Yet another thread on oil Options

[Tobra]

I have been driving an AC VW for the last two dozen years, never did switch to a full flow oil filter. On that car, I changed the oil about each 1500-2000 miles, and adjusted the valves every other oil change.

On the Type IV, you got the full flow on there to start. Should I continue doing changes at the same frequency as on the bug, and do the filter and valves about each 3000-4000, or is this going to mess me up?

Typically did Transaxle oil changes every 24 months or 15,000 miles, used 80W90 Castrol Gear oil in the bug tranny, Valvoline 30W in the engine, will these be cool for the 914? I know, total newbie type questions, but this is a slightly different animal than the bug

[Cap'n Krusty]

The book says your car gets oil and valve adjustment every 5K. I like 3K, the same as bug motors. You never have to change the gear oil unless it leaks out or you need to do the tranny. (Or you want to look at the drain plug magnet!) It doesn't wear out, and doesn't get contaminated wit combustion byproducts like engine oil. Any GOOD GL-5 will do. NOT GL-4 like the T1/2/3/4 trannies. They use a different kind of synchros, and GL-4 will kill yours. NO slippery additives, either. EVER. The Cap'n

[SGB]

changing oil every 1500 miles can only help your engine's longevity. And although contamination is not a major concern with transaxle oil, it does eventually lose some of its effectiveness due to shearing forces...

[Tobra]

Sorry, it is valvoline 80W-90 I have been using. It is MT-1, GL-5 and is sold at local VW parts store(FLAPS, that kills me still) for use in T-1. Supposedly this is cool in the T-1 transaxle, apparently the MT-1 designation means it is GL-4 and GL-5, with nothing to hurt the brass(I always felt this to be an urban myth, my bug's tranny is just fine, and have been running the same valvoline gear oil with nary a sound in lo these many years.) There is a GL-5 plus that has some sort of sulfur compound that would chew things up, but this stuff seems okay. I have always felt you should change the transaxle oil every few years. While it would not oxidize like engine oil, it still would be likely to degrade some from heat and age, and it is way cheaper than a tranny rebuild. While I am under there, why not.