Re: <E30> Diff & Tranny Oils

[Ron Buchalski <rbuchals@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark,

Check again...the rear differential should hold 0.8 quarts, not 1.8 quarts.

The best oils to use in your drivetrain are Redline MTL for the transmission 
and Redline 75W90 Gear Oil for the differential.  Check out 
http://www.redlineoil.com for more information.

As far as procedures go:

* You should drain the oil when it's warm.

* The car should be level, so if you are going to raise the car, raise all 
four corners.

* Gear oil smells bad!


Transmission Oil

* Be careful around the transmission because a warm catalytic converter 
doesn't feel good to the touch.

* The transmission has a drain plug and a fill plug which both require a 
17mm hex driver (or similar tool) to remove.  I got my hex driver from 
Snap-On.

* Remove the fill plug first (it's on the right side of the transmission) 
before you remove the drain plug (it's on the bottom of the transmission).  
The plugs are tight, so you'll need to apply some strong torque to loosen 
them (1/2" ratchet works for me).

* Clean all of the metal filings from the magnetic drain plug.

* Since the magnetic drain plug and the fill plug are the same size, they 
can be mixed up.  Only the drain plug has the magnet.  Be sure to put the 
plugs back in the proper holes (magnetic drain plug in the bottom hole).

* Filling the transmission is a pain in the ass.  I use a hand pump (looks 
like a pump from liquid soap or hand lotion, but larger) to pump the oil 
from the bottles into the transmssion.  If you have two people you can 
possibly use a funnel with a long tube attached to it, so one person can 
pour oil into the funnel from the engine compartment and the other person 
can monitor progress and remove the hose when the transmission is full.

* Fill the transmission while the car is level.  Add oil slowly when it is 
almost full, and continue until oil begins to flow out of the fill hole.

* Put the fill plug back in place.

* Make sure both plugs are tight.


Differential Oil

* Draining and filling the rear differential will require a 10mm hex tool.  
A 10mm hex driver and ratchet will work well.

* There are two plugs: a drain plug at the bottom of the rear cover, and a 
fill plug near the top of the rear cover.  Both plugs face the rear of the 
car.  Remove the fill plug before you remove the drain plug.

* Both fill plug and drain plug use metal crush washers to seal between the 
plug and differential cover.  Get new crush washers from your dealer 
(they're cheap, so get extras for next time).

* You'll need to use the hand pump to fill the rear differential.  I don't 
think that there's a way to fill it with a funnel and tube.

* Fill the differential until oil begins to flow out of the fill hole.

* Don't forget to put the fill plug back when you're done filling the 
differential.


Have fun!

- -rb

>------------------------------
>
>Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 10:48:58 -0400
>From: Mark Holbrook <holbrook@domain.elided>
>Subject: <E30> Diff & Tranny Oils
>
>This is for an '89 325i, 5-speed, LS diff.
>
>My owner's manual calls for 1.32 quarts of "Reputable non-hypoid gearbox
>oil, SAE 80, MIL-L-2105 or API-GL 4" for the transmission and 1.8 quarts
>of "Reputable hypoid gearbox  oil, SAE 90 (GL-5)" for the rear end.
>However, the Bentley manual has a footnote that calls for some BMW
>special oil for the rear end.  The parts guy at the nearest dealer said,
>"Huh? We just use the same stuff for everything, out of a big drum out
>back."  ("Everything" in this case may include Pontiacs, Mazdas,
>Volkswagens, and a few other marques besides BMW, this dealer being a
>large multi-brand one who recently consolidated their various parts
>departments into one, undoubtedly to no external customer's
>satisfaction, but I digress.)
>
>So, if anyone would like to straighten me out about what to use (and
>why) I'd appreciate it.  And of course, any tips and/or pointers about
>procedure will be appreciated.
>
>- --
>Mark (Holbrook@domain.elided)                    "Back roads. Period."
>http://www.net1plus.com/users/holbrook/mark.htm
>
>------------------------------


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