Changing Transaxle / 'box fluid

[xenon]

Job (of many) for tomorrow. Looks straightforward enough - anything to watch out for?

 

[Diver944]

Make sure you can remove the filler plug first.

There's nothing more frustrating than removing the drain plug, watching the oil drain out of your box and then discovering the filler plug is seized shut []

 

[xenon]

Thanks Paul. I know about that one. Don't ask me how I know....[X(]

 

[cococola]

Fortunately I followed Pauls advice min e was seized and rounded off I had to weld a bolt onto my plug to remove it[]

 

[xenon]

My fluid change went OK, although the drain and fill plugs were very tight. The oil I drained was a vivid blue colour [:-] - not seen that before.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: xenon
The oil I drained was a vivid blue colour [:-] - not seen that before.

Oooooh - there has been a craze for exotic (read: Pricey) gearbox oils in recent months, and one of them is meant to be a beautiful blue colour. Can't remember the name of it though. (It started life as an industrial lubricant in the states, so how it came to be used as a gearbox oil in Porsches I don't know.)

It is possible that you threw away a fairly expensive bit of lubrication there ...


Oli.

 

[xenon]

Maybe. I replaced with conventional hypoid oil, although I did splash out for synthetic. The fluid in there was a vibrant, clear blue leading me to suspect it wasn't that old anyway and the drain plug was clearly new. Probably could have left it alone but at least I know its done now...

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: xenon

Maybe. I replaced with conventional hypoid oil, although I did splash out for synthetic. The fluid in there was a vibrant, clear blue leading me to suspect it wasn't that old anyway and the drain plug was clearly new. Probably could have left it alone but at least I know its done now...

Peace of mind is useful - huh? Did the change make a difference?

The name of the blue stuff is Swepco. Do a search for it (on here or on Google).


Oli.

 

[xenon]

Ah. I read on some other place that Swepco was the dog's whatsits. If I had known I could have just left it. [>:]

The gearchange feels exactly as it did before - pretty good although second's a bit notchy when cold. Forgot to check if the very slight pinion whine had quietend down - had the stereo on to loud this morning....

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: xenon
Ah. I read on some other place that Swepco was the dog's whatsits. If I had known I could have just left it. [>:]

That was my point ... however, if it helps, I remain very skeptical about the Swepco claims ... my choice would be exactly as yours was - good synthetic gear oil. Swepco is an industrial lubricant, popular in US industry. It has also been used a bit as a tank (as in battle tank) lubricant ... and it certainly isn't used by Porsche originally.


Oli.