Before you fork out for the gearbox oil, check you can actually get at the filler plug first! While the diff is a doddle the gearbox can be a tad awkward - in my case another job for my local garage, more embarassment for me and more laffs for them!!
Oil and filter change- check.
All was going to plan, until I got under the car and removed two protective panels. I did that because from the position f lying on the floor, it was impossible to reach either the filter or the sump plug.
So now that I could reach the filter, all I had to do was pull the plug and unscrew the filter,right? Nope. The oil catcher I bought, caused the hot oil to bounce off it and onto the drive, so that was messy. So then came the filter. After 10 minutes of cursing the designers of the car in several languages, I reached the conclusion that I wasnāt strong enough to unscrew it by hand and there wasnāt enough space to use the filter removal band/loop tools, so I had to drive my other car up to my local car spares place in order to buy something else. Half an hour later and some Ā£27 lighter, I had a cast iron, sprung adjustable filter grabber.
Nope! Even with that, because the filter had been screwed on so tightly, it still wouldnāt budge and the ratchet handle just about had enough swing to click twice.
So it eventually came off and the job was completed but what a pain in the backside to get to. Of all the awkward places to put an oil filterā¦ Should have taken half an hour but took around three time as long to do, just because of where the filter is placed and how difficult it is to get anything onto it to remove it.
I have a two post ramp and even with that it is a pain to get at the filter.
There is also a thin copper pipe beside the filter that can get caught with certain adjustable filter removers.
After trying lots of stuff I settled on a cup wrench that has a 3/8 socket drive hole and some 3/8 wobble extension bars as it is difficult to get the cup wrench driven by normal non give extension due to the placement of the filter not being in line with the access hatch.
Donāt get me started on the placement of the filter on the Mk1 and Mk2ās.
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These are the best thing for loosening oil filters, yes they do fit. The chain, strap and finger ones tend to slip and need loads of space to even work.
You are not looking to turn the filter much, just inch it round a bit till it is loose, it is very quick and easy. Ā
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Not enough Jinba Ittai, thatās your problem.
I went to buy a cup wrench but they didnāt have one with the correct number of flutes/sides, so I bought the sprung claw thing instead.
Nick, does that properly dig into the filter like jaws ? I was quite worried about hitting one of the black pipes located nearby and neither of the band style could even fit. Damn thing wants moving to a convenient place, where I can truly Jinba Ittai with my engine.
Its tranny fluid this week and gearbox too. If the oil filter is anything to go by, need help. Any tips or tools Iāll need, aside from a sock to put in my mouth to save annoying the neighbours.
It grips, probably pretty good at getting tops of jam jars too.Ā
You can get nitrile gloves I use them at work they only cost a pound but when you take them out the bag they are a bit sticky if you get hold of the filter with a gloved hand it will shift easy , I also have a cheap vacuum pump that sucks the oil out the dipstick whole makes a change very easy
Yup. Picked up ten pairs and they are far superior to standard thin latex gloves. The next step up would be marigolds 
When I bought my mark 3, I found my gear change was a bit notchy , Iāve read this is a common problem, so want oil would you recommend to help with this issue .
Castrol Syntrans 75w 90 GL4. If you have a 5 speed you need 2 x 1 litres, if 6 speed you need a tad over 2 litres so get another bottle.
It will improve the change over time by changing the oil although expect it to be notchy, but less so. I also topped up the turret oil on mine (6 speed) and also greased the selector top ball joint on the gear stick. That made things a little smoother too.
Also think about getting hold of one of these Ā below it really does make a difference.Ā
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^^^^ Donāt mind trying that, how much tax/postage did they sting you for though?
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I found a part for my camera lense (yes totally different item) USA seller amounted to Ā£25, the part less than Ā£10.
In the end I found one in China, so cheap I bought 2. Total incl postage Ā£1.88
TheĀ Beatrush brass Shifter Collar was from hereĀ
http://rev9autosport.com/beatrush-shifter-collar.html
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Price works out, including postage, Ā at $55.99 which equates to Ā£35.74 plus customs and handling charge of Ā£11 so total Ā£46.74
Hi all,
What areĀ peoples Ā views on using a Engine Oil Extractor pump to remove most of the oilĀ
before replacing the oilĀ filter to try to cut down on the mess andĀ spillage under the car.
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NedĀ
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I have never but some say it completely sucks it all out, I canāt see how but itās been discussed a few times.
The mess is in removing the filter, the draining of the oil is not at all that bad.
Having just completed an oil and filter change on my MK3 2.0 Sport, I can confirm that aside from it all being generally quite bloody awkward, that the most difficult bit for me, was removing the over tightened filter in a space restricted area. It was also quite messy because once the filter was removed, oil continued to run and drip for at least an hour after the filter was off.
I removed two engine protection panels, used various filter wrenches after giving up using nitrile gloved hands and because the filter was so tightly fixed in place and next time itāll be a whole lot easier because I put copper grease on all the panel bolts after throughly wire brushing the rust off them and putting it all back together.
If the weather stays dry, Iāll do the transmission fluids this week as detailed above.
I find the suction pump quite good you need to turn the engine over for a bit first to mix the oil up a bit , for those that donāt know it has a long thin tube which goes down the dipstick hole into the bottom of the sump donāt forget to remove the filler cap or you will get back pressure and it wonāt come out ,
Because iād have to do this with some fairly basic home-mechanic type gear, under the car while on my concrete drive, iāve decided that for the sake of my own sanity, my local mechanic, can do the job of replacing the Diff and Gearbox oils for me.
Opie Oils have been flawless. Highly recommended.
Diff: Fuchs Titan Hyp90 Hypoid Gear Oil 80w-90 GL5 Ā£8 for 1l
Transmission: Fuchs Titan Race SYN 5 75w-90 Ā£37 for 3l
With VAT and express postage (ordered Friday, delivered Monday morning) : Ā£62.76
Without a ramp at home you have done the right thing it is just too much of a hassle when crawling underneath on the drive.
I think it says it all when one of the local club members used my lift last weekend and he is s good DIY spanner man.
He drove 15 miles to my place and said it was the first time on working on a car that the job took less time than he though it would take.
Engine oil and filter change, diff oil change and sitting in the kitchen with his hands washed tea and scones after 50 minutes.
He then drove home in time for his wife returning from work at 12:30.
Sorted.
Yeah my head tells me itās the right thing to doā¦ The thing is, that I really like to get hands on whenever I can and not being able to get under my own car, even to faff about a bit, is somewhat disappointing. Mostly because while iām under it, Iād like to take a rag to anything dirty and to replace rusty bits as I go. Thereās no way my mechanic would entertain such faffing about and so it seems that some parts will go unseen and uncared for. Iāll ask him to have a quick look about for anything untoward.
Opie oils should be arriving any minute nowā¦ he says expectantlyā¦