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One last thing: This particular transaxle has the annoying "crossbar" style of drainplug that requires a special tool to remove.
(Okay, it may have been a good idea ONCE -- as legend has it, SAAB used this plug to keep simple-minded independent mechanics from mistaking it for the engine-oil drain plug, thus accidentally letting all the lube out and sending the customer off with a dry transaxle. That's a plausible story, but I distinctly recall finding a similar type of plug in the transmission of a 1.6-liter Ford Capri "back in the day," and it was far less likely that a mechanic would make this mistake on the Capri's utterly conventional front-engine/rear-drive layout. I think it was just something Ford, and Saab, did to make life more difficult for do-it-yourselfers!) |
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Here's a closer view of the plug. You can see what it needs: some kind of round rod that will fit within the rim of the plug, having a slot cut crossways to grip the crossbar. |
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So, while the transaxle is out and easy to get to, I'm going to make a tool for the plug. Conveniently, I've got a spare 10mm socket which is just the right size to fit within the rim of the plug. A quick-and-sloppy brush with a grinding wheel slots this socket to fit the crossbar. |
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Crude it may be, but it works! Now I'll be ready for fluid changes once this transaxle is installed in the car. |
