supergerman

which fluid is best, and how do I change it?
just bought the car a couple weeks ago...

Project84

buy a Haynes manual for the car and it will tell you loads and loads of info on how to properly maintain your car.

For the auto tranny fluid, if there isn't a drain plug, you will have to remove the tranny oil pan with the fluild in it, dump the fluild, then fill the tranny through the fill port. While you have the pan off, its a good idea to change the filter. Its almost like changing engine oil.

Kenteth

1) Goto your local auto parts store, and ask for a auto tranny filter and gasket (generaly they come as a kit.)
2) Buy 7 Quarts of tranny fluid. I bought B&M Trickshift Mineral, but generaly you can use anythign that Specs with Dextron 3. you probably don't need 7 quarts, I can't remember how much it was, but its alot.
3) Buy or find some Mr Gasket. We always have tons laying around the shop.
3) Jack up your car
4) Spray PB Breaker on all the bolts if you live in the north. I live in South Dakota, and every bolt was rusted in place prior to using PB Breaker (available at Wally-World BTW)
5) Put *big* bucket/oil catch can under tranny pan.
6) Remove all the rear tranny pan bolts *FIRST*. The bolts are 10mm if I remember correctly.


7) If its been awhile since the fluid has been changed, expect alot of nasty dark fuid to run out of the rear of the pan. Like this:

8) Continue removing bolts, than remove the pan.
9) Clean the pan throughly, including the magnets that will probably be covered in metalic soot. I wouldn't suggest using your hands like I did... Now is a good time to scrape off any old gasket on the seal.


10) Remove the old filter from the tranny. Its held in by two or three bolts... or maybe there were screws, can't remember. BTW the filter is a metal/wire mesh filter. It looks kinda strange if you've never seen an auto tranny filter before. Twice as strange to someone who's never seen the inside of an auto tranny: The tranny pan filled with oil will cover the Tranny's eletronics. when you look into your transmission, everything should look praticaly brand new if it was well maintaned. In south dakota, this car's tranny had been beaten with 12 harsh winter. the tranny pan looked like it went through hell and back 3 times, but the inside of the tranny looked brand new. 126k miles BTW.
11) Replace it with the new filter. *Careful* try not to overtighten.
12) Place in the new gasket with mr gasket on both sides.
13) Bolt the tranny pan back up.

**Someone double check the FSM on this:The tranny pan bolts are spec'd to 35ft lbs torque. I torqued mine a bit too tight and within 2 months blew the gasket and am leaking tranny fluid. *CAREFUL!!*

14) Fill 'er with liquid lube and start her up.
15) Roll about 20 feet in your driveway in every gear to get the fluid up in the bands.

16) Now that you did this, you should: Change the rear end gear lube!!!

I'm not sure, but if you turn the key w/o the tranny having fluid, I believe the speedo buzzer will go off. Happened to me-- but than again I was working with swapping two different transmissions out.

Hope this helped!!

Kenteth

I should note that I think I paid 11 dollars for the filter and gasket, 2 dollars for the PB Breaker, a dollar for mr gasket, and 30 dollars in tranny fluid. If you're on a budget just get some good ol walmart/american quality tranny fluid. Will only be a few dollars a qt comapred to the $5.50 per quart of B&M

Kenteth

One more thing, its just fundamental, but if you need to visualize what you are working with, here is a picture of a relatively clean S5 transmission in my garage. Infact it was the replacement to the pictures of the earlier post.

http://groups.msn.com/rx7andacamaro/...oto&PhotoID=18

bingoboy

good lord, now that's a writeup. gotta archive that...even though most people say thay hate auto's (i don't have one myself) this thread is worth keeping i thinks.

Kenteth

Ahh...wow that makes me feel kinda proud. I would like to note that these pictures were taken in the process of an auto to auto tranny swap. The replacement tranny was courtesy of James Purches of North Carolina (I think thats where he's from). Told him I'd plug if he swap didn't turn into a disastor. Although the tranny did lose second gear 2 months later, but I suspect that it was less driveline problems and more powertrain mods that prompted the 2nd gear band snapping. I'm in the process of setting up for the auto manual swap which will hopefuly happen in a couple weeks. courtesy SonicRat.

Also, for the ones who hate autos: you've got your groove with your driving style. Awesome. Those of us that drive autos, drive them for one of two reasons: 1) its what the *used* car we bought came with, and I don't have the time nor the income to spend on swapping it with a manual... or
2) I eat, drink, talk on my cell phone, change cd's, listen to my girl say joikingly she will leave us if I dare opt to remove the p/s or a/c, hold the baby's (who is in the rear seat car seat) bottle, watch the road from 10 feet to 3 miles ahead for police on the road shoulder, avoiding little honda punks thinking i want to street race (while I have my girl and offspring in the car?!?!? fack that), all while simotaniously DRIVING I-35 at fluctuating speeds from 25-95mph due to traffic and getting no more than 21mpg in the process.

*try that in a manual*

BTW: It is physicaly possible to drink, eat, talk to your girl, change cds, and drive a manual at aproximately the same time, but not simultaniously.

I should note in the above that I don't have a girlfriend.. or a child. Though I wouldn't mind either, I assume I will never have one because I spend all my time either at work, on this web forum, or working on my car, and very very seldom showing it off.

Ok... wow... alot of bent up loneliness, lol.

Night guys!

EDIT: I should have mentioned it be a hands-free cell phone. Aren't most states banning any talking on a cell phone, even with a hands free thing anyway?

bingoboy

on a side note...people talking on their cell phones while driving in traffic (especially around me) should be ripped from their vehicles and beaten with sticks.

lots of pent up anger there .

Kenteth

I do have a katana in my rx-7, would that suffice for sticks?

Kenteth

You know... nowo that we've covered the post's topic, I'd actually expect a supergerman to be driving a volkswagen... Haven't I seen a VW bug running with a rotary at some point?

supergerman

thanks, and bt way..I once own an oval window 1954 vw..

Kenteth

I knew it!
welcome to the brotherhood
VW powered sand rail conversion we had about 6 years ago. Air cooled engines are awesome.