Lancia Beta Forum
Technical stuff => Transmission => Topic started by: Palikary on May 19, 2026, 09:12:25 AM
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i have a 1983 Beta Coupe 2000 with Manual Transmission. I changed the gear oil and was expecting to only use around 1.8L of gear oil. I wasn't getting any reading on the dip stick at 1.8L. It took around 2.5L to get it to show on the max line.
I want to confirm that my dip stick length is accurate as the rubber stopper may have moved or not in its right position.
Its 11cm from the flat rubber to the Max line and 11.5cm to the Min line. Is this correct?
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You're correct that it should take 1.8 litres.
If it took 2.5, it's probably overfilled, question is why?
Is it possible you misjudged the quantity?
Did you fill via the dipstick hole? That's the only spot available.
Your measurements match a dipstick I have here.
I would check it again after a drive, after letting it settle.
Nigel
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Yes, it was filled thru the dip stick hole.
I have driven it a few times since and let it settle on flat ground and its showing correctly right upto to the max line with the 2.5L.
Is the 1.8L meant to be upto the max line or min?
I definitely used 2.5L as I bought a 5L bottle of the gear oil and there is 2.5L showing left.
When I drained the oil I opened 2 drain plugs. One below and the one of the side of the gearbox to get both chambers. Is that correct process?
I'm tempted to drain it again and measure a new batch of 1.8L and don't go off the dip stick reading this time.
The only reason why I'm checking this is I'm getting a whining noise from the gear box when I am off the throttle so it could be from the overfill so I can rule that out before looking at anything else.
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Sorry to jump in on someone else’s thread I’ve a bit of a quandary here. So I’ve done a gearbox oil change on my 1983 2000ie and was looking around the top of gearbox for oil dipstick and couldn’t find. Found a tube connected to top of gearbox but the dipstick on mine actually appears at the top of the head on the rear(bulkhead) side of engine. It definitely goes to the gearbox but I am now curious as to whether this is right or night or has someone fitted an auto gearbox dipstick to my manual car as quick google shows me that auto has long dipstick but manual as above short one. Mine was hand for filling but now makes me wonder if I have correct level in it
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Yes, it was filled thru the dip stick hole.
I have driven it a few times since and let it settle on flat ground and its showing correctly right upto to the max line with the 2.5L.
Is the 1.8L meant to be upto the max line or min?
I definitely used 2.5L as I bought a 5L bottle of the gear oil and there is 2.5L showing left.
When I drained the oil I opened 2 drain plugs. One below and the one of the side of the gearbox to get both chambers. Is that correct process?
I'm tempted to drain it again and measure a new batch of 1.8L and don't go off the dip stick reading this time.
The only reason why I'm checking this is I'm getting a whining noise from the gear box when I am off the throttle so it could be from the overfill so I can rule that out before looking at anything else.
1.8 is to max point.
2 drains, one on g box casing, the other at rear of diff
housing, a smaller one.
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Sorry to jump in on someone else’s thread I’ve a bit of a quandary here. So I’ve done a gearbox oil change on my 1983 2000ie and was looking around the top of gearbox for oil dipstick and couldn’t find. Found a tube connected to top of gearbox but the dipstick on mine actually appears at the top of the head on the rear(bulkhead) side of engine. It definitely goes to the gearbox but I am now curious as to whether this is right or night or has someone fitted an auto gearbox dipstick to my manual car as quick google shows me that auto has long dipstick but manual as above short one. Mine was hand for filling but now makes me wonder if I have correct level in it
Your dipstick is correct Steve. The OP has an AU spec car, which is different.
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You're correct that it should take 1.8 litres.
If it took 2.5, it's probably overfilled, question is why?
Is it possible you misjudged the quantity?
Did you fill via the dipstick hole? That's the only spot available.
Your measurements match a dipstick I have here.
I would check it again after a drive, after letting it settle.
Nigel
Although this car is late series so it shouldn't apply early gearboxes take just under 2.5 litres apparently. I've no idea when that changed. A quick look at various instruction books suggests that it probably changed when the facelift cars came out.
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Sorry to jump in on someone else’s thread I’ve a bit of a quandary here. So I’ve done a gearbox oil change on my 1983 2000ie and was looking around the top of gearbox for oil dipstick and couldn’t find. Found a tube connected to top of gearbox but the dipstick on mine actually appears at the top of the head on the rear(bulkhead) side of engine. It definitely goes to the gearbox but I am now curious as to whether this is right or night or has someone fitted an auto gearbox dipstick to my manual car as quick google shows me that auto has long dipstick but manual as above short one. Mine was hand for filling but now makes me wonder if I have correct level in it
All my Beta's had the short one, was the long one for OAP's? ;-)
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Sorry to jump in on someone else’s thread I’ve a bit of a quandary here. So I’ve done a gearbox oil change on my 1983 2000ie and was looking around the top of gearbox for oil dipstick and couldn’t find. Found a tube connected to top of gearbox but the dipstick on mine actually appears at the top of the head on the rear(bulkhead) side of engine. It definitely goes to the gearbox but I am now curious as to whether this is right or night or has someone fitted an auto gearbox dipstick to my manual car as quick google shows me that auto has long dipstick but manual as above short one. Mine was hand for filling but now makes me wonder if I have correct level in it
All my Beta's had the short one, was the long one for OAP's? ;-)
Depends upon the variant, for some models I believe the short stick is difficult to reach
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@Nigel, thanks for the info.
weirdly my 82/83 Spyder has the short one. Not complaining though as filly on the high tube is a lot easier than fiddling around the top of the gearbox with a bottle of oil and a spout
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As far as I know the IE and VX always had the long tube, as Alan suggests it's
the access problem. It's not about the year. All carb cars, even the late ones, had the short
stick.
And, the long tube gearboxes have a larger hole in the top of the diff, so it's not easy
or even possible to convert without changing the diff housing.
Kevin has an black HPE which was an IE but is now running a carb, I expect that car has a long tube!
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Although this car is late series so it shouldn't apply early gearboxes take just under 2.5 litres apparently. I've no idea when that changed. A quick look at various instruction books suggests that it probably changed when the facelift cars came out.
Hi
Early car here and definitely only takes 2x 1l bottles of oil to get to the max mark
Peter
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Although this car is late series so it shouldn't apply early gearboxes take just under 2.5 litres apparently. I've no idea when that changed. A quick look at various instruction books suggests that it probably changed when the facelift cars came out.
Hi
Early car here and definitely only takes 2x 1l bottles of oil to get to the max mark
Peter
Possibly there's residual oil in the box that can't be drained? Maybe 2.45 is a full from truly empty or first fill and 2 litre is what's needed for an oil change? It always mystified me TBH because I thought all gearboxes were essentially the same.
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It is possible but I took out both plugs and the oil bottles were US so just less than 1l each
Peter
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It is possible but I took out both plugs and the oil bottles were US so just less than 1l each
Peter
Strange, I will have to investigate further...
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Nobody has asked the question of the OP yet if the refill was done with the car on an even keel? If it was refilled on a downhill slope then it's going to take more oil to reach the minimum and maximum marks?
Just a thought.
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Yes i have the long tube with dipstick just in front of the bulkhead up at bonnet level.