Axle boot installation - Swing axle split boots

That's pretty much it Bob. Working on your back up in there while putting in all those little machine screws the blood always runs out of my arms where I have to take little pauses every-so-often is the worst part........Bruce

You got it, Bruce! Next time I'm putting this thing on a lift to do this stuff. It takes two to four times longer cause of the struggle just to get to stuff, get the right angle and not have your arms give out. I now remember why I quit working on cars years ago.

Axle boots have been replaced. 

Any recommendation on brand of 80 or 90 wt. transmission fluid? 

Valvoline is nice.  They've got a 75W90 if you want easier winter shifting, too.

Thanks, Gordon. Having moved a couple of years ago to Northwest Florida from just west of Stanistan in Illinois, I don't have an issue with real cold weather anymore. It still makes sense though.

If you haven't already, make sure the splits face the rear of the car, Bob. And when when you think the trans if full, let it sit a few minutes and then check it again. Sometimes it takes a while to go everywhere it's supposed to. Al

Thanks, Al.

The splits face to the rear at between 2 and 3 o'clock to the top of the axle. 

I'll give it plenty of time for gravity to work. Great advice, thanks!

The ones I replaced had the splits pointed straight up, and the driver side had a 2 inch tear just below split. The other one was fine. 

Check your lube level after you have driven for a while......    Sweeping turns and such will put lube down the axel tubes to the outter bearings and lower the level inside the box......   Just something to keep in mind.

Thanks, Leon. Great point.

There's lots of debate about gear oil with VW guys. It's made to be a lot more complicated that it should be (there's a 100 page thread over on theSamba about it). Some guys swear that the world will end if you use GL5, and you should should only use GL4 oil from somebody's cold-war bomb-shelter/bunker. I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid. GL5 works just fine.

I'm running ridiculously overpriced Swepco oil that's as rare as shards of the true cross (here). Honestly, almost any quality 75w90 semi-synthetic oil works really, really well. I've run house-brand oil from Farm-'n-Fleet, and it worked fine. The oil Gordon recommends is a step up. The trans will shift nicer than with straight-weight dino oil, even in paradise. 

Thanks, Stan. Sifting through the "literature" a good 75w90 makes sense.

I went a step further with the oil. I bought some Redline Shockproof Synthetic. Because: The way I drive? Maybe!

Looks like Pepto Bismol. I put it in after initial break-in of about 500 miles(to Carlisle and back last year) I think it cost about 70 smacks or so, from Summit.

And about those boots, I use only OE seamless. You can stretch them over the bell end of the axle tube, I've seen it done. But the trans and axles were out. You would at least have to take the axles out, and deal with those nasty HD circlips.

P.S. : I ground a groove in some LONG needle nose pliers to turn the circlip job into a piece of cake.

DannyP posted:

I went a step further with the oil. I bought some Redline Shockproof Synthetic. Because: The way I drive? Maybe!

Looks like Pepto Bismol. I put it in after initial break-in of about 500 miles(to Carlisle and back last year) I think it cost about 70 smacks or so, from Summit.

ran that pink stuff in my BMW 1150RT cycle in the rear end, good stuff, never had any problems.....I like Redline lubes/oil, pricey but excellent products.

im running their 5w30 motor oil in my latest ride. its group 5 ester based syn oil..

I'll bet old George Brown used only GL-4 that came from the fatherland. That thread on the SAMBA is, well, yawn!

GL-5 is fine.