Changing trans oil in my 915

[SilberUrS6]

With the car on the ground, I can sort of reach under and get at the drain plug. I can also sort of get at the fill plug. But filling that thing is going to be a b*tch, even after I warm up the replacement oil.

101 Projects says "flat and level" for this job, but it sure would be a lot easier to lift the car so I could get more than my arms under it.

Please tell me there is an elegant solution to this problem that doesn't involve a lift. Wayne's book is a little lacking in this regard.

[KNS]

Four jack stands to get it in the air and level, and it's still not fun.

I have heard of people jacking up one side and filling it and then bringing it back to the ground (level) and letting it drain out the fill hole to find its level spot.

[Targa Me]

I think Wayne's book is talking about "flat and level", but lifted. There is no way you would be able to refill the trans with the car on the ground.
The car needs to be lifted high enough for you to crawl underneath, again, lifted but flat and level.

BTW, fill the trans with Kendall NS MP Hypoid Gear Lube.

[SilberUrS6]

Thanks, guys. That solution is easy enough.

The lifting up one side and filling, then allowing the excess to drain out the fill hole might also work. But my understanding is that the car takes about 1 gallon of trans oil, so as long as a gallon goes back in...

I sure hope it's a gallon - I only bought 4 quarts.

[Peter Zimmermann]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

Thanks, guys.

I sure hope it's a gallon - I only bought 4 quarts.

You'll have plenty! Capacity is approximately 3.0 liters (about 0.8 gallon).

[boyt911sc]

Originally Posted by SilberUrS6

With the car on the ground, I can sort of reach under and get at the drain plug. I can also sort of get at the fill plug. But filling that thing is going to be a b*tch, even after I warm up the replacement oil.

101 Projects says "flat and level" for this job, but it sure would be a lot easier to lift the car so I could get more than my arms under it.

Please tell me there is an elegant solution to this problem that doesn't involve a lift. Wayne's book is a little lacking in this regard.

Eric,

I have a hydraulic lift but I could change the 915 transmission oil without using it (lift). One important thing you have to consider before attempting to do a transmission oil change is the ability to remove both the fill and drain plugs. Check this first requirement before proceeding.

Second, the viscosity (resistance to flow) of the transmission fluid is heavy or viscous and would get more viscous as the weather gets colder. So getting the transmission fluid warmer would make the oil flow faster and get the job done much quicker. So after I drained the transmission oil over night and allow all the old oil to drip out, I install back the drain plug and start the filling process. Removing the rear left wheel is necessary for access to the filling hole/opening.

See my home-made gadget from surplus copper tubing: I used this gadget for years held by masking tapes only and soldered the fittings only the other year. The key to doing this job is patience. Unless you have pump to deliver the viscous fluid into the 915 transmission, the process I'm demonstrating or showing relies on gravity flow.





Place the end of the long tube inside the transmission fill opening and gradually fill the funnel with transmission oil. Allow the viscous fluid to flow into the empty transmission housing and pour slowly additional fluid as needed.

Tony

[Guardsred911]

Even if it's slightly tipped and you only leave a very small amount in the bottom of the trans. I did mine the other day, and put 3 quarts almost even into the tranny. Which tells me that filling it like that is fine since the manuals all show 3 quarts as the fill amount... I didn't worry about it that much.

[carreradpt]

I just remove the drivers side rear wheel, safely support it with a jackstand level, leave the jack in place, put the removed wheel under the car, and remove the fill plug FIRST. Then I drain the oil and replace. Be sure to remove the FILL plug FIRST. Sometimes they are difficult to remove. It is messy so protect your floor area.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by carreradpt

... [remove the] fill plug FIRST. Then I drain the oil and replace. Be sure to remove the FILL plug FIRST. Sometimes they are difficult to remove.

I think this bears repeating. More than once, in fact.

I have known many an Audi guy doing transmission oil changes having to flatbed the car to a shop because they drained first without checking the fill plug. It happens A LOT that the fill plug is stuck. It happens even more that the rear differential fill plug is stuck.

I make sure to put a very small dab of CV grease on the threads on the fill plug. It helps with the next removal.

The "long funnel" idea is a good one. I have a gear oil pump, and I usually warm up the quarts in hot water before I add them. 160-degree gear oil flows pretty well.

[kidrock]

1) lift the rear of the driver's side.
2) remove drain AND fill plugs, drain old oil, and re-install drain plug.
3) using the hand pump provided by our host, insert long flexible hose end into the fill plug.
4) lower car to ground.
5) insert pump into Swepco jug and start pumping....it takes very close to the full gallon, but not quite all. Watch fill plug until blue goo starts coming out of fill plug.
6) jack up car, re-install fill plug, clean up, and lower vehicle.

[uwanna]

Go to Harbor Freight and get this $7.99 pump. Just changed my tranny fluid, and it worked like a dream!!!

Multi-Use Transfer Pump

EDIT: use the method in the previous post!

[GaryR]

Originally Posted by kidrock

1) lift the rear of the driver's side.
2) remove drain AND fill plugs, drain old oil, and re-install drain plug.
3) using the hand pump provided by our host, insert long flexible hose end into the fill plug.
4) lower car to ground.
5) insert pump into Swepco jug and start pumping....it takes very close to the full gallon, but not quite all. Watch fill plug until blue goo starts coming out of fill plug.
6) jack up car, re-install fill plug, clean up, and lower vehicle.

Remove the fill plug 1st, if it's stuck just stop and bring it somewhere...

I have this Oil Safe setup in 5qt size just for tranny oil, works great!

[SpeedracerIndy]

Just changed the oil in my tranny this weekend with Kendall. Gear oil pump is the way to go. Available at any FLAPS. I had it filled back up in about 10 minutes max.

Now... getting that stripped drain plug off was another process that took most of the afternoon, even with a lift. Be sure to put antisieze on both plugs and DO NOT over torque them. They are tappered plugs so they don't need much torque to seal.

[SilberUrS6]

Originally Posted by uwanna

Go to Harbor Freight and get this $7.99 pump. Just changed my tranny fluid, and it worked like a dream!!!

Multi-Use Transfer Pump

EDIT: use the method in the previous post!

I have the one our host sells - I bought it at the same time I got two magnetic plugs, the 17mm hex for the plugs and the Kendall juice for the trans. This one would probably work just fine.

One of the things that I think is most important is heating up the oil ahead of time so that it is easier to pump. Way back when, when I was filling my Alfa differentials with diff lube, and killing myself squeezing those bottles, my mechanic buddy told me to not work so damn hard and allow physics to help out.

Oh, and getting the oil out? Letting it sit overnight is excellent advice. A *lot* of oil comes out after it's "just dripping", at least that's how it was on my S6's trans oil change.

[Hydrocket]

I did mine on my garage floor. The make pumps that screw right into the top of the jugs. Just pump away...

(they look similar to this)

[SilberUrS6]

To close the circle on this thread, I'll relate my experiences.

During the change, I discussed the plugs and the metal fuzz here:

Fuzz on my 915 fill and drain plugs.

Three liters of Kendall non-LSD transmission oil went in to replace the pretty-dark Swepco 201 that was in there. Heating up the replacement oil in a water bath helped with pumping the oil into the transmission. I used an aluminum baking sheet under the trans to catch the oil that dribbled out of the fill hole at the end of the pumping. I used the Pelican Parts gear oil pump, which worked great - it took less that two minutes to move three liters of oil.

The drive today revealed some differences between Kendall dino gear oil and the Swepco 201. The change down from 3rd is much less "grabby" - third has always been a bit of a problem when coming out of gear - it wanted to "stick" in gear. No more. Easy shift lever movement out of gear, even at a full stop. The change into 2nd was always pretty notchy, up or down. And really finicky when the trans was cold. Now it slides in and out, no problem. Into and out of 1st has never been an issue for me, and the oil change didn't have any effect on that. It seems a little quieter, too, but that might be a placebo effect. Without actual before and after testing, my impressions are merely opinion.

The "stickiness" of the change out of 3rd has always bugged me. Now it doesn't do that, so that alone makes the change worthwhile. The increased smoothness of the change into 2nd is a happy benefit. I will, as Peter Zimmermann suggested, change the oil next fall (~3000 miles) and inspect the magnetic plugs to see what kind of metal shavings they pick up.

Thanks to all, in both threads!