expanded on from:
original
Manual Transaxle Drain and Fill How-To
For the purpose of this how-to the following references will be used:
FORWARD:
facing the headlights of the car. Not actually AT the headlights (front) of the car, but FACING IT..
REAR: opposite of forward
Driver's side: facing the driver's side. Does not mean it is ON the driver's side. Example: the inside edge of your passenger rim is facing the driver's side.
passenger side: opposit of driver's side.
Parts:
- Jack
- Jack stand, or suitable support methods (no, a jack doesn't count...)
- 3Qt (or more) Drain Pan
- 8mm Allen Wrench
or a T50 Torx bit
(will depend on your particular car)
- A method of getting the replacement fluid INTO the transaxle. There is a small plastic pump that you can buy made for this purpose..
Autozone, or any parts store should carry them...
Approx $5.29
Materials:
- 3Qts of fluid (The classic tranny cocktail calls for synthetic ATF. Mobil 1 and Redline ATF work well. Yes, that's ATF, as in Automatic Transmission Fluid. Recently, many have tried Redline MTL, which is a synthetic gear lube that matches the specs for this transaxle. Redline will point out that MTL is not recommended for this application, but those that have tried it have said it works better than the other fluids available, including Ford's synthetic "honey" colored fluid. Ford's fluid (part #XT-M5-QS) runs nearly $20/qt, so MTL is quite attractive. Another option is ATF+3, a Chrysler spec'ed ATF that has the friction modifier already in it. It is much cheaper than the synthetics, but will require more frequent changes. In theory, any 75W90 gear oil will work as long as it is not rated GL-5, which contains additives that will damage the internals. GL-4 is the spec to satisfy for fluids.)
- If you choose regular ATF, then you need a half a bottle of "Ford Friction Modifier" Part number:C8AZ-19B546-A
So: You've got a little grind in your tranny; Perhaps a little stiffness in your shifter? Maybe its been a while since you've changed the MTX (Manual Transaxle) fluid, huh? It isn't that hard, and improves your shifter feel almost instantly. Let's get down to it, huh?
We'll be working from the underside of the car, so if you are "sensitive" or just plain whiny you'll want to wear something to protect your delicate wittle arms from the mean ol' ground.
I suggest cardboard.
Drain Procedure:
- Raise and support the vehicle. DO NOT WORK UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WITHOUT SOME MEANS OF SUPPORT (other than the jack itself). Jacks are not meant to SUPPORT the weight, only to lift it temporarily.. Failure to heed this warning could result in SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH.
- Locate the MTX FILL plug. We want to find the fill plug first, even though it is full (for now). Using either the 8mm allen wrench, or the T50 torx bit, we need to loosen the plug just to make sure it WILL loosen. It would really suck to drain your tranny, then find out you can't put more in!
The fill plug is located on the forward edge of the tranny as noted in this picture.
You can make out the waterpump pulley on the upper left of the picture, for reference. It is underneath the front bumper, just to the rear of the lower splash shield.
- re-tighten the fill plug (just so no dirt gets in there, though you shouldn't have taken it OUT.. just break it loose.
- Locate the drain plug. It is located on the passenger side of the lowest part of the tranny. You can get a better overall understanding of it (and the entire process) by looking at this picture (source unknown)
- Place your drain pan underneath the drain plug, and loosen the drain plug, draining whatever you can from the transaxle. do not replace the drain plug, yet
- completely remove the FILL plug, now.
- Using the pump, begin adding your fresh fluids to the MTX. This is a "fill-till-spill" process, so add fluid until you have reached the drain plug's opening, and begin to lose fluid. (this is why we left the drain plug off!)
- replace both plugs (drain and fill)
- lower the vehicle
- dispose of old fluid according to locally enforced laws.
Enjoy your new shifter feel.
Remember, this is not a CURE for grinding gears, or failing synchros. It can certainly AID in prolonging your MTX's life, though, if you drive with CAUTION, and use the common sense rule: if it makes it grind, don't do it.. (high rev shifting, fast shifting, etc...)
APPROX 30 minutes of time.
Credit goes to PlatoSVT for his pictures of his tranny drain/fill. Thanks, man..
