The right tool for the job

As someone does that does his own maintenance, one of the jobs that I dread most, but I know has great value, is changing the fluids in transmissions and differentials. In manual transmissions (Is there any other kind?), transfer cases, and differentials, the fluid is unfiltered, subject to a lot of heat and shear action, and in many modern cars the fluid volume is being reduced to save weight and space. Yes, I know many manufacturers say these fluids are "lifetime". Well, when they guarantee these expensive assemblies for a lifetime I'll stop disbelieving their marketing claims. In manual transmissions the fluid often comes out with a sheen of metal particles you can see in the sun.

The procedural problem usually isn't draining the fluid, it's refilling it, because the fill holes are usually in some impossibly tight place, and you're lucky if you can get a hose up there, no less a bottle.

I've tried all sort of pumps over the years. The Mityvac, the one Griots sells, a marine pump or two, even those cheap plastic pumps that screw onto the tops of some fluid bottles, and they are all terrible. They break, or they slide around, or the pumps aren't efficient. The Griots pump, my most recent favorite, wears out quickly and stops pumping. The transfer type like the Mityvac red one and the Griots pump require that you stick one tube in the fluid bottle and the other tube in the fill hole, and then you're supposed to pump too. Fluid usually spills, and ATF or transfer case fluid has the consistency of olive oil, and gets everywhere. In cold weather the hoses get stiff and make the job miserable. It's a mess.

Then I found this pump:

Assenmacher ATF1003VW Drive Line Filler System for VW/Audi - ASSATF1003VW

OMG, well, there must be a God, because he surely designed this pump. He even put a spring in the hose so it wouldn't kink. Those tips shown in the picture are machined metal. The bottle is heavy, the pump is something suitable for Navy use, and it has a heavy-duty valve on the hose for quick shut-off. Pardon my heavy breathing.

Yes, it's expensive. But now I know what tools are like in heaven. And I spilled not a drop with it. And my wife's X3, with front and rear differentials, a transfer case, and a manual transmission is coming up for driveline service. Ahhhh....