Manual Trans Fluid Change
#1
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Car: 89 Camaro RS
Engine: 2.8L
Transmission: T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Manual Trans Fluid Change
I recently bought an '89 RS with a 5-speed, and I know practically nothing about manual transmissions. I know with automatics you have to change the fluid every so often, but is it the same with manuals? If you do have to change it, how often should it be done? Also, what kind of fluid do you use and how much does it require?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
#2
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Re: Manual Trans Fluid Change
most ppl never change it in a manual but its a good idea to
if it has a lot of miles on it and you dont know if its everbeen changed then i would do it
aluminum case manual trannies usually take auto trans fluid
but not all of them do
iron case ones usually take gear oil
a few quarts
look in owners manual for the specs, its towards the back of the manual
or call auto zone make them look it up for you
good luck
if it has a lot of miles on it and you dont know if its everbeen changed then i would do it
aluminum case manual trannies usually take auto trans fluid
but not all of them do
iron case ones usually take gear oil
a few quarts
look in owners manual for the specs, its towards the back of the manual
or call auto zone make them look it up for you
good luck
#3
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Car: 83 Trans Am
Engine: LT1 350
Transmission: 5 Speed manual
Axle/Gears: 3.73 10bolt till it breaks
Re: Manual Trans Fluid Change
Any third gen with a 5 speed manual will use Dexron/Mercon ATF. DO NOT USE GEAR OIL. the idiot that had my 83 TA before me had gear oil in it, and the internal bearings sound terrible and it vibrates under load at high speed now. Gear oil is NOT GOOD for our manual trannies.
When you lift the car you will find on the passenger side of tranny two plugs that have a square head on them which I believe is a 9/16. The bottom is for draining, and the top is for filling. I always liked to leave the drain plug out and pour about a quart of fluid in top to flush sediment out if present.
there is a spec for amount of ATF to use, but basically you can just fill tranny until the oil start running back out of the fill hole. That is how most do it. Good luck trying to do it the metered way.
Due to a horribly small space to work in, I advise you to go to your local parts store and get a hand pump with a rubber hose on the end. Its just a tube with a plunger that you can pull to suck up the fluid, then push in to pump it into the tranny. They are around $10 to $15 usually.
It's been awhile since I looked up the maintenance interval, but I believe its 25,000 mile service intervals. But a 100K is very common, Personally if I have been beating the crap out of it, I change at 25K, but normally 50K.
I have a 90 Bird with 210K miles on it and its still going strong with the fluid changed every 50K miles. And I thrash this car about every time I drive it. Always slammin gears.
When you lift the car you will find on the passenger side of tranny two plugs that have a square head on them which I believe is a 9/16. The bottom is for draining, and the top is for filling. I always liked to leave the drain plug out and pour about a quart of fluid in top to flush sediment out if present.
there is a spec for amount of ATF to use, but basically you can just fill tranny until the oil start running back out of the fill hole. That is how most do it. Good luck trying to do it the metered way.
Due to a horribly small space to work in, I advise you to go to your local parts store and get a hand pump with a rubber hose on the end. Its just a tube with a plunger that you can pull to suck up the fluid, then push in to pump it into the tranny. They are around $10 to $15 usually.
It's been awhile since I looked up the maintenance interval, but I believe its 25,000 mile service intervals. But a 100K is very common, Personally if I have been beating the crap out of it, I change at 25K, but normally 50K.
I have a 90 Bird with 210K miles on it and its still going strong with the fluid changed every 50K miles. And I thrash this car about every time I drive it. Always slammin gears.
Last edited by hgffrank; 06-21-2007 at 10:48 PM.
#4
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Re: Manual Trans Fluid Change
The correct fluid for a 88-up T-5 (2nd design) is ATF.
The correct fluid for a 87-back one (1st design) is gear lube.
Yours is 2nd design, therefore it needs ATF.
It holds right near about 3 quarts dry. Probably 2½ - 2¾ if drained in the car (since the drain plug isn't at the lowest point, not all of it can get out).
The correct fluid for a 87-back one (1st design) is gear lube.
Yours is 2nd design, therefore it needs ATF.
It holds right near about 3 quarts dry. Probably 2½ - 2¾ if drained in the car (since the drain plug isn't at the lowest point, not all of it can get out).
#5
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Re: Manual Trans Fluid Change
There was much discussion about this topic a while back, though I don't recall the general consensus. The shop manual for my 85 IROC calls for Dextron II for both auto and manual trannies. I'm using Mobil 1 synthetic (75-90 gear lube) to good effect.
JamesC
JamesC
#6
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Re: Manual Trans Fluid Change
If they call for dexron of any sort it shouldn't be run with gear oil. The thicker fluid doesn't get into the tighter tolerances nearly as well as the atf/dexron III. The thicker viscousity tends to be much harder on the syncros.
While you're at it, the diff fluid should probably also be changed, as that's another often(almost always) overlooked fluid.
While you're at it, the diff fluid should probably also be changed, as that's another often(almost always) overlooked fluid.
#7
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Car: 89 Camaro RS
Engine: 2.8L
Transmission: T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: Manual Trans Fluid Change
If they call for dexron of any sort it shouldn't be run with gear oil. The thicker fluid doesn't get into the tighter tolerances nearly as well as the atf/dexron III. The thicker viscousity tends to be much harder on the syncros.
While you're at it, the diff fluid should probably also be changed, as that's another often(almost always) overlooked fluid.
While you're at it, the diff fluid should probably also be changed, as that's another often(almost always) overlooked fluid.
Thanks to everyone else. I picked up some fluid today and I'm going to give it a shot this weekend.
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