transmission oil

unclejohns78 · Post by **unclejohns78** » Sat Feb 09, 2002 10:03 am

Howdy,
Is it difficult to check and change the transmission oil on my 78? In Bentlys, it looks very straight forward and simple, but John Muir suggests leaving it to a shop. Is this something I should be able to tackle myself?

Brent
78 Bay

germansupplyscott · Post by **germansupplyscott** » Sat Feb 09, 2002 5:44 pm

uncle,

if you have a manual trans it is easy. you might need a filler tube for the oil, but you can easily improvise something. i don't know about auto.

scott

Thumposaurus · Post by **Thumposaurus** » Sat Feb 09, 2002 7:31 pm

When I changed it in my '73 the hardest part I had was getting the drain and fill plugs out, and I had the proper tool too, I had to just keep cranking and cursing at it untill it finally loosened then it was just a matter of letting it drain and filling it back up. The old gear oil stunk too, I can't even describe it.

Pillow · Post by **Pillow** » Mon Feb 11, 2002 9:06 am

Most people never check or maintain their tranny oil properly. Usually it is always burned up and stinks something horrible.

You will need a gallon jug of the stuff and if you have an automatic get GL-5, but if you have a manual shift you MUST USE GL-4. NAPA has it or can get it, it is a Sta-Lube brand product about $12 a gallon.

Be sure to get the little $5 pump assembly that goes with it. Otherwise you cannot get it into the tranny.

I would like to recommend a shop to do it, but very few shops will have GL-4 and then you run the risk of them stripping the threads on the plugs. To me not worth it.

------------------
Adrian Pillow
'66 VW Westfalia - "Biscuit"
'79 Porsche 911 SC - "Cochese"

rich2481 · Post by **rich2481** » Tue Feb 12, 2002 1:05 pm

Gear oil just plain stinks, I know Auto Zone here in Tucson sells a cheap pump that screws into the gallon jugs of gear oil, I have had to replace the plastic hose once because the oil left in it over the years has made it stiff, plus I got to make it longer and dont have to try to pump it from under the vehicle