Transmission Fluid Level Check From Speedo Cable Hole?

[rs899]

I know that the level is supposed to be above the check hole level on the side (for most of the older trannies used on the MkII).  I only add fluid from the top through the speedo cable port.

Has anyone measured the distance from the top of the case to the proper fluid level?

Does anyone have any ideas/fixes for some sort of gauge to watch this level?

[theman53]

yes the hillbilly site has a deal where you can make a dipstick out of a 3/8" bolt and some washers and nuts. Most here have said that if it is 1/2 way up the gear that is good.

[rs899]

I wonder if there is some way to take a spare plug and modify it somehow.  Sight glass, float? tap a small hole... Only thing is tranny fluid is so viscous and tricky to read.

[wolf_walker]

There's casting change on the 020, check out brokevw's site for info.

[8v-of-fury]

With the casting change.. it is because the mk1 sits the engine at a very slight different angle than mk2, mk3.

The gear as far as I know does not differ between case generations and thus fluid half way up the gear or slightly more would be a good indicator of enough fluid.

[wolf_walker]

I figure when it pops out of 5th it's low.  
The thing to mind with the casting change is not all transmissions are in there original application,
and there are some that will fit in A1 or A2 chassis.



Actually I'm pretty obsessive over trans fluid level, and I've never had a good trans go bad in any way because of it,
good level, good fluid, good driving habits, they last indefinitely, take away any one of those three and they do not.
The one in my 82 now is noisy but shifts "OK", I have a 7A stashed back east I've got to get someone to mail me
one of these days.

And I could go on about the bad output shaft flange/seal design, there's an interesting history of VW trying,
and mostly failing, to make them not leak/rattle/wear out.

[8v-of-fury]

Mine leak already.. one year to the date almost that i replaced all the trans seals.

[wolf_walker]

Mine leak already.. one year to the date almost that i replaced all the trans seals.

Feel your pain there. 
You can get longer life before leaks, but it's spensive.

[somolovitch3]

Next time you have accses to the center of the drive flange, put in a 8-1.25 mm x 6mm Allen set screw with some locktite and then replace the final drive seal.

[8v-of-fury]

Next time you have accses to the center of the drive flange, put in a 8-1.25 mm x 6mm Allen set screw with some locktite and then replace the final drive seal.

T ostop the leak and flange play??

[wolf_walker]

The very late 100mm flanges, with the visibly heat treated spline area(most aren't), and peliquin shim kit are the only way I've found
to (sorta) stop the leaks.  The seal surface area of the flange is reportedly harder to decrease wear, and the obvious spline area hardening reduces tendency to
wiggle and side load the seals.  This, along with obvious seal wearing of a groove in the flange, is what produces leaks.  Differential bearing wear will also produce
a wiggle of the same sort, just from further in.  Most of these boxes with over 100K on em wiggle one place or another. 
It's an iffy design. 
VW made efforts to minimize the leaky nature of em over the course of the 020's life, but it's just sorta part of the deal.
There has been some success with using redi-sleeves on the flange seal contact area but they still wiggle unless
they are sprung pretty strong from behind and the splines/diff bearings aren't worn too far of course.

I wondered briefly about bolting the things in using the removal tool threaded hole as well, but figured that was way too
obvious a solution to at least some of the wiggle to not have been done from the factory, so I decided to not experiment.
I'm still curious though.

I have the most early small seal no spring 90mm setup in mine, I dressed and polished the flange seal surface and
one is weeping more than leaking, but I don't expect that to last.  I have yet to hear a flange rattle which is an often
quoted reason for the addition of the springs.  I think it was trying to keep them from side loading the seals and leaking
myself, but over the diesel noise maybe one just can't hear the flanges rattle? 
If I had a really cherry trans I'd have the later setup with either the heat treated 100mm flanges or
redi-sleeve em.  I've dicked around with so many leaks and crap with 020's at this point I think I'd
strongly consider swapping to a newer box as relatively easy as it is these days.

Credit for most of my understanding of this setup goes to brokevw.com and chickenfriend on Vortex.

[8v-of-fury]

This last post is extremely intriguing. I wanted to check out the peloquin shim kit deal that goes in the flanges.. and it seems to do exactly what you suspect will cause the wiggle to stop.. as well as add a touch of an LSD.

However I have a slightly lowered car and although I have 90mm axles.. I fear it will still reach in there and self machine itself out and cause me hell.

There does seem to be quite the extreme leak there however.. A good drip spot EVERY TIME I park the car.. Like I said on fresh everything regarding that sealing business. Even new green sleeve! Gah. PITA. No money to swap my 02A

[wolf_walker]

Just one of those things with an 020 in my experience.  They all leak, I try and clean em off now and again so I can see if it gets bad.
I check the oil every other oil change unless it's spotting noticably. 

I'd be willing to bet my ass that one could spend the grand+ on a total top notch rebuild with the best parts, and it'd still have loose flanges/diff bearings and be weeping if not leaking in 100K. 

Newer trans swap is the way as you said.  Maybe next year.

[srgtlord]

You know, you could glue the seals in place. I used some special permatex gear oil resistant sealant around the edged of the seals. I did this the second time around because the damn seals leaked AROUND the outside. I also used the nonhardening permatex 2a on the flange caps to keep them in place ( I had a bad experience where 1 popped out and wrecked a cv joint)

[wolf_walker]

I silicone the caps around the edge too.  It will indeed wreck a CV.