doing damage by being low. I know vw has a margin for error in being topped off, to where it becomes bad for the trans when it starts getting low. I remember back in the late 90s people were complaining on another vw forum about the transaxle fluid being about 1/2" low from the side of the case fill plug, I'm also sure that there are tons of bugs and buses running around with gear oil not topped up. So zundfolge, what is your opinion? I hold it very highly.

[Zundfolge1432]

Wow senior discounts and AARP. Hell ya.

[Frodge]

[Zundfolge1432]

[Zundfolge1432]

[Frodge]

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?

[Tim Donahoe]

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
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[neil68]

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:

_________________
Neil.

Der Kleiner Rennwagens
68 Beetle 2332 cc, 204 WHP
12.5 seconds @ 107 mph
Dynojet Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9B_H3eklAo

[heimlich]

[Frodge]

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.

[MI-Bug]

[Zundfolge1432]

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.

[79SuperVert]

Correct. MT-90.
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Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

[Zundfolge1432]

[79SuperVert]