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4mymalamute
Samba Member
Joined: May 13, 2018
Posts: 138
Location: Sacramento
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 Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2019 5:27 pm Post subject: Drain transmission when dropping engine/transmission? |
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Ok so about to drop the engine and transmission in my Syncro (putting in a 1.8t)....I JUST changed out the fluids in the transmission so was wondering...do I need to drain it? I mean, when I separate the two, the fluids are sealed up correct? I think I have over thought this. Thanks for any info. Cheers.
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1989 Sally the Syncro.....she is a work in progress. 1.8T and tuned...she scoots up the hills...watch for flying dog drool out the windows.
1969 Bucky the Bug Convertible...red, rusted, work in progress....LOTS of work. |
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bsrad
Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2012
Posts: 256
Location: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
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| Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2019 8:56 pm Post subject: Re: Drain transmission needed when dropping engine/transmission? |
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No need to drain it. All fluid is contained within the transaxle. Just watch the hole on top where you removed the breather tube banjo bolt. With a little tipping in the wrong direction you will loose a little fluid out that hole.
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Bill
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1987 Syncro Westy
1967 OG Single Cab
1976 FJ40 |
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4mymalamute
Samba Member
Joined: May 13, 2018
Posts: 138
Location: Sacramento
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| Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2019 6:37 am Post subject: Re: Drain transmission needed when dropping engine/transmission? |
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| bsrad wrote: |
| No need to drain it. All fluid is contained within the transaxle. Just watch the hole on top where you removed the breather tube banjo bolt. With a little tipping in the wrong direction you will loose a little fluid out that hole. |
Awesome! Thank you for the info...now unto the removal of the engine today. Woo hoo!!
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1989 Sally the Syncro.....she is a work in progress. 1.8T and tuned...she scoots up the hills...watch for flying dog drool out the windows.
1969 Bucky the Bug Convertible...red, rusted, work in progress....LOTS of work. |
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bsrad
Samba Member
Joined: April 17, 2012
Posts: 256
Location: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
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| Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2019 8:20 am Post subject: Re: Drain transmission needed when dropping engine/transmission? |
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You bet!! Good luck with your swap.
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Bill
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1987 Syncro Westy
1967 OG Single Cab
1976 FJ40 |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50332
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| Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2019 10:50 am Post subject: Re: Drain transmission when dropping engine/transmission? |
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| You should do the tranny input shaft seal while the engine and tranny are separated and considered replacing the clutch disc if not the entire clutch assembly. |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9600
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2019 12:44 pm Post subject: Re: Drain transmission when dropping engine/transmission? |
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| 4mymalamute wrote: |
| I JUST changed out the fluids in the transmission so was wondering...do I need to drain it? |
Depends what you mean by "JUST".
"JUST" to many Vanagon owners could be three years ago,
even to A LOT of professional mechanics
(MANY experienced mechanics have zero transmission expertise).
You are stepping over a line here.....you're JUST about to "over-engine" your expensive antique transaxle.
You should look at your drainplug now, to see how much metal it's generating with the little WBX,,,in that (short?) interval of "JUST".
So you KNOW where it's at (transaxle health status).
What if it already has a big hairdo?
You may not wanna know, but you'll find out sooner with the bigger engine.
And if it's clean, well that's GREAT to know.
Very very easy, right now, to tip all the oil to the forward end of the trans and take the plug out for a lookie.
Doubling the HP with that big engine, you should UP your transaxle lubricant maintenance to about 4x as often as with the WBX.
Gear oil is cheap, arguably cheaper than motor oil, there's almost no excuse for a mechanically able person to skip transaxle maintenance (except for a fat wallet).
If you let your lubricant get contaminated, then run double the HP thru your trans, with that metal abrasives in it, you will have some big $$ problems coming soon.
Especially if your bearings are already 'loose'.
And if your mainshaft bearing is moving around.
Which it probably IS, because VW designed a bearing hold-down method that was nullified by the gasket thickness. All rebuilders (even the crappy ones) are deleting that gasket currently, but ya gotta open the trans to address it.
Understand....that the transaxle is in its latter years.
It's like a 70-year old man that you have signed up to run marathons.
With that 180HP task-master bolted on there - it needs more frequent attention.
....otherwise known as "more maintenance".
And not just "a little more than "Zero" that most people do.
Then AFTER it makes noise, AFTER it has a big hairdo, then they buy it $100 oil.
It's too late.
Clean oil - while it's still QUIET is the maintenance it needs (to keep QUIET).
Give it the (cheap!) insurance of $16-$32 of clean, abrasive-free lubricant every 15,000 miles AT MOST.
With 180HP..... better go 10k max.....
And in the beginning, while you're still a leadfoot, better go 5k...
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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 |
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