Transaxle fluid on a V8V is changed on every 4 year service...then level checked at the 6 year, and then replaced again at the 8 year..cycle just keeps repeating

I've replaced more engines and engine internal components than I've had any differential concerns......and I haven't replaced many internal parts nor engines (maybe 2 internal parts and 1 engine per year, thats V12 and V8 total average..which is very low in amounts)... sure you can figure out that low ratio of transaxle concerns to be slim-to-none... there out there, but with the large volume I see 5 days a week, that "volume" of these "differential issues" has yet to come my way in the last 10 years that I've been employeed...just my 2cents

 

I know your expertise and experience is trustworthy
However ASM2 has only been in customer cars for ~2 years, very few of those cars have hit high mileage. I know of four UK ASM2 cars that have already had gearboxes die. All were either higher than average mileage or used hard.
This is an issue related to ASM2 (and probably ASM3) where the high mileage or hard use combined with the deletion of the oil cooler (retained on 6MT weirdly) causes premature degradation of the oil and subsequent issues in the box.

IMHO its better to take precautions that are inexpensive than assume there is no problem.

 

I agree it's new, but I see a large amount of street rally and track cars, which is more abuse than just higher mileage street driving and odd track days(if any)..nonetheless I'm not trying to compare sizes ..

The ASM2/3 trans is air cooled now instead of oil cooled through cooler....I do know of "1" ASM2 that failed due to overheating the fluid on a track..but it was at the clients stupidity. There is a flap on the front of the rear undertray, client removed the flap thinking it would reduce drag(seriously?? ..%^$*)...that flap is there to channel air up to the transaxle and cool the air fins on the casing...no flap = no cooling

If you really want to make a better cooling system for the ASM2...you don't need a oil cooler...just a better flap design to scoop the air.

The only real concern we had on ASM2 was the pump line wearing out the connector joint c-clip and popping the high pressure line off..which could result to a gear damage if shifted at that exact time you instantly lost pressure from the line popping off(which is unlikely, but possible). There has been a Service Action to correct this issue on all ASM2 vehicles that did not have the bracket and line clamps installed.

 

A close friend over here who had a new ASM2 box after 1.5 months of owning his S recently had it done. Oil was nice and clean.
There is a magnetic block in the casing to catch debris but you cannot see it with out stripping the casing (great design!)
If you are really OCD I guess you could take an endoscope to the drain hole?

 

It's not just the deletion of the cooler, the oil circulation route internally is different on ASM1 to ASM2 there are also some plastic bushes internally that don't like high temps.

We did some testing once the box was rebuilt, with out the pump on (reverts to factory oil flow route) at low speed after runs the oil was hitting 160C. With the pump (from a Vanquish) turned down the oil came down to 86C going back in to the box under the same circumstances. Having the pump on not only routes the oil through the cooler but we have modified the circulation so it is feed down the centre of the shafts rather than just being flicked around by the gears when it is on.

Funny you should mention the high pressure line popping off, that is a another failure I've seen a couple of times over here, no damage other than pride though! Another failure I've seen recently on ASM2 is the clutch slave cylinder seal going, dumping the contents in the bell housing

 

Tell me again why there are certain people that keep saying that manual gearboxes are antiquated relics and that automated clutch transmissions are so much better?

 

Here here

 

Deleting a transmission cooler has nothing to do with it being automated. It has to do with companies cutting corners. You can burn up a manual just as easily if its not cooled well.

 

Because they have owned both, from the time when Supercars were normally manual, to the time when they are becoming only available without a manual.


....and it's hell drinking Starbucks in the morning with a manual