well,lately it would seem as if I didnt have bad luck I wouldnt have any at all. I am trying to make my 68 elk a good driver,,,,I had the front end alighned ,and the tires balanced,,so the car is riding decent(still seems like it feels too many smaller bumps though),,but it IS steering srraight :)anyway I went to check the Trans oil level(muncie m 20) and a dark,greyish oil spilled out when I removed the side plug. So now I am wondering how DO I remove and replace the oil??? there isnt a bottom drain plug that I can see on a M20...is my trans goin to be toast soon or what? Also is it better to check the fluid level when the drivetrain is cold? I do like this car,and am not gonna give up,,without a fight! but mabey without $$$$$$ LOL not! Any and all suggestions welcome!!!! Thanks Guys.. Joe aka Tintop55

Joe, you might check out your local lube & tune shop,they have a vacuum thing that can suck out the oil out of transmissions and rear ends.it wont get all of it,but it will get 99% of it out.with out a drain plug your options are limited.otherwise i know snap on sells a suction gun that looks like a grease gun with about a 1/2 inch hose on the end so you can do the same thing yourself,hope this helps, Dave

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team chevelle#196
69 turbocharged 350
texas

You can insert a length of small hose into the fill hole or bend a length of copper tubing and slip a piece of hose over it and siphon it out.

You can, and this is going to stir up some controversy, install a magnetic drain plug with the tranny in the car. To do this in the car, leave the oil in the tranny. You need to drill all the way through the lower boss for a drain plug. When you drill through, the oil rushing out will wash out most, if not all, alum particles. Use a 1/2in pipe thread tap and tap the threads. Periodically back out the tap and clean off the alum particles. Occasionally test fit the plug so that you don't tap too deep. When finished, use your little finger (or your kid's small finger) to reach in the hole and sweep out what you can get out (which won't be much). IF ANYTHING should remain inside, remember it is only alum and not as tough as hardened steel gears. I have done this before for customers and never had a report of a problem later on. Scary, right? Don't worry about it. Or, don't do it.
I will never understand why the early Muncies (pre-70) did not get drain plugs. The early T-10s did.

Filling a Muncie is fun.
NOT!
Proper oil level is up to the bottom of the fill hole. most gear oil comes in 1qt plastic squeeze bottles with a pointed spout. Cut off the end of the spout, slip a length of 5/16 or 3/8 hose over it and position the bottle higher than the tranny with the hose in the fill hole and start squeezing.
This is really a fun exersize in making a mess.
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Tom Parsons

[This message has been edited by DZAUTO (edited 10-21-99).]

DITTO to what DZ said.

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Team Chevelle Gold #33
ACES Member #02913
Chevelle Club of Michigan
Livonia, Michigan / USA
Rode shotgun in the only Z16 convertible made.

Instead of squeezing the oil out,I position the bottle upside down and poke a hole in the bottom.Then the oil drains out through the hose fairly quickly without all the squeezing.

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John 67SS
ACES #2887
Team Chevelle Gold #127
Bassett,VA

TurboDave,Tom(DZ),Tom,and 67SS, Thanks guys for the replys,,, it sure helps to know that at least You guys do care!!! I am proud to be part of this web site,and I can only hope that somday, I will be of some service(help) to You and others,but I have alot to learn,thats for sure!......(lookin out back driveway),,MMMmmm? Now where would be a good place for a service pit? ;) Thanks Again ...Joe aka Tintop55

You can also remove the cover to get the oil out. Then you can also inspect the gears for wear. To put oil in I drill a hole (the size of the air valve on a tire rim) in the oil container. Then pop in a tire air valve stem. Just use very low air presure to force the oil out of the hose into the trans.

If you live near a Wall Mart, they sell a siphon kit for about 3 bucks. It has a bulb like what doctors use to check blood pressure. You know; that black bulb the doctor pumps by squeezing rapidly. Anyway it got clear plastic tubing on both ends like a fish tank has. Put one end in the trans and the other in a seperate container and pump away. Hopefully when your done a visit to one of those blood pressure machines will not be necessary.

Chris R.

I fill trannys and rear ends with a pump you can get in the boating dept of most discount stores. It fits the bottles just right and you pump it like a soap dispencer. It is a lot less hassel and cleaner than anything else I have tried

Don

Option 2 to fill is simply lay the bottle of gear oil on your header ( cool obviuosly), with the 3/8 fuel line that DZ mentioned into the oil fill hole on the Muncie and walk away. It takes a while to drain a qt, like 15 mins or so. Works mint.

The greyish color is a bummer. Lots of wear. I didn't drain my M21, just filled it ( took a qt), and I'm bummed I didn't.

The operation DZ mentions doesn't seem like radical surgery at all. And I'm sorry I didn;t do it to get all the old 30 yr old oil out. I couldn't find the pump mentioned at the local WalMart. So it must be a store specific thing. Either way, I would encourage you to drain that metal laden oil out and put fresh in.

[This message has been edited by Gene Chas (edited 10-26-99).]