Gearbox oil change.

O.A.P

I hate to admit defeat but this little job beat me today. Its an opel astra 1999 and I could not take the leval plug (bolt) out, it is supposed to be out when you refill the gearbox and when the oil starts to dribble out the hole you know its full. My question for anyone that might know is this, as I already know the gearbox is supposed to take 1.5 lires of oil is it safe enough to just put in this amount ? or will a small bit to much or to little damage the gearbox. Thank for looking.

Mickeym530

yah some cars you fill untill its comes out,but also some you just put in the manufacturers spec,i dont remember doin an astra but alot of renaults etc you just put in the spec-as long as you have a litre r 2 in there you wont have any hassle,just dont run it dry!

crosstownk

A small bit too much/little won't have any serious impact.

Why will the level plug not come out?

O.A.P

Mickeym530 wrote: »

yah some cars you fill untill its comes out,but also some you just put in the manufacturers spec,i dont remember doin an astra but alot of renaults etc you just put in the spec-as long as you have a litre r 2 in there you wont have any hassle,just dont run it dry!

Thanks mate Ill get it done tommorow then.

O.A.P

crosstownk wrote: »

A small bit too much/little won't have any serious impact.

Why will the level plug not come out?

Its in there ten years and proberly has threadlocker on it, but room is the main problem. Its a 13 mm bolt and I can only get a ring spanner on it, there is not enough space for a socket and even with the spanner I only have maybe 20-30mm space to move it. Add that to the fact that I cant see it ( part of the chassy in the way) and Im lying on my back I gave up after an hour

Mickeym530

if ur anywhere around the limerick area i have extra long spanners,but if u cnt get it out u could remove one of the drives and drain it that way,remove the speedo and put an oil vac pipe in and u could fill it that way aswell,they are last resorts¬ u shud be have more power lying on the flat of your back as u would bn under a lift

O.A.P

Thank for the offer Micky and Im up the road in Ennis. The spanner Im using is about 120mm long and just about gets in there. Ill go for your first answer and put the recomended amount. I proberly have more power lying underneath it but the fact that I cant see what Im at makes my knuckles scared.:D:D

kpas

Hi O.A.P
Don't know have you the job done yet but if you don't and you still cant get that sump bolt out you can always gauge it with the dipstick... a lesson I learned a few years back with an old BMW.... Ok it take a bit longer but you'll know where you are at least...
best of luck

O.A.P

kpas wrote: »

Hi O.A.P
Don't know have you the job done yet but if you don't and you still cant get that sump bolt out you can always gauge it with the dipstick... a lesson I learned a few years back with an old BMW.... Ok it take a bit longer but you'll know where you are at least...
best of luck

Thanks, Im going to do it in the morning and thats a top tip. Id say the gears wont be it the way either the filler plug is off to one side.

JHMEG

Are the level hole and the filler hole not one in the same? They are on my car.

O.A.P

JHMEG wrote: »

Are the level hole and the filler hole not one in the same? They are on my car.

Hmm, no there not. What kind of car have you? Diffs usually have that set up not gearboxs.

O.A.P

Got it finished today no bother, I think the good weather helped alot. Mickeym530 the idea about the longer spanner got me thinking and I realised that when I had the spanner on if I got out from underneath I could see the spanner from under the bonnet, so I got a bar on it then from the top, problem solved. Thanks for all the help lads.:):):)