At Just Kampers we receive quite a few emails and calls regarding hard gear changing even after the linkage is sorted out. May I be so bold as to suggest that you check if you have ANY gearbox oil, let alone the correct amount of clean EP80-90 oil. Now this applies to all rear-engined models Air and Water-cooled.
One caller said he thought it was a sealed unit, while another informed me that his gearbox shared the engine oil, hence the occasional oil drip from the bell housing ....
So the next time the weather is kind, check the gearbox oil, and even better change the oil.
What you need
Tools needed: 17mm allen key (available from Just Kampers J11205 £5.25). The Just Kampers alien key fits like a socket onto a 3/8" drive ratchet.
How to change your Gearbox oil
To check the gearbox oil the vehicle must be level. At a squeeze you can do it without lifting up the vehicle. If you do decide to jack the vehicle up, make sure you do it front and back and please be careful to support it on axle stands that are on firm ground before you venture underneath.
The fill plug is found in the middle of the offside side of the gearbox. Remove the plug and the oil should be level with the bottom of the plughole. Top up the gear oil if necessary until the oil is level with the bottom of the hole.
Most gear oil comes in a bottle with a long spout that you push into the holes and then squeeze the plastic bottle to push the oil into the gearbox. If you don't know when the oil was last changed, now could be the time to drain the oil and replace it.
With a suitable drain can in place, remove the alien key plug in the middle of the underside of the gearbox (it is at the engine end of the box). Once all the oil has drained out, replace the plug securely and refill the box through the side inspection hole (as described above). Fill until the oil just starts to come out of the inspection hole. Securely refit the plug and the job is done.
