I'm planning on gravity bleeding the clutch fluid today, I'm wondering if I should just change the oil as well. It's been about 4,000 miles with 3/4ths of a quart top off. Within the coming week I'm planning to do a 1,200 mile round trip. Would it be beneficial to change the oil now or when I get back? The oil is still golden brown, doesn't look like its in bad shape.

 

You're probably fine if you use a quality synthetic oil. Personally, I would change it. Reason being, that will be alot of time at operating temp so I would love to have a good solid "cleaning cycle" happening in my motor with some fresh Castrol Syntec 10w-30 with titanium to get things nice and clean. I might even through in a bottle of Auto-RX (some people wouldn't, but I've used it before and it's quite mild).

Be careful bleeding your clutch fluid. You don't want to have a problem with air in the system before your trip. I would just wait on that one for when you get back. Since you won't be shifting gears constantly on the higher, it's really not that big of a deal if it's working fine now. If I were you, I would just baster the reservoir a few times and replace with fresh fluid.

 

I don't use quality synthetic oil, just Castrol 10w-30 conventional motor oil. Perhaps I'll change it just for ease of mind.

And the reason for changing the clutch fluid is because sometimes I feel like the gear shifts are notchy. I have new transmission fluid in it so this is the next thing that needs to be done. The last time I bleed the clutch was on 11/12/13, but I regularly use a turkey baster to remove the fluid. I don't think basting the fluid alone is enough.. Is it?

 

Normal oil change interval for these cars is 7500 miles; hard service is 5000. The oil in the engine is fine, no need to change it and your mileage will be right in the middle of these two specs on your return.

But 5 quarts and a filter are cheap if they make you feel better.

-- Chuck

 

Cheap insurance, IMHO. And check the air filter, too.

Have a safe & fun trip!

 

Flushing the clutch fluid really shouldn't have an affect on shifting unless maybe if it were old enough to be gelled up or something.

Its a sealed system. So...if your shifting is affected by clutch fluid, you may have a leak or failure somewhere.

Usually, to cure notchy shifting, changing the TRANS fluid or greasing the shifter work.

 

Convetional oil should be changed at 3,000 miles you can only do 7,000 miles 3,750 severe service with quality synthetic.

 

The only problem I have with the transmission is sometimes hitting a wall while trying to engage into first gear. When I changed the transmission fluid everything got much better. However, yesterday when I was driving first gear hit a wall again. It doesn't happen much, but I'd thought changing the clutch fluid would help.

 

You need to put full synthetic motor oil in these cars.

 

I think you'll be okay since the manual recommends changing the oil every 12000KMs (7500miles) on conventional.