Date:         Mon, 20 Apr 1998 12:32:15 -0700
Reply-To:     Ed Mellinger <meed@MBARI.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Ed Mellinger <meed@MBARI.ORG>
Organization: MBARI
Subject:      Re: Transaxle Drain Plug Detritus
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Rick Koller wrote:

>Vanagoons,
>       In preparing for my road trip south I also changed the tranny >fluid. I
>replaced the original fluid 2 years ago with Redline MTL 75-80W which
>improved the shifting (at least my mind has convinced me so) and so it >was
>due again for a change. I believe the "steel filing load" was much less >on
>the magnetic plug than when I first changed the trans oil. Just thought >I'd
>post this observation for the synthetic afficionados on the List.
>

By coincidence I just switched to synthetic (Redline 75W-90 GL-4) lube
on Saturday, after running dino oil (FLAPS 80W-90) for a year.  This was
on the advice of a listmember tranny rebuilder, in an effort to stave
off the inevitable from my whining differential and/or output shaft.  No
immediate miracles to report, although those newly-lubed shift rod
bushings certainly do feel sweet!

Reason for writing is to inquire what sort of "metal filing load" folks
are used to seeing on their drainplugs.  I didn't quantify mine, but
there certainly was an attention-getting volume of "fuzz" on that
magnet... I'd say the "spikes" were 4-5 mm long (kind of a "Van de
Graaf" look, if you know what I mean).  No gear dogs or other
macroscopic debris, just a paste of fine stuff... but lots more than I'm
used to seeing from other transaxles (e.g. Porsche).

Any comments appreciated...

Ed Mellinger
Monterey CA
'84 plain-jane Wasserboxer