Date:         Tue, 15 Jun 1999 15:56:58 -0700
Reply-To:     George Chapman <landmark@THEGRID.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Chapman <landmark@THEGRID.NET>
Subject:      More - -Manual transmission fluid fill
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Hi, Volks:

Just finished the task of changing the fluid in my 91 GL
manual transmission to Redline MT90. It seems to make a
clear difference in shifting effort, for the better, as far
as I can tell.

I would like to thank those List members that provided
p-mail suggestions for getting the new fluid into the
transmission.  In particular Vernon Craddock, who suggested
using a funnel & 1/2" flexible tubing snaked down to the
transmission fill hole from the engine compartment. It
worked great!  Didn't spill a drop.

I would also report that the transmission drained out quite
near completely with the removal of the drain plug and the
front of the Vanagon slightly higher than the rear (on my
sloping driveway).  I determined this through deduction, as
I refilled the transmission with 3 quarts of MT90 and none
overflowed the bottom of the fill hole (vehicle was
relocated to level ground). Since capacity is 3.2 quarts the
drain-down must have been nearly complete, no?

I haven't figured out how to tell exactly where the fluid
level is in relation to the bottom of the fill hole (Bentley
manual indicates fluid should be ~1/2" below).  I'm certain
someone out there in Vanagonland has devised some method of
measuring this, though.

- - George Chapman, 91 GL
    Lake Almanor, CA