Trans fluid change

[MegaHertz]

So i've noticed on longer drives the shift stick starts to get rather warm and on my last trip i heard a slight whine which seemed to be coming from under the shifter (my rear does whine a little but this was a new whine). I plan on changing out the fluid in my T5 tonight (not a flush tho). What is the best way to drain? Jack up front and remove the drive shaft or put a hose in the fill hole and pump out?

[techsan23]

Re: Trans fluid change

I've always used a siphon pump to pump the trans fluid out, and back in.

[Docta]

Re: Trans fluid change

My T-5 has a drain plug? It's a 3/8s....

[MegaHertz]

Re: Trans fluid change

Drain plug would be so much better. I haven't even gone to look for the fill plug yet. Where is said drain plug? (Haven't really looked for it yet)

[Docta]

Re: Trans fluid change

I'll get a picture if I can later. Mine is passenger side, set 6" under the fill.

[MegaHertz]

Re: Trans fluid change

I found it - figured I'd change the engine oil while i was at it as well. Took me way longer to drag the tools and supplies out of the garage than to actually change the fluids (I'm glad I picked up a transfer pump - $12 well spent). Took it for about a 15 mile test drive after. Tranny was rather warm when I got back. Differential was even warmer (guessing somewhere between 140* and 160*). I went to check the fluid level and it came spurting out so I jacked up the fill side a bit more and refilled what I could with lucas oil stabalizer. I'm don't think the used rear end I got and put in was in great shape (had a leaking pinion seal which I had fixed but who knows how long it was run with little fluid in it). It's now a guessing game of what dies first - the tranny or the differential. Really bad timing as I'm getting married in under a month and need the car do pick up fiance from airport and go on honeymoon and breaking down would kinda suck in either situation.

[MegaHertz]

Re: Trans fluid change

So I decided I might as well take the cover off the differential and put new fluid in as the old stuff smelled nasty. I was greeted with quite the collection of filings on the magnet. Also I'm kicking myself for not taking pictures of it when I put it in. Would be nice to gauge the wear since then. Found specs of the old rtv so I scraped that off and put a new layer on. Was quite tricky to maneuver the cover on without dropping the panhard (I think thats what the big diagonal suspension bar is called). From what I could see the wear seemed to be concentrated on the ring and pinion interface. I'll post some pics and go and get my usb cable out of the car in a few. The thing always whined since I put it in last fall but got much worse after a long drive on the highway this past weekend and is now more of a whir than a whine if that makes any sense (pitch is lower but louder - directly proportional to wheel speed and sounds to be coming from the back)was the longest since it went in). The differential gets warmer than I would hope after a 10 mile drive with a mix of 45 and 65 zones so I'm guessing on the 130 mile each way drive last weekend cooked the oil and started to wear more quickly. I guess I should go get that cable and put up the pics as I can't think of anything else to describe whats going on.

[MegaHertz]

Re: Trans fluid change

Pics are here - http://imgur.com/a/XijS1
I'm thinking I need a new ring/pinion and will have everything installed correctly by a local transmission shop. Hopefully the LSD is still ok.