308 QV Gear Oil Change

* What I do is put about 4 1/2 quarts in, then remove jack stands and just using the floor jack, return the car to level to let the excess come out, then jack up the car, install jack stands, install and tighten the drain plug.

 

its normal

 

Michael,
You are right. I never even noticed that in his article or when I posted it on my site. I will amend that. The thing should take 4 quarts in the tranny plus a few more ounces in the transfer case. I buy 5 quarts and put it in through the transfer case filler until it comes overflowing out of the tranny filler. It takes about 4.5 quart IIRC.

To be fair to Robert and his write up....he never says you put in 6 quarts. He says you buy 6 quarts, and then in his description he explains that you add it until it comes out of the overflow on the tranny filler. What should be added in there is that it should take under 5 quarts to accomplish this.

Birdman

 

thanks for the replies, and clarification. i was just wondering.

i have had so many cars, they start to blur together when you are working under them. not a good thing.

i did the change with the 4 quarts i had, and ordered some more for future use / top up.

stuff that came out was clear as glass, and the last service was in 1999, but only 2000 miles or so.

i have done all the fluids and have only the fuel filter left to change as preventative / time based maintenance. i will do it when i add that last 1/2 quart to the gearbox, as the Qv fuel filter is located forward of the LH rear wheel arch. ( i went ahead and sprayed the fitting with some pb blaster)

aint 308's fun!

 

Another helpful hint I learned from a very seasoned mechanic, if you heat up a bolt to free it up, apply candlewax to the bolt after heating and before loosening. The wax lubricates the threads, wicks in, and helps facilitate removal of the stubborn part.

 

I just did the same service on my 87 328. First, I make it a practice to make sure I can get the fill plug out before I drain. It would just ruin the day if I drained and then could not get the fill plug out! What I found to work the best on the 328 was to use a 12 mm allen head wrench from the local Ace Hardware store with a long closed end 12mm wrench. The extra length gave enough extra torque to break the fill plugs loose. I also made a fill system using a graduated plastic bottle (from MityVac) and then used an air blow gun with about 15 psi to push the gear fluid from the bottle into the tranny. Worked a lot better than trying to squeeze the liter bottles to push the gear oil through a tube into the fill holes, and it allowed me to measure the 3.8 oz pretty accurately.

 

Unless I miss it somewhere along the line, I didn't see anything mentioned about GL-4 And GL-5 gear oils. The GL-5 gear oils will eat your yellow metals in the transaxle. If the 308 transaxle does not have any brass parts in it then there is no problem and you are good to go with a GL-5.

Ciao,
George

 

Well, I'm joining the club -- BOTH the fill plug and the sideways facing drain plug are stuck. Don't know how you use a torch in there - you are inches from the fuel tank. I am having trouble even getting a breaker bar in there or managing any leverage (I don't have an air impact wrench) I will try the tighten method mentioned above - but I'm worried about stripping something. Not sure it will move either direction. I am thinking of actually removing the transaxle cover ( about 9 small bolts) and then dealing with the plug on the work bench. but will try penetrant next.

 

You don't have 24 inch 1/2 inch ratchet with a 10mm hex socket? Clean the allen hole well, pound the socket in, and lean on that long ratchet. A lift helps.

 

"I am thinking of actually removing the transaxle cover ( about 9 small bolts) and then dealing with the plug on the work bench. but will try penetrant next."

You will have a lot more "leverage" available with the cover mounted on the transaxle then you will with the cover on the bench. On the bench you will have to seriously lock it down somehow which could easily lead to serious damage...

As Yel, said, it WILL come out with the appropriate length breaker bar/proper socket. Mine was a real challenge as well the first time I removed it but as Archimedes (allegedly) said, "give me a lever long enough and a place to stand and I can move the earth!" So... a long breaker bar! Some anti-sieze when you put it back together will help make the next service less nerve wracking. Also, there is no need to tighten the fitting within an inch of its life. The torque setting should be: "Snug plus a tiny bit more."

 

I've usually found that the inability to remove a bolt is due to lack of the proper tools.

If it's not rounded nor corroded, you probably don't need to use fire.

 

Thanks all, the 12mm filler is stuck tight -- Yelcab - thank you --I do have a strong 1/2 breaker and 1/2 drive 12mm hex socket --- BUT from the wheel well the gas tank is kinda in the way and from above -- no room... I don't know why someone (PO ? Dealer ?) tightens a filler hole like that ? crazy -- Mike - thank you for the different perspective -- I am not going to remove the cover - you are right - much more leverage (at the cost of less space) with he cover in place. I'll keep working it .. the vertical plug is a bit chewed up so the PO or someone was really going to town on these plugs. While I'm there job is the fuel filter -- I have the right flare wrenches - but my initial efforts seemed like that was going to be tough ( little clearance) as well --- and yes -- a lift really does help - although with the wheel mud cover off - there seems to be great access - but it is deceptive. Back at it today -- can't be impatient - even with the Labor Day holiday coming up.

 

try putting a little copper antiseeze on the top plug in the transfer case after you finally get it off and before you put the copper crush washer back on the plug.
you will thank yourself next time.

 

If it's torqued correctly, antiseize isn't really necessary.

 

UPDATE: Thank you all for the experienced tips -- I was might have bailed out - appreciate it. I wound up using a squirt of PB blaster and a steel pipe as a cheater bar with a slight bend in it to clear the tank - gave me more leverage and that was what I needed to break it free. the lower fill plug was so damn tight and with jack stands I only had so much room to fight it and get leverage but I never gave up and broke it free. - bought new plugs and used anti-seize and a torque wrench to replace and refilled with Swepco 201 --

 

Use Redline MTL. Lots of debate on MTL verses the 75-90NS. If your car shifts fine with the 75-90 that is great, and that is what the factory and the Redline recommend. But the MTL will also be fine, and notably eased the shifting on my 3.2 Mondial, which I drive in near freezing temperatures right to the point where roads are salted. Shifting is perfect.

Do note that there is a shift shaft alignment which also makes a difference in shift quality. One bolt on a collar in the transmission sump secures the shaft to what actuates the shifter forks. Miniscule position differences alter the shift quality. This link helps understand how things work in there. It is possible to have a very high quality of shift, including second gear and while cold, at least on some of the cars.

http://www.dtmpower.com/ferrari308and328gearboxalignment

 

Andy, as of about a year ago, I finally switched to the Redline MTL and in fact did made a different. I can now shift from 1st to 2nd gear instantly, after decade of using the 75/90 NS which is a great gear oil, I’m glad I made the switched to MTL

 

It is surprising how what appears to be a minor viscosity reduction can have such a noticeable impact, it is one of those rare too good to be true moments that can indeed prove true. It may not solve for every gearbox, but no one seems to find worse performance with the MTL.

 

It's not just viscosity, MTL is a GL4 with a different formulation than 75W90 or 75W90NS - those are GL5 gear oils with a formulation to work with hypoid gears with higher shear forces (differentials). GL4 is just for transmissions and synchros with regular gears, not hypoid gears. The 308 transverse transmission doesn't have any hypoid gears in the differential component!

The higher viscosity GL4 version is MT90 - where MTL is a 75W80 GL4 gear oil, MT90 is the 75W90 GL4 gear oil.

I had also tried the recommended Redline 75W90 cocktail that used to be commonly recommended in the forum, then a couple of years ago switched to MTL after reading Brian (Rifledriver)'s recommendation. I was pleased with the improved cold performance and overall feel with MTL.

 

Can someone tell me where the Transmission case plug is to check the Gear Oil level? I have used the Transfer Case Filler Plug to fill the Gear Oil through. Thanks!

 

Look in your owners manual. The information is very clear.

 

I now have 5 quarts of Redline 75W 90W limited slip oil in the gearbox. I figured a few ounces over was not going to hurt as the transmission shift shaft has a very slow leak from the front seal. I will replace it with the clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing soon.