The easier way to refill your 5 speed manual transmission | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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The easier way to refill your 5 speed manual transmission

mr cribb

US Army Retired
Joined
December 16, 2010
Messages
2,343
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City, State
Naylor, MO
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 Z71, 89 stepside
I did this just last night worked exceptionally well.

Tools needed: T30 torx bit and a cresent wrench.

I used the cresent wrench to remove the drain and fill plugs on the side of my transmission. Obviously after draining you replace the plug and proceed to remove the fill plug.

Moving to the inside of the vehicle:

I pulled my shifter boot upward over the shifter itself (there was probably screws holding the shifter boot at one time...assuming it was probably a screwdriver used to remove the screws for shifter boot--?)

There is another plastic boot under the shifter boot itself which will fight you till the end, but it can be done with a little patientce.

The TORX (T30 bit required) screws are in the 12 o'clock, 5 o'clock, and 8 o'clock positions.

I removed the screw @ 12 o'clock position first by selecting Reverse gear for a little extra shifter clearance.

Next I removed the screw @ 5 o'clock by selecting 1st gear

The last screw being in the 8 o'clock position I selected 5th gear.

After the screws come out pull straight up on the shifter assembly and set to the side.

With the FILL plug already opened and drip pan placed under the transmission proceed to pour DEXTRON in your manual transmission.

The specifications chart listed on this forum says it's 5.6 pints....well since you can't buy pints of transmission fluid I found a pints to quarts conversion calculator by using google.

The number of QUARTS to refill your manual transmission is 2.8 quarts. By pouring in the fluid through the top of the transmission it takes pretty much exactly 3 quarts of fluid because by the time you get back underneath the truck to install the FILL plug you will have lost the 0.2 quarts of fluid.

Installation of shifter is really straightfoward if you use the same gears selected during the removal procedure.

I used 1 quart of Lucas trans fix and almost 2 full quarts of Dextron.

Total time was probably 30 - 40 minutes after fighting the rubber at the bottom of the shifter.

I know there is a write up on using an obscene amount of hose going into the fill plug, but I think this is way easier. I hope this helps those of you with the 5 speed transmissions.
 



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I actually find that if you have one of those hand fluid transfer pumps it is way easier. Then you don't have to mess around with pulling the shifter boot and everything else. Just lay underneath the vehicle, put the hose in the hole, push on the handle and the fluid goes in. Does this about 4-5 times or so and done.

The one in the pic has 2 hoses, but you can get them with just one hose as well which is what I use! I also use them for filling my diff's.

6211460.jpg
 






Yes indeed that would be easier....however on the thought of you don't have $$$ for a transfer pump....and you have to do this for almost free, is where I was going with this thread.

I didn't have 4-5 feet of hose, or a transfer pump....and lacked extra cash to pick up a pump.
 












Thanks! I'm going to try this out tomorrow. It should be much easier to fill by gravity. And, I already have the shifter boot and cover plate off due to the infamous rail plugs I had to replace. Thanks again for the idea.
 












A/C recharge, is it easy to do it yourself?

error
 












Speaking about manual trans

I'll be going to Chicago in 2 weeks. I'll be using syn amsoil atf . Will post some info about the ride. Don't remembr where, but there is plenty here about manuals, hell a total rebuild is explained and shown. Hope the testy M5 will run a bit cooler!
 






fill plug

If you know the exact amount of fluid, why leave it open to fill?
 






If you know the exact amount of fluid, why leave it open to fill?

The spec for filling it is not "2.8 liters" or some exact volume, it is "add fluid until level with the bottom of the fill plug". if you over fill and let drain from the fill hole, then you have filled it to be level with the bottom of the fill plug.
 






2.8

I will just add three quarts when I change mine,,not a big deal really seems like
 












A transfer pump is under $10 with tax. You can use it on transmissions, differentials, fuel syphon, waste oil, etc. I don't know why anyone wouldn't have one. Way easier than gravity feeding or pulling the shifter.
 






Transmission oil change

changed the oil yesterday and it took about 15 minutes,,,used a transfer pump that has one hose,,really easy,,filled until it started dripping out of fill hole,,,,why anyone would go Rube Goldberg and take a simple job and make it complicated is really odd
 






Ok I posted this (5) FIVE years ago and it is even stated in the first few posts I didn't have a transfer pump or the cash to buy one.

When I changed the transmission fluid in my sport last year I did it the same way as above because a transfer pump wasn't available and it was 3am when I did the job.

So stop posting sarcastic comments please.

Do what works for you, period!

I'm not going to argue over something stupid such as how to change fluid, all I said was do what works for you.
 






changed the oil yesterday and it took about 15 minutes,,,used a transfer pump that has one hose,,really easy,,filled until it started dripping out of fill hole,,,,why anyone would go Rube Goldberg and take a simple job and make it complicated is really odd

Why would you resurrect a 5 year old thread for no reason?
 









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Good thread & going to get to my 5 speed Navajo asap. It will be the first fluid change I do on my "new" 4x4 Nav. Thanks for posting and the insight to help is out.
 






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