I changed my Gearbox / Transaxle oil the other day, so thought I would share it with you. You'll need: - a warm Dino - 10mm Allen wrench or Allen ratchet drive - a 24mm socket w/drive - collection drain pan - 2 crush washers - 4.5 L of gear oil (Swepco 201, Redline NS75-90, or your favorite) Jack the Dino up until there is enough vertical clearance to access the rearward drain plug and then safely double support the Dino. The rearmost drain plug is for the transaxle, so you won't need much clearance and access is from the rear. FIRST, BEFORE YOU GET TO THE POINT OF REMOVING THE DRAIN PLUG, use the 24mm socket and attempt to remove the fill plug. The fill plug has a tendency to seize over time and many owner's have found that after they drain the gear oil out that they can not remove fill plug and am stranded with any empty sump (hint: you can alternatively fill the transaxle oil through the gearbox fill port located above the clutch area) So it is best to check that your transaxle fill plug is removable before starting. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Position the collection pan under the drain plug and use the 10mm Allen drive to remove the drain plug . Lower the Dino to allow the transaxle sump to be level and facilitate draining the remaining oil. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Lower the Dino to allow the transaxle sump to be level and facilitate draining the remaining oil. Image Unavailable, Please Login
After draining, raise the Dino again and safely put it on jacks. Clean the sump plugs (or replace them) and then install new crush washers. Wipe the seating surface off the sump face and reinstall the drain plug Image Unavailable, Please Login
Use a funnel with a long flexible hose and insert the end of the hose into the sump fill port. Slowly fill the gear oil until it overflows at the sump fill hole. Re-insert teh sump fill plug, tighten firmly but do not overtighten. You are ready to go driving! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Except you neglected to drain and refill the housing for the drop gears. This is part of changing the transaxle oil. Brian Brown Patrick Ottis Co.
See drawing page 82 of OM 72/72 (they did a better job of explaining this with figures showing/labeling the various fill & drain plugs in the later 308 OMs): Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The transfer gears get their oil from the transmisson supply. Large ports and an air vent on top. My car does not have a separate drain plug on the transfer housing. The few ounces of trapped oil are not a problem. As soon as the engine is started, everything gets mixed and moved. Another place where Ferrari changed details we can work around. Good tutorial Scott. John
Here's where the 2nd srain is if anyone is interested: Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
You're right. Sorry. I have one but never have touched that bottom drain. And never added oil to the top fill that I can see on top of the transfer gear housing. Just changed oil like Scott does but on a lift. Transfer gears were fine at 185,000 miles so can't complain. Lots of passages for oil to go back and forth. John
Hmm . . . check out Scott's motor mounts in the two photos in Post #1. According to the parts manual TAV. 2 Item 67, he has his upside down. I know that the front mounts have to be upside down in order for the heat shield cap (Item 15) to fit properly (otherwise it gets crushed as you tighten the bolt thru its center), but should the rears be as pictured in the TAV? Or does it make any difference? Seems to me the center of gravity of the engine is lower with the mounts upside down. However, I had to shim up my front upside down mounts to ensure clearance between the shift rod coming out of the transaxle and the crossmember in front of the transaxle. Opinions? Bill
Thank you Brian, Absolutely true. I hedged my bets by using the same gear oil as previously was in there and only 18k KM between changes, but I do stand corrected. Thank you for making this a more informed DIY, appreciate the participation. Find the air cleaner and look at the closest position on the top of the clutch housing, it should be there. I once had to fill this way, and had to remove the air cleaner from its mounts to gain good wrenching access.
I suppose that if you fill it this way, you can put all the fresh fluid in this hole and it will fill the small area in the transfer and then waterfall into the regular tranny space and then run out of the open main fill hole when full? In other words, can you do all the filling from the top hole till it runs out of the open lower FILL hole?
"The parts book is not always correct" - - no surprise there since the example I gave on my '74 is proof of your point. Rather than "hijack" Scott's thread on his DIY experience, I should start a separate thread on motor mounts. Btw, UroTrash, you CAN do all the filling from the top hole till it runs out of the open lower FILL hole? Works like a charm. It's also not a bad idea to drain the transfer case "reservior" separately and collect that oil in a clean container. Then stick a clean magnetic pick-up in the oil, swish it around, lift it out and check for medal particles. Why, you ask? There's at least one very fine thrust bearing in the transaxle assembly (may be seen in TAV. 19 of the parts book but, sorry, I don't read Italian). Several years ago I was changing the clutch and discovered that thrust bearing was pretty much destroyed in place. I have no idea why! Very scary to see but luckily no serious damage done. It's a simple check for anyone to do while changing the gear lube. Bill
Bill - indeed, the parts book is absolutely incorrect vis-a-vis the motor mounts. If you had to shim your mounts to allow the shift rod to clear then you have the motor mounts as per the book, and opposite of reality. This has been discussed previously in various forums, and a real pain in the RRR if you have not been down this road before. First time engine installers spend many hours chasing down this issue. Yes, you may fill the transmission via the fill hole on top of the transfer gear case. HOWEVER, you must wait a consideral amount of time to check the fluid level at the lower fill plug. Conventional wisdom is that once oil starts to drip out of the lower fill hole you are set to go. Plug her up and drive away. Unforturnately, owing to the viscosity of 90 weight oil, and the considerable distance and narrow orifice of the communicating conduit, once oil starts to drip out of the lower fill hole there is still a great deal of oil making its way out of the transfer case. As a result, it is likely that you have overfilled the transmission....a problem worse than death. Jim S.
Jim, thanks for the warning. I remember waiting forever for the gear lube to stop trickling out the rear opening but I was patient. I also understood why it was taking so long . . . "80W-90" sort of tells the story. I also remember when I first got into Dinos many years ago, trying to refill the transaxle thru that same hole using a handheld "suction pump." Whew, what a mess! I'm so glad I discovered the secret--the plug at the top of the transfer case. Here's another observation and possible help in this thread. I highly recommend that the transfer case be drained separately from its bottom plug with the lube going into a small separate clean container. Then take any kind of clean magnetic pick-up ("pencil magnet"), immerse it in the lube, swish it around, retract it and check for metal particles. Why, you ask? Several years ago I was putting in a new clutch and when I took off the transfer case housing and inspected those gears, I noted a very fine, thin thrust bearing behind one of the gears that had pretty much self-destructed. I have no idea why this had happened. The part is shown in TAV. 19 of the parts book, item #9, the inner one I think. I replaced both. In any case, this simple check may save a lot of future anguish. The drain plug on the main transaxle casing has a magnet built-in, I believe. That would show metal particles from throughout the system. I don't remember the transfer case having a built-in magnet which could catch debris somewhat specific to those gears. So much to learn, so little time! Bill
Oh yes, you can easily do this. In fact, the first step in my procedure was "remove the transaxle fill plug" and was relaying past experience where I needed to but couldn't so had to fill from the gear box. It helps if you do it on a hot day, but isn't necessary.
As I have a problem with the shift shaft oil leak(seperate thread)I thought Iwould take your advice and check the oil level you know stick your finger in and search for the stuff,after the car was cheers mateon the blocks I found the elusive nut,bugger me you were right cant budge it so kept reading,other alternative was to fill the gear box through another spot above the clutch housing can you let me know where abouts exactly I will drain the oil and put exact amount required in, a photo would be great Its so helpful to check out your photos.Will have to get a new filler nut will be a hoist job to get the bugger out.cheers mate.
