How To: Vanagon Manual Transmission Oil Change

[@t_sodo8745]

Good to see maintenance of this critical component elevated. I have been studying the Vanagon transaxle extensively for about 6 years now. Here are some points I have arrived at (my opinions). Note that engine size is inexorable from this conversation. VW built the transaxle for 82hp, then increased it to 90hp. Many of us have bigger engines which requires heightened transaxle attention and maintenance - obviously. Mine has 173hp and many vans have even more. 1) 30-40k is a prudent, almost 'anal' interval for the first 100k miles for a 'new' van in its first 100k miles. We are way, way past that - usually in the 200-300,000 miles range. If you changed at "30-40k from new" your gears could have an almost infinite lifetime, but nobody has done this from new - that horse has left the barn. The Vanagon owners manual specified on pg 102 that the gear oil does NOT need to be changed, and this is what Vanagon owners did. And was VW wrong? No, the transaxles run a FULL and satisfactory lifetime with even running in their own barf. VW did not envision or accommodate our current Vanagon fetish, but they could have run into the 400s. What most all of us have now is a 'rebuild' of a trans that rec'd ZERO maintenance in its prime, when it could have made a difference. And now we're 'making do' with our worn out gears that will give up the ghost in their 200s, 300s. A "rebuilt" uses almost ALL old gears but some new bearings. 30-40k is too long an interval for the old gears of a rebuilt. For our old rebuilt vans, with their original owner's (which we call "sad") maintenance you should consider more like 15,000-25,000 miles. For big engines use 15,000. 2) Inspecting and taking a pic of the steel dust that has fallen down onto the drainplug magnet from above, is important. It's an indicator of the health of your trans. Is it "more stuff", or "less stuff" than last time? You should take a pic of it, so you can compare next time. Every year you will wonder if the trans is OK for a long trip this coming season. If you have pics, you can know where you're at. An old trans will contaminate its oil much sooner than a 'new' trans. Looking at the magnet helps to determine your next oil change interval. If your magnet is completely covered, you waited much too long. If the magnet has lots of clear space on it, your oil change interval was 'good'. In your 'opening' still photo I can see your magnet, and it has clear space which suggests good current health. How many miles was your interval? I suspect reasonable for your specific trans, and the oil looked clear too. I also noted your WBX engine, which is another way to get longer transaxle life😉. Transaxle worries are much less with a WBX. Transaxle health and maintenance should be elevated to the top for those with big engines. 3) Oil brands are much much less important than your oil change interval. The thing to know is there can ONLY be minor differences in oil brands...... but in use, there will be vast differences in contamination levels. Every trans contaminates its oil at different rates, especially if your engine has more HP than stock. The most significant problem to watch out for in oils is "thin oil". Thin oils are compelling for the 'easier shifting' but this ease can be a tradeoff in transaxle lifetime. It depends what you want from your trans. It can be more economical in the long run to use a $25/gal garden-variety 80W90 that you're willing to change every 15,000 or yearly. A $100 Synthetic that you are inclined to run "too long" because it was expensive will then cost you in transaxle life. That $75 difference that you expected to "extend" your transaxle life is actually costing miles if you let it get contaminated. The oil you choose can only make a small difference at BEST, like single-digit percentages. Clean, new $25 oil is vastly superior to a $100 specialty oil that already has (for example) 15,000 miles of contamination circulating throughout your trans. If you go for expensive oil you still have to change it as often as cheap oil. Again, this becomes much more important with big engines. 4) Synthetic is a very common question. It has some problems in a Vanagon trans. It's not a slam-dunk benefit. a) Synthetic does not offer better protection at low temps but it's definitely superior at temps beyond 240°F such as in racing. But the Vanagon trans is destroying itself at 180°F (the mainshaft bearing bore is loose around 180°F). So you can't get there, a Vanagon trans running at even 200°F is destroying itself and you should not stray far from home. The high temp benefits of synthetic are not within our reach. How do you know your trans is 200°F? OK..... that's a completely different discussion. b) Synthetic can "shift easier". But that is at a cost. The physical properties of oil that allow easier shifting by 'gripping' the gears, comes at a cost of longevity, it's less protective of gears and bearings. It's useful to know there is a tradeoff, you don't get both easy shifting and longevity, you have to choose one or the other. For longevity, choose a more slippery oil and slow your shifting to accommodate. c) Putting synthetic in an old, un-maintained trans can be detrimental. The cleaning action of synthetic can wash off lots of contamination from the walls of an old trans and quickly contaminate your new oil horribly, becoming detrimental. If you want to use Synthetic in an old trans, consider putting in cheap synthetic as a "cleaner", run it a few thousand miles and dump it, then put in your chosen brand. Understand this effort may not be worthwhile - you may not be gaining anything and possibly losing. d) "Synthetic" is fighting words in the oil industry, sellers like "the word" because it raises the perceived value/price. The definition of 'synthetic' has a wide range of meanings even causing (losing) lawsuits, as such there is little stopping sellers from using the word with their own self-serving definitions. Sorry there is almost no way to know if it's true/false by asking the seller. Reputable brands could be more reputable (for whatever that's worth). Synthetic is a difficult question. I'm not sure there's a good answer to the Synthetic question. Lubricant cleanliness is the single answer that serves you best - unquestionably. It's something within your control and especially if you can DIY, which this video helps a lot. People ask me what oil do I recommend? I don't recommend - I use $25/gal oil. I have 2 gallons of $70 Swepco 201 but haven't used it for "other reasons" too involved to explain here but will certainly use it sometime. I trust Swepco as a quality oil, and there are many others. I think the differences between oils are subtle differences. Except for big engines, never forget that your transaxle is undersized, so definitely avoid "thin" oils. If you have a big engine and $70/gal is OK, Swepco 201 kept clean is good. If you need a 'brand', Kendall is trusted by many ($35). And again, if you have ~90hp you can probably run any oil. Don't run dirty oil because you can't decide what brand to buy. Cleanliness is the major factor, by far, and you are in control. Change the oil now with $25/gal 80W90 and study up on a favorite brand for your next interval. Sorry so much typing and hope it helps.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Great comment Sodo! Very informative. We had about 20K on the tranny after the rebuild and as you could see the oil was still very golden and the magnet was very clean with just a bit of black sludge but no metal flakes/shards. With our WBX motor and regular oil changes we expect it to last a very long time. Though we may take it back to GTA and get a Peloquin installed here soon :) nate

[@littlejool5]

Thanks T_SODO for the information very interesting comment.

[@tonvanderreijken4380]

Thanks for your very detailed explanation of the oil to use. Reading this makes me happy. Best from Belgium.

[@charlesmaroon8819]

There is a 17mm hex on a 3/8: socket that is about 1" long. A common VW tool. Clearance was still an issue, so I used a 1/2" breaker bar instead of a ratchet. I would make sure the fill/drain plugs move before driving the van, then perform the work more quickly after the warm up drive. Also, I bought a small hand held pump sprayer at the ACE garden store ($10) , drilled out the orfice, attached a clear hose, filled the sprayer tank with gear oil and pumped up pressure. Then simply press the lever to deliver the oil. Much easier than pumping 500 strokes to deliver 3.5 qts of gear oil.

[@TVideoupload]

Hey this is great I just posted the same how to video a month earlier because no one had one online!!

[@planetmarrs5239]

Have lift, here at home, live in La Pine. If you guys are back over here and would like to make more under the bus videos, drop by......

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Man so jealous of your lift! You should open a pop up shop for Descend on Bend :) nate

[@photopicker]

Wish I had a lift. I am no mechanic but without a lift I am even less enabled.

[@kimhorton6109]

Thanks for putting this together. That change interval corresponds with the interval for the timing belt change on my Subaru engine. Wish I had a pit to work in. My van sits a little low so I may have to put the front up on ramps.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Glad it helped! Nate

[@blyhigh4199]

Thanks for the socket hex knock out trick. Saved my bacon.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Glad to help! nate

[@MotoVolksTube]

You explain it easy ! Thanks for the great tutorial.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Thanks for watching! nate

[@cheryllamb8831]

Thank you. I used to know how to work on my vehicle. This will definitely help me out. I have an '87 Westy with a manual transmission also. It does, however; have a Subaru 2.2 engine.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

This is something you can definitely do. The Subi engine doesn't change anything in the tranny fluid steps. Good luck! nate

[@jeannepeffley4881]

Thanks Nate. Great information! Was gonna do a TA rebuild but realized my 1990 has the upgraded gear so no pressure to rebuild it before 150K miles. So, just changed TA oil to Swepco 202 from Redline. Really noticing a big difference in shifting. Also upgraded to the GW SS fill and drain caps (not plugs). Both have magnets and all new threads. Recently had the linkage bushings upgraded to teflon and that makes a huge difference. Evidently the old style bushings absorb moisture and get tight. Teflon won't do that. BTW-did you two upgrade to a Synchro? Thought it looked like that on your recent video to the fire lookout.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

The Swepco is a great oil, it’s all we use now. We have not done the Teflon bushings but may look into that! Nope still out 2wd but we put on our SyncNO badge 😁

[@elchupacabra2000]

So I am the proud NEW owner of a 1991 Vanagon GL, and I am noticing the shifter is a bit on the ambiguous side. Do you have any videos showing how to take care of the shifter linkage, or anything else that might help me tighten up the mechanism that controls this? Also, I will definitely be using this video as a guide for doing my transmission fluid! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video!

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

No we do not have a video outlining those steps. The shifter mechanism can be a bit complicated due to the length of the rod and wear on parts. I would start with making sure your shift ears are in good shape and go back from there. GoWesty has some good articles and videos outlining the shifter. nate

[@elchupacabra2000]

​@@ThatBaldwinLife The fluid change went pretty smoothly. The old fluid looked like iridescent tar, super black and apparently VERY old! New fluid is in and it *seems* to shift a little better. Now I do have a different question . . . I want to change the spark plugs, but I am noticing that the small aluminum endcap on the spark plugs is not allowing me to put the wires back on?! Am I supposed to unscrew these small aluminum pieces off? The OLD plugs have them pulled off??

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Yes they should unscrew from the new plugs. Some wires use different ends. If your old plugs didn’t have the ends, then pull them off! Nice job on the transmission oil! Nate

[@craigclark6922]

If you can find a vintage snap on wrench S5902 it has a 21mm wrench on one end (for removing generator nut on type 1) with a 17mm hex on the other for transmission drain plugs. Have had mine for over 30 years.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

I’ll have to keep an eye out for one of those! Thanks! Nate

[@rextilian]

Hey Nate. I am changing my ATF and read a post on The Samba about filling the transmission through the dipstick tube. Thoughts? Thanks.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

I’ve never changed the auto transmission fluid but I know it’s common on other vehicles to fill in the dipstick tube. Nate

[@edstababy]

Just did this in mine, ended up needing 2 jugs 1 was just shy of filling. That hand pump wasn't too bad way better than the harbor freight version.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Weird, we have never used more that one gallon to fill. Glad you got it changed! nate

[@edstababy]

@@ThatBaldwinLife i forgot to add that I accidentally knocked over the first jug halfway thru and spilled a little so thats probably why 😂

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

😂😂👍🏻

[@Unexpectedperspectivesnow]

Hey Baldwin! I did this job today on my 5-speed. I followed your advice and bought that 17 mm key, and punched it out just like you did. It was a lot of work cleaning up around the holes, especially the upper one. I also saw a lot of corrosion "cavities" around both plugs. Any guess why that happened? The gearbox is probably original = 33 years old. I know aluminum "rots" but it really looked like some weird cavities, and none of that white corrosion stuff, probably it has corroded anyway, while being drenched in oil/grease/dirt. I filled up with "fully synthetic" 75W-90 oil. Some folks here in Sweden advised to put a mineral oil though... I don't know what to believe. What's your opinion about oil grade/quality?

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

I would stick with a high quality oil like the Sweepco 202 or any other 75w90 oil. No reason to put mineral oil in your transmission ever.

[@jeannepeffley4881]

Great video Nate! Is your TA just a stock rebuild from GTA?

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

We had it rebuilt at GTA then done again a few years later by AA when we had the Peloquins installed. Nate

[@TahoeRealm]

great video - thanks

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Glad it helped!! Nate

[@arge676]

I Just ordered the same fluid! thanks for the video! What would you recommended for power steering fluid? I want to flush out my PS system. ~cheers~

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

The Vanagon's use ATF for power steering fluid. If you flush it out, don't forget to change the foam filter that is in the reservoir! nate

[@mopedinthemalverns6661]

Really timely video - thanks! I was thinking about doing the gearbox oil on our 1983 petrol T25 but was unsure of exactly how to do it. This video explains it perfectly. Going to have a look on JustKampers to see if they've got the oil and the socket I need. Will look for one of those pumps too. Our gear linkage hasn't got those rubber boots you've got - is it supposed to have them or are they an upgrade? Thanks again for a great technical video - bang on time.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Glad it helps! Ours didn't have them stock but the 1988 and up Vanagons have them and they are a direct fit. GoWesty has them as I'm sure Campervanculture.com might as well. nate

[@akseakayaker]

Next time preheat your container with the new oil by placing it overnight next to a heater before you pump it into the transmission, will be much easier

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Yeah that would have made it easier to pump! Nate

[@dukecasey2008]

Thanks for the video

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

You bet! Nate

[@duayheomar2443]

Thanks so much! AND for the front diff for a Syncro? Which oil I should use? Saludos desde México.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

I have never worked on a syncro but I am sure you can check on theSamba.com for that info. Thanks for watching! nate

[@t_sodo8745]

duayhe omar, use "clean oil" 80w90.

[@ShaggyCrew87]

excellent

[@pierreloiselle4160]

What is go 202 scanning THANKS

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Not sure exactly what you are asking?

[@larafreeman1111]

How would this particularly be different from an automatic oil change? I need to do mine but can only find videos for manual transmissions.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

It is quite different though I have never owned an automatic Vanagon. If you go on thesamba.com/vanagon you should be able to find what you are looking for. nate

[@Unexpectedperspectivesnow]

seems to be a bloody hell to get to the upper plug. I've looked at it 2 times on my van, and promptly fled the scene.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

It isn't the easiest place to get to that's for sure! Once you get your body in the right spot, it isn't that bad. nate

[@acdc8175]

Nice video!How often should be changed?

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

I do it about every 30K-40K miles and use a high quality oil. You may want to go 20K-30K miles on a lower quality oil though. Thanks for watching! nate

[@heathbar386]

Why use 202 vs 201? Just wondering since most porsche people love the 201

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

202 seems to shift better when cold. I’ve used 201 before and it is stiff from the 1->2 shift. Nate

[@drkbrent8976]

202 has the Moly, 201 does not.

[@davejones9010]

Take the fill plug out it drains a lot quicker.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Yeah that can help the initial drain but to get all that thick fluid out just takes time! Nate

[@photopicker]

I had the transmission fluid changed a couple of months ago. $100 hassle free.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Sounds good. I do ALL of my own work on the van and would rather spend my $100 on top quality oil after spending that kind of money for the rebuild. The only hassle in the entire video was filming it! Usually it is about 10 min worth of work and 30 min of draining oil. And while that is happening, I do an inspection of the underside of the van and lube the shift linkage. Time well spent. Thanks for watching! nate

[@photopicker]

@@ThatBaldwinLife Consider yourself lucky you can fit in tight places. I have been through 3 transaxles, actually 4. $100 is 2 tanks of gas these days. I need new seat covers. That's $1.4k. Need new carpet. That's $1k. Need paint and body work. That's $5k. $100 seems like cigar lighting money in comparison.

[@photopicker]

@@ThatBaldwinLife Be careful about lubing shift linkage. I went in for a repair on the steering pump with linkage functional but on its last legs. The mechanic lubed the shift linkage (I am not sure why) leaving me stranded for 2 weeks waiting for new linkage to arrive by mail. I couldn't get it out of reverse. That linkage had 360k miles on it.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Staying in good shape is not only good for your health but also your Westy maintenance! :) My Westy needs a few of those things too but luckily I can do all of that myself and save some money when the time comes. Always something with classic vehicles! nate

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

My shift linkage is brand new from the shifter to the tranny so I don't think we will have any issues. All of the dirt roads we drive build up grime on the lubed areas and need to be cleaned and re-lubed every few years. Sounds like your OEM linkage lasted a long time! nate

[@ShaggyCrew87]

How much oil do you put in?

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

It takes just under one gallon (4 quarts) nate

[@Unexpectedperspectivesnow]

Why is the new oil he's filling black?

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

The Sweepco 202 is just that color. Some transmission fluids are more clear, some green and some red. Just the color they have. When you drain it out and spread it on a white paper to inspect, it is clear enough to see grit or shavings. But it does look like I am putting in used oil :) nate

[@DanTheManIOM]

Good to know it takes a gallon. The old beetle gear boxes take 2.5 quarts.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Our 5 speed Jetta only takes less than 2 quarts as well. The Vanagon is just under a gallon. nate

[@garyp.7501]

A 17mm ratchet box end with a flex head would also make this easier.

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Good call, I think I have one of those in the tool box as well. nate

[@garyp.7501]

@@ThatBaldwinLife I ordered this 17mm socket hex bit as with an air cooled engine the exhaust is not in the way. Not sure if you have room for it. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YKH2MI

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

that might fit, nice find nate

[@sakurabahfan]

Wrestler?

[@ThatBaldwinLife]

Was I a wrestler? No I only wrestled transmissions in and out of VW's 😂 nate