Gearbox oil drain plug
- Thread starter A5DSR
- Start date
A pipe and a funnel is preferable. I managed with a gearbox oil bottle with spout but this was extremely time consuming and messy beyond belief. Gearbox oil also stinks to high heaven and the house (attached to garage) still smells.
It takes a while for the oil to drain out and it is best to warm things up first with a drive.
Guest
New member
Yup, it is 17mm. It is best to buy a socket style rather than an L shaped allen key. Clean out the inside of the flats so the bit is fully inserted and you don't round things out. And remove the top plug first so you are not left with an empty gear box and no way to put new oil in.
The problem with these plugs is that the plug is a tapered pipe thread and the hole is standard straight thread. And many plugs have been overtorqued as well as never being removed for years, if ever. So they can really be socked in there and rounding out the flats or even cracking the plug in half can happen and you may be required to pull the whole transaxle to get the damn things out.
The problem with these plugs is that the plug is a tapered pipe thread and the hole is standard straight thread. And many plugs have been overtorqued as well as never being removed for years, if ever. So they can really be socked in there and rounding out the flats or even cracking the plug in half can happen and you may be required to pull the whole transaxle to get the damn things out.
Guest
New member
Hi Daz,
I've just done the same on my 928 and I think a couple of suggestions may help. First why replace the drain plug? Should be ok with a new crush ring / gasket. Second, if the plug is obscured by the exhaust you've got the same problem I had. I couldn't get in there to unscrew it with a normal ratchet or long wrench so I bough a short 3/8 square drive hex bit for a socket set and also a 3/8 square head breaker bar from Halfords. They have a range of drain plug hex bits and the breaker bar is simply a long bar with a shallow socket swivel head. Good for applying plenty of torque as it's quite long and you can get it in easily in front of the exhaust pipe. (the gap on mine was about 4cm!!). Last, filling. The flow of any liquid through a tube is influenced by tube length, tube diameter to the power of 4!, fluid viscocity, fluid density and the pressure between the 2 ends of the tube. There are many things written about doing this job describing using a length of tube and I tried them all including the funnel bit. It's hopeless. You have a very thick oil going in so you need a short fat bit of tube and preferable the ability to apply pressure to the oil going in. The way I found that worked in the end after getting covered in the bloody stuff was to use the filler tube from a cheap plastic petrol can. This solves the problem and comes with a can to put the old oil in for disposal at a disposal unit - be responsible !
This filler spout fits on to the litre cans of trans oil but it may leak a bit as there is often no washer in these spouts. Then you can manouver the bottle up under the car and the exhaust and slip the spout into the filler plug and squeeze the oil in by compressing the bottle. Top tip also is that to do this it's easier after the first litre is emptied in allowing you to decant half the oil in the second can into the first giving you 2 half full cans. This helps by making it easier to get the can up under the car without spilling any.
Last 2 things. Be warned, it smells bloody awful and you'll get covered in it. Don't put your overalls in the washing machine with any other clothes as you'll have to throw them away. They'll stink of the stuff and be ruined. The washing machine tends to retain the odour too! Last, before you loosen the drain plug make sure the filler plug will undo. V. embarassing if you empty out the oil but can't get any back in again!!!
Good luck.
Rich
I've just done the same on my 928 and I think a couple of suggestions may help. First why replace the drain plug? Should be ok with a new crush ring / gasket. Second, if the plug is obscured by the exhaust you've got the same problem I had. I couldn't get in there to unscrew it with a normal ratchet or long wrench so I bough a short 3/8 square drive hex bit for a socket set and also a 3/8 square head breaker bar from Halfords. They have a range of drain plug hex bits and the breaker bar is simply a long bar with a shallow socket swivel head. Good for applying plenty of torque as it's quite long and you can get it in easily in front of the exhaust pipe. (the gap on mine was about 4cm!!). Last, filling. The flow of any liquid through a tube is influenced by tube length, tube diameter to the power of 4!, fluid viscocity, fluid density and the pressure between the 2 ends of the tube. There are many things written about doing this job describing using a length of tube and I tried them all including the funnel bit. It's hopeless. You have a very thick oil going in so you need a short fat bit of tube and preferable the ability to apply pressure to the oil going in. The way I found that worked in the end after getting covered in the bloody stuff was to use the filler tube from a cheap plastic petrol can. This solves the problem and comes with a can to put the old oil in for disposal at a disposal unit - be responsible !
This filler spout fits on to the litre cans of trans oil but it may leak a bit as there is often no washer in these spouts. Then you can manouver the bottle up under the car and the exhaust and slip the spout into the filler plug and squeeze the oil in by compressing the bottle. Top tip also is that to do this it's easier after the first litre is emptied in allowing you to decant half the oil in the second can into the first giving you 2 half full cans. This helps by making it easier to get the can up under the car without spilling any.
Last 2 things. Be warned, it smells bloody awful and you'll get covered in it. Don't put your overalls in the washing machine with any other clothes as you'll have to throw them away. They'll stink of the stuff and be ruined. The washing machine tends to retain the odour too! Last, before you loosen the drain plug make sure the filler plug will undo. V. embarassing if you empty out the oil but can't get any back in again!!!
Good luck.
Rich
A5DSR
New member
Got the car up on the ramps last night to have a go and get some WD40 on the plugs.
The drain came loose quite easily but the filler plug was very difficult. I managed to pursuade it to come out with a large breaker bar, 17mm hex socket as above, and a few carefully selected words and phrases I keep especially for these occasions.[
]
Just bought some Castol fully synthetic from Halfrauds £10.99 a litre.
I'll go for a run in the morning and then drain it. Then the swearing will really start.
Are there any really good Porsche swear words I should know about. I've got a long list from my Triumph Stag, I'll start with these.[]
Daz.
The drain came loose quite easily but the filler plug was very difficult. I managed to pursuade it to come out with a large breaker bar, 17mm hex socket as above, and a few carefully selected words and phrases I keep especially for these occasions.[
]Just bought some Castol fully synthetic from Halfrauds £10.99 a litre.
I'll go for a run in the morning and then drain it. Then the swearing will really start.
Are there any really good Porsche swear words I should know about. I've got a long list from my Triumph Stag, I'll start with these.[
]Daz.
Guest
New member
ORIGINAL: A5DSR
Are there any really good Porsche swear words I should know about. I've got a long list from my Triumph Stag, I'll start with these.[
Daz.
I'm a Yank, but had a Italian girlfriend that owned and called the TR7 the "Stag". If we are talking about the same POS joke of a car, you know all the appropriate curses down pat. [
]The top plug is always the problem plug, which is why you want to try and remove it first. Another suggestion is to go buy some new plugs as they are cheap, even from the Porsche dealer. Avoid somewhat rounded flats on the next time around.
Guest
New member
I just had my local friendly garage to try removing the gearbox filler plug on my 944 S2. He could not budge it and was worried by the consequences of trying really too hard.....so whats the solution guys......just how much wellie can you give the plug. What can you do if you cant budge it?
Cheers,
Dave.
Cheers,
Dave.
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