Technical Gearbox Oil Change

[GettinBetter]

Gearbox Oil Change

Before setting off to France this year I decided to change the gearbox oil. I've had the car a few years now, and had no idea if it had ever been done before.

So located the drain screw (from info on the Fiat Forum) and the fill/level screw, and proceeded to drain it.


The filling looked like a PITA, being awkward to access.
So I made an adaptor...


Having measured the amount that came out, and compared it with what was supposed to be in there, I deduced that a very little was missing.
I added the exact amount plus a little that would be left in the jug, funnel, and tube that I used to refill it.


Not a drop spilled, or any mess made, in fact easier than doing an engine oil change.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

I like your adaptor to connect the fill plug to the funnel.

The usual method is to just fill it till it leaks out of the fill hole, if you’re used to doing it the leak wouldn’t be more
Than a couple of mm of oil.

Wipe it and put the fill plug in and job done.

With an adaptor like this there is quite a thick wall between the thread and the internal channel which if filled till the oil drained back out or in this case started to fill the pipe, you could have added quite a bit more oil than needed which will need to drain off before putting the plug in.

This is why there isn’t a product like this you can buy for this purpose.

But it’s still a neat piece of engineering and I can see how it would make filling much easier, maybe use it to drop the first couple of litres in and then remove to get it to exact level of the fill hole

 

[puntodad19]

On the lads Punto I use a squirt oil can to top up g/box oil level, from above.

May I ask please, did the oil drain plug put up a fight to remove it please ?

 

[GettinBetter]

May I ask please, did the oil drain plug put up a fight to remove it please ?

Nope, came out relatively easy, I mean it was tight, but not excessively tight.

 

[GettinBetter]

The usual method is to just fill it till it leaks out of the fill hole,

By people who can't or don't want to buy/make an adaptor....

 

[PuntoHowTo]

By people who can't or don't want to buy/make an adaptor....

This is pretty much the go to method of the manufacturers, and Fiat, along side many other manufacturers are not adverse to making special tools when needed.
You only need to look in the tool box of a VW technician they make a special tool for pretty much everything. But honestly there isn't a tool like this that people use for this job because the current method is quick easy and reliable.

However that is still not a slight on your craftsmanship the fact it worked for you so well shows that the part is well made, and I would give love to have a lathe in my arsenal.... I just need to find some space.... and money.

 

[GettinBetter]

...and then remove to get it to exact level of the fill hole

Why not put the exact volume of oil as specified in documentation?
Pre-line the meticulously clean jug, funnel, and tube, with oil beforehand by pouring a little oil through them.
No overflows, no spills, and nothing to wipe up.

 

[Jockstrap]

Why not put the exact volume of oil as specified in documentation?
Pre-line the meticulously clean jug, funnel, and tube, with oil beforehand by pouring a little oil through them.
No overflows, no spills, and nothing to wipe up.

It's better to be approximately right, than precisely wrong .

Oil as specified in capacity. So was it totally empty before your fill?

Filling to the fill hole avoids overfill and gears in an oil bath. The fill hole allows splashing.

 

[GettinBetter]

Oil as specified in capacity. So was it totally empty before your fill?

It was certainly empty after I drained it (and left it for half an hour)

 

[Ralf S.]

In all my years, I have only ever poured oil into one hole until it reached the level of the hole, or another hole.

I never needed an adaptor... although one time I did treat the Stilo to a stainless steel drain plug, since the mild steel one was getting corroded and the hex insert was chewing up.

I never had any gearbox issues... touch wood.. in anything, ever.


Ralf S.

 

[puntodad19]

Fair do's for making a gearbox oil filler tool to make life easier for yourself.

Most gear oil containers have a bendy spout to enable getting oil into the gearbox.

On the lads Punto these would make life easy when filling the g/box, doable from above.

The empty container and spout could be made into a funnel if desired, but as said earlier, I use a squerty oil can, for topping up.

All doable from above, but for draining, it's a shuffle underneath the front of the car, on level ground to reach the drain plug, and catch the draining oil.

 

[GettinBetter]

I never needed an adaptor.

But I WANTED one. As a lifelong manufacturing engineer, I regularly make stuff whenever I need want/fancy doing it, AND (its a big AND), I enjoy it. Making stuff always puts a smile on my face. Especially my current hobby project.

 

[puntodad19]

Making stuff to make life easier. Is good. I will be making a "tube drill" to make it possible to remove the lads Punto rear wheel plastic liners as the holding screws are corroded to hell !

I may settle for the correct sized thin walled tube heating the end to melt the plastic, making large washers for refitting.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

But I WANTED one. As a lifelong manufacturing engineer, I regularly make stuff whenever I need want/fancy doing it, AND (its a big AND), I enjoy it. Making stuff always puts a smile on my face. Especially my current hobby project.

ABSOLUTELY! With my hobby repairing and refurbishing/restoring classic and older horticultural machinery I find I sometimes need a part no longer available and have to either adapt something or remanufacture it. For certain makes there is a very thriving enthusiast support, as there is for elderly Mopeds - Mobylette/NSU and others, which is another fascination I have - and some of the clubs commission "batch" manufacture of certain critical parts which you can put your name down for when available. I got a piston and cylinder for an NSU Quickly a few years ago in this way. I don't have a lathe and would like one but can't justify it just to make the occasional part, however, I'm still friends with folk at various establishments where I ran evening classes in Car maintenance and welding and they will turn up stuff for me as long as I don't ask too often and it's not too difficult as they use them as practice for students.

As regards filling lubricant into "awkward orifices" I bought a syringe from Machine Mart many years ago and I see they are still selling it: I keep it for doing gearboxes almost exclusively. My driveway slopes down towards the road so, when checking transaxle oil levels I reverse the vehicle onto the drive, Place my ramps in front of the front wheels and drive it up the ramps until the car is riding level. This picture, taken some years ago of my Ibiza, shows it:

Sorry folks, picture deleted for security reasons.

If you look carefully you can just see the chocks behind the rear wheels to stop it running back, but it actually holds on the handbrake ok. You may notice I've welded extensions into my ramps to make the run up less steep (the front bumper on many cars now a days catches on many steeper ramps) If you are going to stop the car on the sloping part of the ramp, as in my picture, just be a bit careful if using steeper ramps as they may slide forward on very smooth surfaces, for instance a smooth concrete garage floor. I'm making a point of mentioing this method because, as most on here will know, but some less experienced may not, it's very important for the vehicle to be level when checking levels like this, Front wheel drive filler holes are often on the front of the casing but the gearbox is broad. So, if not level you stand the possibility of either over or under filling it if you "fill till overflow" as most people tend to do.

Very conveniently the slope of my driveway means that when set up like this there is plenty of room to slide under the front for access. Oh, and yes, checking it's level with a spirit level is probably, no definitely, overkill. I'm afraid that's just me all over though!

 

[portland_bill]

I recently bought a syringe from Machine Mart, no idea why I hadn't done so before.

Just a tip, with changing any fluid, make sure the fill plug can be removed before draining anything. Old fluid is much better than empty.

 

[steveras57]

I recently bought a syringe from Machine Mart, no idea why I hadn't done so before.

Just a tip, with changing any fluid, make sure the fill plug can be removed before draining anything. Old fluid is much better than empty.

Anybody else on here like myself who owns a Jaguar XF will be all to familiar with making sure the fill plug can be removed for sure they almost corrosion weld themselves into place!

 

[puntodad19]

Rm1 and cyclemaster engines of any interest, as well as a Honda PC50 ( on were near as good as a philips panda ) ?

Pm me if so...

 

[The Panda Nut]

Anybody else on here like myself who owns a Jaguar XF will be all to familiar with making sure the fill plug can be removed for sure they almost corrosion weld themselves into place!

Huh its No Panda then! lol

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Rm1 and cyclemaster engines of any interest, as well as a Honda PC50 ( on were near as good as a philips panda ) ?

Pm me if so...

If you're trying to temp me then get thee behind me Satan! I've got half the shed full of stuff like that with no current project for them. Most obscure being perhaps a very early Ryobi 2 stroke strimmer engine but no strimmer parts to go with it. The RM1 tempts me as, once the present two lawnmower projects are completed, if an early Raleigh moped turned up I could be tempted. Never "fiddled" with a cyclemaster. That would be interesting. I came across a sectioned drawing and it looks a whole mess of interesting stuff with at least two chains and sprockets etc. It would be interesting to compare with the Honda P50 I restored and which Mrs J used to ride down to the local store on for emergency bottles of milk etc when we were a lot younger.

 

[steveras57]

Huh its No Panda then! lol

nope spect theres rust into place