On Wednesday I should be picking up my 2005 X-Type 3.0 with 91,000 miles. I think it would be wise for me to drain and change the transfer case fluid. I've read through the many threads on here and I'm still confused regarding the process/materials needed. I also read somewhere that someone used to make a kit for the transfer case fluid change; is it still available and from whom?

My basic understanding of the transfer case fluid change is as follows:
1. Remove drain plug
2. Jack right side of car up 20" from door sill
3. Wait about an hour for fluid to drain
4. Let car down. Raise left side 20"
5. Fill through drain hole until fluid oozes out, about 400ml (as it seems 250ml should remain in t-case after drain).

If the t-case fluid change kit isn't available, what is the best type of fitting to use on the t-case?

Is this procedure correct? If I do indeed overfill the t-case, is there a vent to allow extra to vent out (I'm told it will, but will drip onto the exhaust)?

In the PowerPoint instructions, I noticed the car was placed on jackstands and run for a bit. Is this necessary? I just want to make sure I perform the change properly.

Thanks everyone!

 

One major concern/area of confusion for me is regarding the appropriate fittings for the drain plug hole.

If the TC fluid change kit is no longer available, what combination of fittings is recommended to refill the fluid on a 2005 model?

 

When I established the 250 ml remaining figure, it was with the righthand sill raised 16 inches. The Jaguar figure for refilling is 540mm/21 inches for the lefthand sill. At that height, it should take about 400mls before overflowing.

Using that method, you won't need any extra fittings or fitting kit.

There is a vent on top of the box that will allow excess oil to come out, looking like a righthand oil seal failure!

There's no need to run the engine before setting the car back on its wheels.

The most important part to get right is to ensure the car is safe when raised on one side and you're under it! A jack is not enough and not many axle stands go that high!

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the information I needed. As I reread some of the threads, I realized I was combining steps from the multiple methods of changing TC fluid.

I do like the lift method the best, though now I need to figure out the best way to safely lift the vehicle to 21". A friend of mine has a shop and he's offered it to me for any work. I will ask him if it possible to achieve this type of lift by using two of the arms on the shop lift. I wonder if this is a reliable method, or if there is some glaring safety issue I'm overlooking?

When it comes to refill the fluid using this method, is it as simple as slipping 1/2" tubing into the drain hole, or is it easier to use some sort of 1/2" NPT 90 degree fitting designed to slip tubing over?

 

The 6 ton jack stands go up to 23 inches. I bought a pair for 60 dollars on Friday hoping to change my transfer case fluid Saturday, however my mistake was thinking I could use the little car jack to raise the car incrementally, I will need a real jack to raise the car.

 

I was actually just looking at HF's 6 ton jackstands. Good thinking!

As you stated, the only other thing I need to verify is that my jack will raise the vehicle to the necessary 21"

I'm starting to feel much better about this whole procedure.

 

If at least the factory jack would have gone to the minimum height of the jackstands, then I would have been able to incrementally raise the car by using blocks underneath the jack and raising the jackstands

 

Second weekend in a row that I tried to change the TC fluid with no success.

Bought 6 ton jackstands that can go up to 23 inches...but the factory jack won't go to the minimum height of the stands.....so this weekend I bought a 2 ton floor jack....which also won't go high enough.

I don't want to buy a bigger jack because I don't have the space to store it, I live in a condo and my cars live in a closed common garage underneath the building, so no sheds or personal garage space. I will already have a hard time finding space for the jackstands.

Question is; did everyone who raised the car use an industrial sized jack. ??I was hoping to be able to incrementally get the jack higher by putting blocks underneath it...

Anyone with a small jack able to do this job ?

Thanks !

 

Even though you need to get the sills up to a height of 21", your jack does not need to have the ability to lift that high, as the sills are already several inches from the ground. Subtract the height of the sills from 21" and that will tell you how high your jack needs to be bale to lift.

 

I had that issue as well a few years ago and found this relatively cheap 3-ton at Home Depot (Husky 3-Ton SUV Floor Jack-T83006 at The Home Depot). I now use my 2-ton to get things started and roll the Husky in to finish the job (see pics). I'm sure you're not looking to spend more money on another jack, but if space is a limitation then a single large jack may not be practical. Just did my t-case and rear diff myself yesterday with this method.

 

Just start out with the factory jack on top of a 4" x 4" piece of lumber, jack it up, prop the car, add some more lumber, jack some more, prop it up again, etc etc

Or, as the "Motivational Training" tape I once purchased called it, "The Incremental Realization of Worthwhile, Predetermined Goals!"

Oh - the shop lift forks are as slick on a frame as ice on ice. You can't hardly block the tires enough to prevent the car from squishing you if she starts to slip.

an inch atta time.

(you could even jack the car up with an 8 foot 2" x 4" piece of lumber, a brick, and a pile of newspapers if you take your time. As Atlas said, "give me a place to stand and I can lift the world!")

 

What size of tool to use to remove the drain plug?

 

For the transfer case? I just use a very short 3/8" drive extension - the end of it (that would normally fit into the socket) fits neatly into the drain plug - I just did this today - some extension fit a little better than others.