Fluid Headache for the Manual Transmission...

[zodman]

I ordered transmission fluid from Sunset, and it arrived late Christmas Eve, and I put the fluid in the transmission while it was out of the car...It was Amber in color and thin, fairly clear. It didn't quite have that pungy aroma of transmission fluid.

I sent off and email to the guy that handles my order thru Sunset, asking him to double check what he sent me and indeed he filled the bottles with a non S type of fluid, and he is sending me a new package of the correct fluid.

Since the fluid is in the tranny now, once it is drained out through the plug at the bottom and the correct fluid put in, will having that residue from the incorrect fluid be harmful to the transmission?

The car won't be started until the proper fluid is in the car.

Again...the car is a 2001 S 6-speed Manual Boxster.

Edited December 27, 2013 by zodman

[JFP in PA]

I ordered transmission fluid from Sunset, and it arrived late Christmas Eve, and I put the fluid in the transmission while it was out of the car...It was Amber in color and thin, fairly clear. It didn't quite have that pungy aroma of transmission fluid.

I sent off and email to the guy that handles my order thru Sunset, asking him to double check what he sent me and indeed he filled the bottles with a non S type of fluid, and he is sending me a new package of the correct fluid.

Since the fluid is in the tranny now, once it is drained out through the plug at the bottom and the correct fluid put in, will having that residue from the incorrect fluid be harmful to the transmission?

The car won't be started until the proper fluid is in the car.

Again...the car is a 2001 S 6-speed Manual Boxster.

I have no idea what he is talking about; there is no difference between the S and non S manual gear box lubricants....................... :eek:

That said, if you are concerned about cleaning out whatever he originally sent you, have him send you an extra quart to run through the trans with the drain plug out, which should push out whatever is in there........

[zodman]

All I know is that the fluid didn't seem right. As for "what" type of fluid it is...."non s manual fluid"/automatic tranny fluid/clutch fluid I don't know.

What I do know was his response when I asked him to verify what he sent me:

"I double checked and no it looks like we sent you the non S fluid. I can send out the S fluid today for you. Trying to follow the graphs for the fluid I must have jumped a line and sent standard Boxter fluid."

If the T-fluids for Boxsters has changed since 2001, with the introduction of PDK, he may of meant that...I just don't know.

[Loren]

As long as it is NOT Burmah oil you are fine...

(click to enlarge)

[JFP in PA]

Leave the drain plug out of the trans until the new stuff arrives so it drains as much as possible, and then run some of the new fluid through the gear box before putting the drain plug in, you should be fine.

[zodman]

What is the color of the Burmah stuff? And it's normal application in Porsche flavored vehicles is for tiptronics?

Edited December 27, 2013 by zodman

[JFP in PA]

What is the color of the Burmah stuff? And it's normal application in Porsche flavored vehicles is for tiptronics?

The Burmah product was for five speed manual gear boxes way back when, and was amber in color (as is the Shell product). I wasn't sure they even carried anymore as the Shell product covers both the 5 and 6 speed gearboxes.

[flyingpenguin]

Zodman, can you retrieve the bottle of the supposedly "wrong" tranny fluid?

Right now you're just guessing what's in there. For all I know it could be ATF or regular motor oil...

JP

[zodman]

If ever I can mate the bloody transmission to the engine...Right now the tranny is still on the jack, and I can't drain the fluid until it's mated back to the engine. Trying to mate it to the engine as gently as possible has been the most difficult thing about this job. It should go in like 'buttah' but getting everything aligned properly so the pinion arrives at the cradle of the pilot bearing has been a bear.

I just don't have the strength after the operation I had last January to do it by myself. The goal post is in sight...and now I get a charley horse at the five-yard line.

I know it isn't regular motor oil, but it isn't what was in there previously. Once I get it on the engine, and the jack removed, I'll just let it drain until the replacement fluid arrives....Maybe even run an off the shelf transmission fluid thru it for good measure.

For now, I'm going to try to source some steel rods close to the same size as the case bolts for the transmission to help me align it proper.

Edited December 31, 2013 by zodman

[JFP in PA]

If ever I can mate the bloody transmission to the engine...Right now the tranny is still on the jack, and I can't drain the fluid until it's mated back to the engine. Trying to mate it to the engine as gently as possible has been the most difficult thing about this job. It should go in like 'buttah' but getting everything aligned properly so the pinion arrives at the cradle of the pilot bearing has been a bear.

My assistant is spatially challenged, and explaining things to him about how crucial this is to get right is like trying to pour a cup of molasses in Antarctica...Don't get me wrong, he's a great kid, it just isn't what he is engineered to do.

As for myself, I just don't have the strength after the operation I had last January to do it by myself. The goal post is in sight...and now I get a charley horse at the five-yard line.

I know it isn't regular motor oil, but it isn't what was in there previously. Once I get it on the engine, and the jack removed, I'll just let it drain until the replacement fluid arrives....Maybe even run an off the shelf transmission fluid thru it for good measure.

For now, I'm going to try to source some steel rods close to the same size as the case bolts for the transmission to help me align it proper.

Go to Lowes and buy longer versions of a couple of the bell housing bolts, cut their heads off and screw them in finger tight; that makes an excellent alignment guide and support to help get the gearbox back in.

[zodman]

Thanks JFP, am about to do that...though a Home Despot is closer...I'll check there first.

[JFP in PA]

Thanks JFP, am about to do that...though a Home Despot is closer...I'll check there first.

I'm sure they have the same collection of nuts and bolts.

[zodman]

Finally received the right fluid for the Trans....Had the right smell too. I don't know what the other fluid was, but it sure didn't smell like this did...

All that's left to do now is stick on the muffler, recharge the battery, finish topping off the coolant, pop on the rear suspension and the dressing....

And fix just one more thing.....The rear backup light switch was yanked off of its connectors by an over-eager assistant...It's a real easy fix, popping it back on so it'll be easily plugged back onto the Transmission. Trouble is, I don't know which wire is for which. I've got the two tab B's on the transmission itself, with one of the tabs towards the rear of the car, the other towards the passenger seat. Then I've got the two wires with their respective tab A's. One with red(I'm assuming this is the hot wire) and black the other with blue and black. Then I have the connector, that the two wires slide into, with one of the channels labeled 1 the other, 2.

I tried to see if there was a 1 - 2 labeled on the transmission where it connects but I don't see it stamped at the connection point. Do you know which is which?

And again thanks for your help in this.

Z

[Loren]

The switch has labels on it (A1 and A2).

A1 goes to black/blue wire.

A2 goes to black/red wire.

[zodman]

The switch has labels on it (A1 and A2).

A1 goes to black/blue wire.

A2 goes to black/red wire.

Thanks...I would have wired it backwards.

[Dennis Nicholls]

 

I ordered transmission fluid from Sunset, and it arrived late Christmas Eve, and I put the fluid in the transmission while it was out of the car...It was Amber in color and thin, fairly clear. It didn't quite have that pungy aroma of transmission fluid.

 

I sent off and email to the guy that handles my order thru Sunset, asking him to double check what he sent me and indeed he filled the bottles with a non S type of fluid, and he is sending me a new package of the correct fluid. 

 

Since the fluid is in the tranny now, once it is drained out through the plug at the bottom and the correct fluid put in, will having that residue from the incorrect fluid be harmful to the transmission?

 

The car won't be started until the proper fluid is in the car. 

 

 

Again...the car is a 2001 S 6-speed Manual Boxster.

 

 

I have no idea what he is talking about; there is no difference between the S and non S manual gear box lubricants....................... :eek:

 

 

I just got a confusing email from Sunset.  I have a base 986 with 5MT, and requested a quote for qty. 3 of 1-liter bottles of 75W-90 Porsche gear oil, part # 999 917 564 00.  Sunset told me that's ONLY for the 6MT.  They said I should ONLY use Porsche part # 000 043 304 71 for my 5MT which ONLY comes in 20 liter containers for $$$$XXXX.

[JFP in PA]

 

 

I ordered transmission fluid from Sunset, and it arrived late Christmas Eve, and I put the fluid in the transmission while it was out of the car...It was Amber in color and thin, fairly clear. It didn't quite have that pungy aroma of transmission fluid.

 

I sent off and email to the guy that handles my order thru Sunset, asking him to double check what he sent me and indeed he filled the bottles with a non S type of fluid, and he is sending me a new package of the correct fluid. 

 

Since the fluid is in the tranny now, once it is drained out through the plug at the bottom and the correct fluid put in, will having that residue from the incorrect fluid be harmful to the transmission?

 

The car won't be started until the proper fluid is in the car. 

 

 

Again...the car is a 2001 S 6-speed Manual Boxster.

 

 

I have no idea what he is talking about; there is no difference between the S and non S manual gear box lubricants....................... :eek:

 

 

I just got a confusing email from Sunset.  I have a base 986 with 5MT, and requested a quote for qty. 3 of 1-liter bottles of 75W-90 Porsche gear oil, part # 999 917 564 00.  Sunset told me that's ONLY for the 6MT.  They said I should ONLY use Porsche part # 000 043 304 71 for my 5MT which ONLY comes in 20 liter containers for $$$$XXXX.

 

 

The five speeds were using a different gear oil produced called Burmah (TAF 21) under the old part number N 052 911 C0, which comes in 20L containers.  I would ask if they could fill a few liter containers for you, they have done it before.

Porsche Boxster Transmission Oils.pdf

[Dennis Nicholls]

John,

 

But you said in the quote I copied from 27 December 2013 that the 5MT and 6MT used the same lube.  That PDF is dated 2000 so it's somewhat out of date.

 

Both Suncoast and ECS Tuning sell the 999 917 546 00 lube for both kinds of manual transmissions.

 

EDIT  That PDF states that 999 917 546 00 is approved for manual transmissions, presumably both kinds.

 

The PDF also says the Burmah stuff is NOT approved for the Boxster S transmission.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Dennis Nicholls

[JFP in PA]

John,

 

But you said in the quote I copied from 27 December 2013 that the 5MT and 6MT used the same lube.  That PDF is dated 2000 so it's somewhat out of date.

 

Both Suncoast and ECS Tuning sell the 999 917 546 00 lube for both kinds of manual transmissions.

 

I guess I'm just confused.

 

In 2000, the PDF data was the spec for the car, which is what they are looking at, hence their response.  The early five speeds used different lubricants, supposedly because of the alloy used in the syncro rings.

 

The S gearbox would be a six speed, and used a different lubricant (999 917 546 00) at the time.  While the five speed "brew" would be better, you can run the 999 917 546 00 if they will no longer repackage the five speed oil.

[JFP in PA]

Sorry for the rag-tag response, it is pick-up time at the shop and everyone seems want to talk to me today for some reason or another.