T3 gearbox oil

kombi kountry Seriously Crusin Dubber

172 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 24 Jul 2006, 1:54 pm

#514871

This topic may be better suited to the Tech section, but for now:

The T3 owners manual says the gearbox oil (i'm refering to the manual) doesn't need replacing.....what do you guys think?

MickH Hairy Gutted Sloth

3,389 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 24 Jul 2006, 2:37 pm

#514883

Leave it....unless you are a rubber coated octopus with a hell of a lot of spare time and the correct replacement oil..dont bother.:cussing

[ Edited on 24-7-06 by Mick H ]

tssnq.com.au

kombi kountry Seriously Crusin Dubber

172 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 27 Sep 2006, 12:01 pm

#538566

You talking from experience? 🙂

Menangler wrote:Don't believe the manual,
It also says the coolant is to stay in for the life of the engine, and we all know the consequences of that!!
Also says not change the gear oil.

Seems as though there are some differing views. Don't want to start a fight or anything.

Would people be more inclined to change the oil if they didn't have to do it themselves (i.e. let the mechanic do it)? Suppose i'll ask the local VW bloke how much he charges.

A friend that had a T3 said something about replacing the gearbox oil with the kind used in the syncro's (something to do with better quality). Anyone heard similar?

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 27 Sep 2006, 1:24 pm

#538578

Hi,
I presume you are talking about a T3 kombi and Not a type 3 Volkswagen squareback/notch or fastback??

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

kombi kountry Seriously Crusin Dubber

172 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 27 Sep 2006, 3:45 pm

#538628

yeah T3 kombi's. had any experience with them?

Menangler Custom Title Time!

1,991 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 27 Sep 2006, 6:21 pm

#538686

Personally I would change it, the manual also says you never have to change the coolant!!!

I use Valvoline 80-90 gear oil, although some people use a full synthetic gear oil, $$$$

FAHRVERGNUGEN;
Description of a pleasurable sensation,
Experienced when a car and it's driver are in mutual harmony, A unique driving experience, Pleasure, Satisfaction,
A feeling experienced by Volkswagen Drivers.

greedy53 Bishop of Volkswagenism

3,062 posts · joined Mar 2006 · 27 Sep 2006, 7:09 pm

#538703

oil in aqnything is like girlfriends should be changed regulary

👍👍😂🙅🥷😬🤓

kombi kountry Seriously Crusin Dubber

172 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 28 Sep 2006, 8:57 am

#538878

haha...good point greedy.

Thanks for the info Menangler

kombi kountry Seriously Crusin Dubber

172 posts · joined Oct 2003 · 2 Jan 2007, 8:05 am

#561584

As mentioned in another post, took my t3 to the mechanic for a look over/major service and he was quick to check and subsequently change the gearbox oil. Very glad he did so and only took him a couple of minutes with the car already on the hoist.

I don't think the previous owner had changed the oil (which i think is a shame), and not sure whether the one before that (the original owner) had, but it definitely needed it (the oil had gone very ghosty).

So here's hoping not too much damage had been done to the gearbox over the last couple of years due to a lack of oil changing!

So in summing up i agree with the above 2 comments that the t3's gearbox oil (just like any other gearbox i presume) should be changed regularly despite what the owners manual says. From reading the intro to the manual and other marketing material from the era it seems as though one of vw's selling points of the t3 was the fact that it would require (well at least from their viewpoint) very little servicing (i.e. coolant and gearbox oil) and thus excluded these from the routine service manual.