Showing you how to do a transmission fluid change on your vw Vanagon. Fill back up on a flat surface and either 1/2 inch below fill plug or until it comes out.
This comment is not showing up for me here but it’s in my email: T_Sodo Good job! People need to maintain their Vanagon transaxles. The older the transaxle is, (and the bigger the engine!) the more metal it's shedding into the oil, consequently the SHORTER the gear oil intervals need to be. A rebuilt trans could have new bearings, but all original gears, so rebuilt does not necessarily run as clean "as new". Especially if it's on the 3rd rebuild. So you still need to change oil "often". If there's NO clear space on the drain magnet, you waited much too long and have damaged your trans, deleting many miles. Clean gear oil is low cost insurance, like ~$20 for the DIY. There is no sensible reason to keep contaminated oil circulating thru your trans. Drain magnet in this video has clear space, thus the interval was probably NOT too long. Also don't make the mistake in assuming the drain magnet has captured ALL of the metal in the oil. It has not. It only holds onto the metal that falls down by gravity vertically, from above. And only when the gear oil is "still" (=parked overnight etc). When you are driving, it washes off strings of steel bits and they re-circulate the trans. The oil you dump out has far more steel in it than is stuck on the magnet. If there are any big pieces of steel stuck, your trans is already fully dead and you should not drive it again at all. What's a reasonable gearbox oil change interval for a 30+ year old vehicle? If you have an original 90HP engine, and the drainplug still has clear areas on it, 30,000 miles is reasonable. If you have a bigger conversion engine, or if no clear areas on the magnet, use a 15,000 mile interval. If you care about your old van and don't want to see it sitting behind the barn when replacement parts are "no longer available" or when skilled Vanagon trans rebuilders are " no longer available" then change it every 15,000 miles. This day is coming. This video shows how simple it is. Your transaxle has a hypoid gear (the ring & pinion) in the oil. The oil you choose should specify "for hypoid use". Other differences between oils will be subtle. Don't use "thin" oils. Modern cars have bigger bearings etc to use thin oils. This is not a modern car! Be careful choosing oils that are so expensive you're inclined to run them long after they've become contaminated. The benefits of specialty oil are 'subtle" you can lose all the benefits if you run the special oil after it's become contaminated with the steel bits that an older trans will generate. Synthetic benefits are mostly at high temperatures, like 240°F+. But your Vanagon trans is damaging itself at 180°F thus the benefits of synthetic are not able to be realized in a Vanagon. If the synthetic is 'thin' you can damage your mainshaft at 4th gear. OK that's enough about oil, just remember that "clean gear oil" is by far the biggest benefit any oil change can do for you. Stressing about 'clean' makes a bigger difference than 'brand'. Drain and filler plug torque is 14 ft lbs. Which is not "super-tight".
I have a mechanic friend who was working on buses when they were new. Pre-vanagon (bays, splits) he says 85w/90. No GL5, unless you want to rebuild your transmission. He says GL5 will disintegrate the soft metals that are used on the rings in these trannies. For vanagons, the same in the transmission, but you can put other stuff in the final drive. Now, don’t quiz me. I’m just learning. Trying to pass info along.
:) haha. I don’t recall exactly but the general consensus is that it should be 1/2 inch below the side plug or even at the plug (where it starts to pour out) but I’m no professional and I recommend reading more on the samba forums (they will say how much it takes too)
Hi - I did exactly this today on my 1983 5-speed 1.9 T25. I only got 1.25l of oil out and could only get 1.25l oil in before the level started to overflow. The van was parked on a slight uphill (van pointing uphill that is). What have I done wrong?!
Sorry I don’t get notifications for replies but I believe the automatics may even have a filter , I’m not sure the differences maybe someone out there has a video tho, good luck!
