Changing the Oil in Your Gear Vendors
by
Dragi Petrovich

Note from the Author: The following instructions are for the GV with deep oil sump. Shallow ones will most likely need less oil but all the parts should be the same. Have you ever considered changing your own oil in the Gear Vendors (GV)? If it’s not convenient for you to go to the manufacturer or the authorized dealer, doing it yourself is not that hard. All you need are the parts that can be mailed to you from GV and one quart of gear oil that you can buy locally.

You will also need one quart of Syntorq LT, SAE 75W-85 API GL-4 synthetic manual transmission fluid. GV no longer recommends Dextron II or Mercon automatic transmission fluids since they were found to be too light for this application. Unfortunately, Syntorq may be hard to find and it is expensive. If GV will sell you a quart for less than $20, take it. Otherwise, go to a GM dealer and ask for part No. 12346190 and be prepared to pay over $20 for a quart. Dodge dealers also sell it under their part No. 4874459 but I’m not aware of anyone else selling it in small quantities.

Start by cleaning the outside of the GV unit. It’s important that no dirt gets inside. Remove the Drain Plug¹ and drain the oil. 
Note¹: For pictures locating the drain plugs and additional information see GearVendor.pdf   

Remove six sump bolts; remove the sump and the gasket. (See Note² below)

Note2: According to Mike McCarthy if your doing a regular service and having no problems, just drain and fill is good.  You don't need to open it and clean the internal filter.    Mike McCarthy     Customer Service     Gear Vendors, Inc.     1717 N. Magnolia Ave     El Cajon, CA  92020  1-619-562-0060 Ext. 115  1-800-999-9555 Ext. 115 www.gearvendors.com

With sump removed, pull straight down on suction filter to remove. Wash screen and air dry.

To clean the high pressure filter, remove the plug which is located on the passenger’s side of the unit when facing forward. This is the largest of the three plugs with two holes each where the spanner wrench fits. GV recommends using Blue Point tool part # AFS-482 but since I couldn’t find one, I used needle nose pliers and a screw driver. Insert the jaws of the pliers into the blind holes and with the screw driver between the jaws turn counterclockwise and you are there. Remove the paper gasket between the plug and the filter and remove the filter.

Wash the filter in solvent and air dry.

NOTE: Prior to reassembly, I bought a disk brake piston tool Powerbuilt® part # 648410 at a local auto parts store. None of my disk brakes ever needed a tool like this but it was great for installing the high pressure filter plug. The nubs on the tool didn’t fit the existing holes in the plug so I drilled two new matching blind holes opposite of the existing ones which made the installation a snap and future removal as well.

Install filter, washer, and filter plug. (Tighten to 16 ft-lb which is a little more than hand tight)

Install suction filter and press-in to seat.

Install gasket and sump and secure with six bolts previously removed.

(Tighten to 5-7 ft- lb. which is just enough to prevent the leaks.) Don’t over tighten. Body is soft aluminum.

Add 1 quart of Syntorque fluid and check level per manual instruction. One inch below oil fill hole.

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