Ok, I'm going to risk looking like a moron, but I have searched all over and can't find this information.

I want to change the automatic transmission fluid in my 85 12A, but I am having a heck of a time figuring out how to do it. I see the manual transmission seems to have a drain plug right on the bottom of the pan, but I can't find such a plug on the automatic. I can't seem to find where the drain plug is, I've heard different ideas about what fluid to use, and I'm not sure how to fill it (can I just use a funnel and pour it into the tube?)

Normally this kind of thing isn't so hard, but it seems the majority of RX7 owners have manual transmissions and so it doesn't get talked about much.

I'd appreciate any help I can get!

 

On most auto trannys, you remove the entire pan on the bottom of the tranny in order to drain the fluid... You will need a new filter, and seal as well.

Probably a lot more info out there if you can find the right search terms.

Check in with the Grand Rapids thread in the Midwest section. There are several of us in the area, and one of us may have done this before. Most would be willing to lend a hand as well (the younger guys anyway, I have a wife and kids = no time for anything else lol).



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Thanks, I kind of thought I'd read that a long time ago but it seems like such a dumb thing to have designed. Why have a drain plug on the manual and not on the automatic? And how on earth can you take the pan off and not manage to spill all that fluid all over the place?

I'm debating doing it myself or just taking it to the shop. Looks like I'd need a filter, a gasket, and a bunch of an old type of ATF fluid. It wouldn't be an issue if it just didn't sound so messy...I'm not sure how to keep it all from raining down on my garage floor.

 

You loosen the bolts more toward one corner than the other, then lower that corner and the fluid will drain into a pan. From what I understand, it's not nearly as difficult as it sounds (but I have never done it myself).

All of this should be easily accomplished in your driveway with a set of jackstands.


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i'd take it somewhere, its going to be a huge mess and its usually the same or less than buying the oil

you can skip the filter, its just a wire screen, so its cleanable

 

All autos were built that way back in the 80's & earlier (I had a 70 LTD & 73 Satellite, both autos; same deal, pan no drain).

The purpose was probably to encourage people to change the filter every time the fluid was changed.

Mfg's never seem to worry much about spillage when changing fluids; the block coolant drain on the 12A (below the oil fill) will **** all over the side of your engine bay and steering hardware unless you redirect it with something:



Best approach is to remove all but 2 front and 1 rear bolt from the pan, then position a large catch pan under the pan and remove the one rear bolt, then work the pan down so it mostly pours out the rear edge.

It's a mess, though, no matter how careful you are.

 

there is some mazda, maybe a 626? or a 6? where you drain the coolant where you turn a **** and coolant comes out of a little pipe, its SOOOOOooooooo nice.

although the miata oil filter is worse, its sideways, right over the subframe, so that's what dealership license plate inserts are for....

 

Thanks for all the ideas. Despite the mess, I think I'll give it a try. If I take it to a mechanic they'll probably charge me for an hour of labor and at $75 an hour (or whatever it is now) I'll just be bitter.

And DivinDriver, your engine seems so much cleaner looking than mine. Any advice?

 

Just swap in a manual with fresh fluid and your done

Seriously, if you take it to some place like Jiffy lube they may just unhook the lines and
pump the new in and the old out and not change the filter at all. So it will seem like a
good price but they don't really address the filter issue.

You can partially drain it by unhooking one of the hoses and run it for a very short time
letting it pump most of the oil out and then undo the pan and drain the rest. I
wouldn't recommend this approach, its got a lot of risk builtin, especially on an older
tranny.

Don't forget to drain the torque converter if you can. Otherwise your only changing
about 1/2 the oil. If you can't drain it, then figure on changing the oil out in a few
months to get a better mix in there.

Also don't overfill it, thats an easy way on an old tranny to blow some seals.

 

and to think, i have a perfect spare auto transmission from an 85 GSL in my shed in great shape. gives me hop that someday someone will need it, lol

 

there is no filter!

 

Amazing! How can you have an auto with no real filter? Live and learn.

 

I pull mine out every so often and clean it.

In fact, I was draining the coolant in that pic in the process of pulling the motor. It was too dirty at that point, and needed a good cleaning.

 

sometimes they can't! there IS a wire screen, but its a rockblocker...

 

If you haven't done it yet, you could drive over to Ann Arbor and we could throw it on the hoist on campus (I'm taking Auto Service 1 and 2 at Washtenaw Community College). It only takes about 30 minutes, we have all SnapOn tools, and it makes it really easy (just changed it in my DD Impala...). PM me if you're interested.

Just offering.

 

I'd rather have a manual, actually, but I don't have the technical skills to do a project like that. It seems like there are guys around here who have done it, though. At least I know the auto was well taken care of...I bought the car from my mother : )

 

The strongest 12a motors I have ever encountered have come from cars with auto trannys. Once you blow all the carbon out of them, they really rip. Probably from being babied for all their life...




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Yeah, low RPM is really good for these motors. Keep them tuned and carbon never causes issues.

The old saying of a redline a day keeps the carbon away may be true, but it brings the engine to an early death. So I say learn how to tune instead.

 

I bought m car from an old guy. The first time that I really "got on it", I left a HUGE cloud of black smoke. I turned around and drove back through it with the windows down, no smell at all. Years and years of carbon buildup is all I could figure. The motor was quite a different beast after that...




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Sounds like a redline a year is the best approach then?