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  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
  • SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech

trans fluid change

  • Thread starter Thread starter Night Shifter
  • Start date Start date Feb 15, 2011

Night Shifter

Well-Known Member
Dec 24, 2005
1,710
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Daytona
Feb 15, 2011
#1
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #1
im going to be changing the fluid in my trans this weekend but had a quick question on the refill..

somewhere i hear of someone draining the transmission, plugging it back up then pulling off the shifter and pouring the fluid into the transmission from the top...is that possible? will it fill up the same way? or should i just stick with filling it up the normal way?

thanks guys....kind of a dumb question i guess
 

trinity_gt

10 Year Member
Jan 31, 2003
3,125
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99
Canada
Feb 15, 2011
#2
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #2
Filling through the shifter is fine.
 

Night Shifter

Well-Known Member
Dec 24, 2005
1,710
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59
Daytona
Feb 15, 2011
#3
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #3
awesome thanks man! looks like thats how ill be doing it then
 

RedDaemon

10 Year Member
Mar 31, 2005
3,470
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108
Atlanta, GA
Feb 15, 2011
#4
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #4
curious, what did you decide to fill it up with?
 

Night Shifter

Well-Known Member
Dec 24, 2005
1,710
27
59
Daytona
Feb 15, 2011
#5
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #5
pennzoil synchromesh manual trans fluid
 

RedDaemon

10 Year Member
Mar 31, 2005
3,470
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108
Atlanta, GA
Feb 15, 2011
#6
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #6
i thought our t-45's took ATF (Dexron III)?
 

Night Shifter

Well-Known Member
Dec 24, 2005
1,710
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Daytona
Feb 15, 2011
#7
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #7
i has a t-56... and yes to the dexron thingy but ive used pennzoil synchromesh in the past as well as gm symnchromesh for my t-45 and i never had any problems or issues so im using it this time as well...

do you have any other suggestions? i looked at mobil 1 which is what id rather have but i could only find the atf (didnt look very hard) and it was synthetic which i dont want to use in my tranny
 
D

darkhorse96

Member
Dec 28, 2010
32
0
6
Feb 15, 2011
#8
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #8
Here you go:

YouTube - How to Change Manual Transmission Fluid and Install the Shifter Base & Handle Gasket on a T45
 

RedDaemon

10 Year Member
Mar 31, 2005
3,470
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108
Atlanta, GA
Feb 15, 2011
#9
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #9
Night Shifter said:
i has a t-56...
Click to expand...


do you have any other suggestions? i looked at mobil 1 which is what id rather have but i could only find the atf (didnt look very hard) and it was synthetic which i dont want to use in my tranny
Click to expand...

i dont. i was actually asking because ive been wanting to change my fluid out as well

just FWIW, the tremec website actually says Dexron III fluid for your t-56...excluding the t-56 found in a viper: TTC: Frequently Asked Questions
 

Night Shifter

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Dec 24, 2005
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Daytona
Feb 15, 2011
#10
  • Feb 15, 2011
  • #10
darkhorse96 said:
Here you go:

YouTube - How to Change Manual Transmission Fluid and Install the Shifter Base & Handle Gasket on a T45
Click to expand...

thank you!

RedDaemon said:
i dont. i was actually asking because ive been wanting to change my fluid out as well

just FWIW, the tremec website actually says Dexron III fluid for your t-56...excluding the t-56 found in a viper: TTC: Frequently Asked Questions
Click to expand...

awesome info! one of the main reason i started to use pennzoil was one of the guys i was working with had used it in all his mustangs and told me some jargin about why its good to use but that was a long time ago and i dont remember what it was lol..all i know is it works very well and was way better then the RP i was using..

ive heard good thing about valveoline maxlife ATF for the T-45 though
 

twogts4us

15 Year Member
Apr 1, 2004
4,188
12
79
Dunedin, FL
Feb 18, 2011
#11
  • Feb 18, 2011
  • #11
I much prefer filling it through the fill plug on the side of the transmission rather than remove the shifter. I know alot of people do it that way, but it's kind of like pulling a head off to fill your crankcase with oil. I'd rather not mess with my perfectly sealed shifter and risk creating a problem that didn't exist when I started. Grab an inexpensive fluid pump from your auto parts store and just pump it from the bottle(s) into the trannie via the fill plug.
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
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69
Mar 4, 2011
#12
  • Mar 4, 2011
  • #12
Quick question on Trans flushes.. I was told and got some Amsoil ATF and told it was what is used on a manual trans.. Is this correct? I am going to be filling it through the top I am thinking, OP any issues with this? Only thing I have been warned is that the area getting the fluid to the bottom of the trans is somewhat small and it might overflow if you don't watch it (duh).
 

Dark04GT

10 Year Member
Apr 27, 2008
758
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NC
Mar 4, 2011
#13
  • Mar 4, 2011
  • #13
ahall2004 said:
Quick question on Trans flushes.. I was told and got some Amsoil ATF and told it was what is used on a manual trans.. Is this correct? I am going to be filling it through the top I am thinking, OP any issues with this? Only thing I have been warned is that the area getting the fluid to the bottom of the trans is somewhat small and it might overflow if you don't watch it (duh).
Click to expand...

Like twogts4us I also prefer filling from the fill plug on the side. Once you get the fluid up to the level of the hole you are finished. Usually takes 3L. Very easy with a small pump, a little harder manually w/ squeezing the bottle and 2 ft of tubing (my first time ). The top works but you don't get that good gauge of how much you have put in... but I guess you could just put in 3L .
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
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69
Mar 4, 2011
#14
  • Mar 4, 2011
  • #14
Dark04GT said:
Like twogts4us I also prefer filling from the fill plug on the side. Once you get the fluid up to the level of the hole you are finished. Usually takes 3L. Very easy with a small pump, a little harder manually w/ squeezing the bottle and 2 ft of tubing (my first time ). The top works but you don't get that good gauge of how much you have put in... but I guess you could just put in 3L .
Click to expand...

I was going to undue the top fill plug and fill it till it comes out that. Is the ATF good or does it need the manual stuff? I was told Auto gear lube is what it needs.
 

COramprat

...I can take it. I think.
20+ Year Stangneter
Mar 2, 2003
8,474
1,463
223
Sea of Tranquility
Mar 8, 2011
#15
  • Mar 8, 2011
  • #15
Note:

Do not go off topic in the Tech sections. While the law may not go around in the Squeaky Wheel it sure as hell does here...

Thanks.

On topic:

A hand pump from the parts store works just fine.
 

GDawg

Founding Member
Mar 22, 2002
1,469
19
68
Nevada
Mar 8, 2011
#16
  • Mar 8, 2011
  • #16
Night Shifter said:
i has a t-56... and yes to the dexron thingy but ive used pennzoil synchromesh in the past as well as gm symnchromesh for my t-45 and i never had any problems or issues so im using it this time as well...

do you have any other suggestions? i looked at mobil 1 which is what id rather have but i could only find the atf (didnt look very hard) and it was synthetic which i dont want to use in my tranny
Click to expand...

I've been using RP Syncromax... is there something better besides Amsoil?
 

txredgt

10 Year Member
Oct 26, 2009
1,343
33
69
Mar 8, 2011
#17
  • Mar 8, 2011
  • #17
GDawg said:
I've been using RP Syncromax... is there something better besides Amsoil?
Click to expand...

I just put Amsoil ATF in mine and it feels much smoother now. I went through the shifter instead of pumping it through the fill plug. I didn't want to spend more time on my back under the car slowly filling it through the fill plug and the pump. No problems at all doing this. Took me a bit long but I took my time, roughly 2 hours from shift knob off to shift knob on and I even changed the shifter position as well in the process.
 
D

darkhorse96

Member
Dec 28, 2010
32
0
6
Mar 15, 2011
#18
  • Mar 15, 2011
  • #18
I changed my transmission fluid today and I didn't want to overtighten the drain plug when i was finished. Now i am seeing smoke coming from the drain plug. How tight should it be to prevent the smoke?
 
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