Differential fill plug will not go back in.
 

I was changing the differential oil and I can't get the filler plug to go back in. :mad: It starts to go in a little and then sticks. A ratchet won't get it to thread. i checked and it's not stripped. I tried putting the plug in the freezer since it's cold outside, but still no go. Is there a trick to getting the darn thing back in?

TIA! :cheers:

John, what kind of oil goes in the diff.?

Nevermind. All she needed was some good metal and all is well. I put the key in so I could have some music and it seems to have made the car much happier. The plug just popped in with no problem. Very frustrating since I tried about 20 times before, but whatever works. :rolleyes:

SAE 75W-90 gear oil is called for in the owner's manual and on AllData. I like the Mobil 1 synthetic. There is only one type that the later TSBs say not to use - Note : Burmah (TAF 21) part number N 052 911 CO is not approved for use in Boxster S manual transmissions. - but it lists Mobil, Shell Burmah & Esso for automatics and non-"S" manuals. Mobil, Shell & Burmah are listed for "S" manuals.

How often should this be changed?

Glad you got the plug back in.

60K miles.

I just took her for a spin and man does it make a difference. The gears just slide in with very little effort. This must be what it was like when it was new. :D

I think the problem with the plug not going in was the car was in gear. I was going to start it and let the differential case warm up to see if it would go in easier so I took it out of gear. I had the plug in with about 1/4 spin (as far as I could get it in without stripping it) and when I popped it out of gear before starting it, the plug flew out. I went to get the plug and put it in a little so I could start it and not have oil fly everywhere and it kept going in with no problem. :rolleyes:

I use M1 gear oil in my Buell transmission. The difference is night and day vs DINO oil.

Good stuff! :cheers:

Isn't it amazing how walking away for even a few minutes will solve some of the most frustrating problems (especially when they should be easy) :)

Like when doing Sudoku puzzles!

Are we talking about the differential or the transmission? The differential oil is only separate on the Tip's. With the manual trans the oil is shared so technically you changed the transmission oil. (don't want anyone to be confused)

BTW, what technique did you use to get the new oil in? It looks like you have to make it flow up hill or is there enough room up there to get the bottle tilted up?

You're right, sorry I should have mentioned that.

I used a funnel with an attached tube I picked up at Auto Zone and added some more tubing at the end. I ran the tube straight up through the engine compartment by the oil filler tube and filled it from the top. Since the oil is thick and the tube is small, it takes awhile so next time I will use a larger funnel to keep me from having to wait to refill so much. Since I changed the oil at the same time, I would fill the funnel then go put a quart of motor oil in while it drained down. It worked out well and my wife really noticed the difference too without prompting. :D