PAP348 GEARBOX OIL CHANGE

Hello friends. Just another boring day here,so i thought its a good time to change my 348 gearbox oil with fresh Redline oil,that i bought last xmas before my clutch packed it in. Heres a few pics and a simple guide for those who have never done it. Its not brain surgery,well,it may be for some

The 1st pic is what you will need for the job. A few tools to remove the airbox,a set of allen key sockets,and oil drain tray,funnel and of course the new oil.
The 2nd,3rd and 4th pic shows where the filler plug is,with airbox removed. The drain plug under the car and the oil draining into the container.

1-Remove the airbox and disconnect the 2 inner 02 sensor plugs which are under the engine oil filter,so that you can get a long extension and rachet on the filler plug. You will need a 19mm allen key/socket to remove the plug. Also a good idea to make sure you can loosen the filler plug before you drain any oils,incase you cant put oil back into the gearbox.

2-You can jack the car up to get underneath it to drain the oil,but i never did. You will need a 10mm allen key/socket to loosen the drain plug. I removed the plug and let the old oil drain for around 30mins,which was more than enough. The oil was more contaminated (blacker) than i thought. The oil was changed in the major service around 3000km ago,in 2004. The old oil was Shell Synthetic Gearbox oil 80/90W.
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The 1st pic here shows the drain plug and the small amount of metal shavings on the plug. Im happy,as its nothing to worry about. The 2nd pic shows a new copper washer,that goes with the drain plug to seal. Always try and replace these when possible. The 3rd and 4th pic shows me filling the gearbox and the gearbox oil level dipstick location on the Lh side of the gearbox.

3-With all the old oil drained out,i inspected the drain plug and found minimal amount of metal on the plug which is good. I cleaned the plug up and fitted a new copper washer. The washer has an internal diameter of 22mm and an outside diameter of 30mm. Make sure you replace the drain plug washer

4-Once the drain plug and new washer are refitted,it is time to fill the gearbox with new Redline Supershock Proof lightweight oil. 75/90W. The dipstick is on the LH bottom side of the gearbox and it needs to be removed in order to check the correct oil level in the box. You will need an 17mm socket and long extensions to reach that plug/dipstick. My 348 used around 4.5 Litres of oil. Once the level is correct,refit the filler plug(a new washer here is not really needed)and the airbox and then the job is done. Mess and hassle free. Make sure you dispose of the old oil correctly also.
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Sorry mate,it was a 17mm socket.

 

Thanks for your input ferrarifixer. It is always welcomed. Later this afternoon i will take the car for a drive and let you guys know how it all went and make sure there are no silly leaks Oh,and here is a pic of my baby nephew/head mechanic Georgie overlooking the entire oil change,handing me tools,keeping me in line and making sure all bolts and drain plugs were tightend and that the oil was disposed of accordingly.
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Really?? The only reason i went with the Redline was because it was highly recomended on here by the 348 brotherhood when i looked into it a while ago. Next time the oil is changed,i will just have to put the shockproof back in wont i ?? lol. I would like to hear from the guys that actually have used it for a while now. If they have had any problems using the oil? Not recommended for synchros?? I will re-read the label on the bottle again tomorrow to double check that. I havent driven the car as of yet. Maybe i shouldnt.............

 

Thanks vern. So far,so good. Around 2mins into the drive,the oil must have pumped around the gearbox nicely as i know have really silky smooth changes. Seems ok so far. I will see how i go i guess. May switch to Redlines 70-90W GL5 next time. Or.............if i have any problems with this oil. Very nice shift at the moment. Mine is not too bad at operatine temp. Now its great when cold

 

As i mentioned earlier,the gearbox oil was changed at the major service around 3000km ago in 2004. So hasnt really done muc work,as ive done 99% of the 3000km. And i just kinda baby the car around,no track work ect.... Still,the old Shell oil must have broken down over the last 2 years.

 

I dunno mate? It really wasnt that bad. I was happy to clean it up and leave it be. I have no problems with crunching synchros ect... at the moment anyways See how we go.

 

Thanks vern, I was actually thinking the same thing. Well.......if this oil gives me grief,which i doubt,i was goin to buy some Redline 70-90GL5 as you mentioned before. Then dump the oil and refill using the GL5,i could then also inspect the plug also. From my experience though servicing every other car known to mankind, a little gunk like that never seemed to worry the gearbox. And ive serviced the same cars over and over again for the last 7 years without a problem. So im not totally worried about the crap on the plug

 

Yeah,that is a great way to keep an eye on things for sure vern.

 

I took the 348 for another spirited drive this afternoon. Still shifting super smooth. I think this Shockproof oil is here to stay