Hi everybody i am new to the forums , i own a 1996 fd and don't know a lot about these cars.
Please could somebody explain where on the car you top this up as i have been told that it is worth checking every once in a while.
Also which is the best type of gear box oil to use many thanks
Gaz

 

Run a search for "gear oil". You may have different brands available to you in the UK. I suggest a synthetic 75w-90 GL-4 or GL-5 that's designed for synchromesh transmissions.

There are instructions in the FSM for changing the oil. You can download the FSM from the sticky thread.

Dave

 

automatic - dipstick
manual - get on your back

 

Yup, like dave said, 75w90 synthetic, be it mobil1, redline, amsoil etc.

The tranny takes approx two and a half quarts.

 

A GL-5 oil can only be used if it does not contain sulphur.

 

A GL-5 oil can only be used if it does not contain sulphur. It is best to telephone the manufacturer of the oil using the number on the reverse of the bottle. The use of a gearbox oil which does contain sulphur will halve the life of the synchros & bearings as they are of a bronze/brass construction. The reason is that sulphur (eg, manganese sulphonate) becomes acidic. Hence, Mobil1 75w90 GL-5 is NOT suitable for Mazda gearboxes as Mobil will confirm.

 

It seems that large number of members here agreed that Neo was the tranny oil of choice. To check the level, you must get under the car, while the car is level, and remove the filler bolt. If the fluid is at the lower level of the filler hole, it is full.

 

Cheers for the replys but if it is low where do you top it up.

 

Look for neo synthetic. Hope they can ship it to your location http://www.neosyntheticoil.com/

 

Cheers m8 but please can somebody post a pic of where you top the gear box oil up

 

I hear this every once in a while on here and it sounds like a bit of a myth to me. The sulfur just becomes acidic? Why is that? What are synchros in other cars made from? Why does mazda specify any 75w-90 gl-5 oil and not some special type M gear oil that doesn't contain sulfur?

 

It's not a myth - sulfur based compounds are very effective EP additives, but they do attack some brass synchro materials. They are used frequently in non-synchro boxes because they chemically bond with the surface of steel gears, such that under extreme pressure (think shock loading of ring & pinion mesh) the sulphur-affected layer shears off with much less damage than untreated steel surfaces. The downside is that this same effect on synchro cones is detrimental.

But sulfur is not the only such EP element - other chemicals, possibly more expensive ones, are also available. That's why some GL-5s are "yellow metal friendly" and others aren't.

I'm not sure how newer boxes handle these more aggressive GL additive packages, it could be different brass alloys or simply a different design of the friction cones that tolerates the polishing that sulphur causes. It might be worth asking David Canitz and about that one.

Dave

 

Fill it at the hole where you removed the bolt. If low, run a tube from the engine bay into the hole. Pour fluid into the tube from the engine bay until it starts to overflow at the filler hole.

 

That's weird. I can't believe major synthetic brands have sulfur additives without any warning or designation when it can be detrimental. That just seems like a major oversight and liability issue to me.

Is it true that if you can smell sulfur, then it's not safe for synchros? I've heard that too, but I've drained dozens of manual transmissions and differentials on a range of brands of cars and they alyays smell like sulfur. It's just the way gear oil smells...

 

For example, Mobil1 GL-5 gear oil does warn it is not to be used with synchromesh transmissions. (Differentials only). Most of the major brands now claim to be brass-safe.

No idea.

 

Its the yellow bolt in the linked picture or the one to the right of it. I can't remember exactly which. Its been a while since I flushed by unit.

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:...ltedTo4G64.jpg

 

Here is a better picture..

 

Thanks for the pic does anybody know if it is the yellow bolt and the one to the right
cheers
Gaz

 

Its' the yellow one. Leave the bolt on the right alone.

Dave

 

you are "supposed" to take out 3 bolts during drainage/refill according to the FSM, i think you can get by with just taking out the bottom big drain and the top square looking one that i believe is in yellow in the picture, just don't touch the recessed hex/allen wrench bolt, just the square one

 

I think the 3rd is the drain bolt on the bottom right. The one level with the yellow bolt is the retaining pin for the reverse gear shaft, which is why it gets left alone.

Dave

 

[QUOTE=GAZA1725;7440956]Hi everybody i am new to the forums , i own a 1996 fd and don't know a lot about these cars.
Please could somebody explain where on the car you top this up as i have been told that it is worth checking every once in a while.
Also which is the best type of gear box oil to use many thanks
Gaz[/QUOT


no offense man...but you should really learn more about your fd. you will run into alot of problems and a basic knowlege can save you lots of money.

 

My advice is get a copy of the FD service manual. It can help with a lot of these basic maintenance items as well as some of the more complex stuff. You should be able to download it from this forum or one like it (eg. nopistons.com). If you have a very slow internet connection, you can pick one up from a Mazda dealer, but that will not be cheap.