Changing Transmission Fluid
- Thread starter Barnwood
- Start date
Without removing the transmission from the car, I would do the following:
-Put the transmission in neutral and remove the shift tower.
-Place a drip pan under the ****** and remove the drain plug.
-Put a gallon of mineral spirits into a pump-up garden sprayer and rinse the insides of the transmission thoroughly while rotating the gears by hand.
-Let it drain and allow the mineral spirits a day or so to air-dry completely before adding gear lube. If you prefer, use compressed air to help the drying process.
-Reinstall the bottom drain plug and while the top of the ****** is still open, remove the filler plug on the side of the ****** case and add your fresh gear lube directly into the open ****** case at the top, being sure to drench all the gears while moving them back and forth on the shafts to make sure new lube gets into all the crevices, bearings, and shafts until the level reaches the filler plug opening and starts to overflow it.
-Reinstall the filler plug and shift tower and you should be good.
Others may have their preferred method, but this seems to work fine.
-Put the transmission in neutral and remove the shift tower.
-Place a drip pan under the ****** and remove the drain plug.
-Put a gallon of mineral spirits into a pump-up garden sprayer and rinse the insides of the transmission thoroughly while rotating the gears by hand.
-Let it drain and allow the mineral spirits a day or so to air-dry completely before adding gear lube. If you prefer, use compressed air to help the drying process.
-Reinstall the bottom drain plug and while the top of the ****** is still open, remove the filler plug on the side of the ****** case and add your fresh gear lube directly into the open ****** case at the top, being sure to drench all the gears while moving them back and forth on the shafts to make sure new lube gets into all the crevices, bearings, and shafts until the level reaches the filler plug opening and starts to overflow it.
-Reinstall the filler plug and shift tower and you should be good.
Others may have their preferred method, but this seems to work fine.
Thank you
I have found that mineral spirits generally need some intense mechanical agitation to clean gear lube effectively. Parts washing brush, toothbrush, etc. you might follow the mineral spirits with a thorough spraying of everything with brake cleaner, allowing it to drain into your catch pan. Figure at least one 14-oz can of brake cleaner. You can’t overclean.
Dry as suggested, fill as suggested, run it and drain and refill after say 250 miles. You can do this refill through the side hole.
Dry as suggested, fill as suggested, run it and drain and refill after say 250 miles. You can do this refill through the side hole.
Synchro909
Well-known member
As above but I put a magnet on the drain plug and I'm pleased to say it hasn't done much. The less metallic debris it collects, the better. When I replace the oil, I only have to wipe the magnet and refill. It's much easier in the long run and I like easy.
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
Drain it immediately after driving at least 20 miles, let it drain overnight—- the debris will either be suspended and come out with the oil or laying in the recess of the drain plug
Bob Bidonde
Well-known member
Y-Blockhead
Well-known member
Thanks Bob for confirming that. I see in some popular publications (one being the "Red Book"), the capacity for the transmission is listed as 1.5 pints.
Last edited:
rotorwrench
Well-known member
What works well is to drain the gear lube out and put low cost motor oil in there and preferably as heavy an oil grade as possible. SAE 10W40 would likely do but a person isn't going to leave it in there all that long. Run the vehicle around for fifteen minutes or so at low speeds then drain that out and refill with the proper viscosity and grade of gear lube.
This is known as a gearbox flush on some helicopter main rotor transmissions. On those we just run it up for 15-minutes or so then drain it.
This is known as a gearbox flush on some helicopter main rotor transmissions. On those we just run it up for 15-minutes or so then drain it.