Changing tranny oil

[JConnerly]

Note to self. Next time you change something with 90w oil make sure you warm up the oil inside the house before trying to get it to run through that little tube!

[RRoller123]

LOL, that reminds me of doing some exterior caulking this past February on an exhaust vent. Left the tube in the truck overnight.... Note to self.

[Ken]

did you put 90 wt in your transmission??
Ken

[RRoller123]

I used Redline MT90 in my manual transmission (not sure what the PO had in there) and I am amazed at how much better it shifts. Very smooth and no crunching at all. Great stuff.

[JConnerly]

I used Napa GL1. Didn't know when the PO had changed it last. The old oil seemed thin, of course it was warm, and very gray. I looked at previous posts on this subject and GL1 seemed to be the concensus. It feels smoother and is quieter as well.

[manoa matt]

90W GL-1 mineral gear oil is the only way to go. I've used the redline MT-90, and in my opinion is too thin and not a real 90W oil. It made shifting worse and the box louder, its too slick and does not cling to the gears. The trans is too expensive and fragile to use the wrong lube, besides the real 90W GL-1 mineral oil is far cheaper than any alternative.

1 gallon 90W GL-1 Napa part # 65-201 = $14

[twincam69]

I've used Redline MT 90 in my '83 Lotus Turbo Esprit when I owned it. It was a good oil for that car and transaxle.

However, I just changed out whatever was in my '69 124 transmission (not a GL1 based on the smell of sulfur) to the Napa 90W. So far, so good but I need to put some miles on it. It takes a few miles to thin out for a very smooth shift, even in the warm weather here in Florida but I'm glad the "old" stuff is still available for our cars...and is actually less expensive.
Hampton

[DUCeditor]

Just a quick thought here... I drove my `77 for 20 years without changing the transmission oil. When, after having been off the road for several season, I decided to get my Spider running again the man doing the work -- Alex at AVA Restoration Service, Dublin NH -- suggested changing the transmission oil. I could not believe the difference this made. It went from being 'so so' to being slick and smooth.

Duh! That's what oil does!

Thus for any other owners that haven't changed their Spider's transmission oil in a long time and who wish their tranny was somehow "better" do do this.

-don

[babu2001]

Just to clarify something. You CAN'T judge an oil vicosity at the bottle. These tests are done at 200+ and 300+ degrees. Unless you drove your car in Arizona and just after a 3 hours drive you drain immediatly the oil from the tranny, you CAN'T assume how a moden oil will react. So some 90W oils may seem thiner but will stay more stable and keep it's viscosity. They are light years from oil of the '70. Good for us... :

[SOPHIA]

I have a question for you guys who just chenged your manual trans. oil. There are two plugs on the side of my trans. The lower one is male and OK, the upper one is female and all stripped-out. So, my question is, which one is the "FILL" plug, upper or lower? HELP!

[4uall]

this will help

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13822

[JConnerly]

It's the male one.

[ga.spyder]

Absolutely the best $8.00 a Spider owner can make for changing tranny and diff fluids.It handles 90w with no problem.
http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use- ... 66418.html
Thay have them at Autozone and Oreillys, too.They are around 12 bucks there.

[Razooli]

Even better!
http://www.harborfreight.com/sta-lube-g ... 40714.html



It screws onto the bottle so you don't spill when you knock it over, the little tang keeps the hose end in the fill hole and if you put on a longer piece of hose, you can pump out from underneath the car.

[manoa matt]

All you realy need is a 3 foot length of clear vinyl tubing and a funnel. You place the funnel near the distributor and the hose in the fill hole. No pumping, no lying on the ground, no plastic Chinese pump. Fill up the funnel and watch it drain, repeat. Not Chinese, but pure Zen.