Transmission Fluid Level Check From Speedo Cable Hole?

[8v-of-fury]

Ay but I do believe earlier discussion was for the flange bushing.. No gluing possible there unfortunately.

[rallydiesel]

A tiny dipstick would be fantastic. Even my 02J is slowly leaking from the drive flange. It would be nice to be able to quickly check the level before damage is done without having to completely drain and refill the trans (on the later types).

[rs899]

^^ Yeah that fill level is BS.  I try to keep it the 1/2" above the hole, but I'll be damned if I am going to open the top port just to lose 1/2" of good Redline MTL.  OTOH, I don't want to run it low.

There's got to be a way to keep a better handle on this.....

[damac]

I thought it was just me that had these issues with resealed trans.  I do that to every one I get but they all seem to weep.  My brother was driving one of my cars when I first experienced the fifth gear blowout.  Even though I said not to keep trying for that gear if it popped out, guess what they kept doing until something blew up and rattled like hell inside the tranny.  I imagine that tranny was probably done for anyway after it first popped out but still.  I don't know what happened but he was able to get it in another gear and limp it home but something was stuck because it wouldn't swith to other gears so I threw it away.

Anyway I am so paranoid now that I drop the oil every few oil changes and refill it as if it was empty to capacity and call it good.  Hopefully that isn't a bad habit, haven't had any wet clutches or anything.

I also noticed that on later vehicles I have come across with 90mm flanges and the spring loaded system, with original vw flanges, they had wear marks where the seals are.  So I guess best bet is to stagger the seal surface on those.  I twice installed repair sleeves in my early vw days and found out in a short time later the seal had worn a groove in those as well.

All the early transmissions that I have come across like the fn and another I forget that I sought out for the gearing, have looked fine at the flanges, the type without the spring load.

[wolf_walker]

Nah they all leak and wear, it's a less than perfect design I suspect was budget driven. 

You can sleeve the seal-worn flanges, and the later one's are heat treated presumably to help prevent that wear, and internal spline wear.

I'm about as paranoid as you on the fluid level.

[theman53]

you could machine an acrylic plug to plug the trans. It holds up to temp and petrolium products well, it is also come in crystal clear....that is an answer to the above of how to get around checking. Other than that make the dipstick.

[somolovitch3]

The plug (set screw) would seal one way out of the trans into the flange area, maybe the only way?

Will not keep the final drive seal from being eaten by the drive shaft end.

Super Glue from Gorillia Glue.....................Who Knows What Evil There Is...................?

[R.O.R-2.0]

you could machine an acrylic plug to plug the trans. It holds up to temp and petrolium products well, it is also come in crystal clear....that is an answer to the above of how to get around checking. Other than that make the dipstick.

is it really that hard to pull ONE screw, pull the cable, wipe off the gear, stick it back in, and then read your oil level?

if the oil is 1/3 of the way up the gear teeth, or higher, then you are golden..

ive never seen the need for a dip stick on my trans, and it leaks a little even..

ill keep pulling the speedo cable to check my oil.. its too easy.

[bbob203]

you could machine an acrylic plug to plug the trans. It holds up to temp and petrolium products well, it is also come in crystal clear....that is an answer to the above of how to get around checking. Other than that make the dipstick.

is it really that hard to pull ONE screw, pull the cable, wipe off the gear, stick it back in, and then read your oil level?

if the oil is 1/3 of the way up the gear teeth, or higher, then you are golden..

ive never seen the need for a dip stick on my trans, and it leaks a little even..

ill keep pulling the speedo cable to check my oil.. its too easy.

not that easy on an 02a/j

[R.O.R-2.0]

you could machine an acrylic plug to plug the trans. It holds up to temp and petrolium products well, it is also come in crystal clear....that is an answer to the above of how to get around checking. Other than that make the dipstick.

is it really that hard to pull ONE screw, pull the cable, wipe off the gear, stick it back in, and then read your oil level?

if the oil is 1/3 of the way up the gear teeth, or higher, then you are golden..

ive never seen the need for a dip stick on my trans, and it leaks a little even..

ill keep pulling the speedo cable to check my oil.. its too easy.

not that easy on an 02a/j

Were talking about 020 trannies tho ;-p