New DIYer question

KennyG · 12-09-2002, 07:11 AM

While changing the oil yesterday in my '88 Targa, I decided to also change out the tranny fluid. When I got under the car, I wasn't quite sure as to what I was looking at. Is the drain on the bottom and filler on the driver side? If that's what I saw, is it a hex wrench that fits? And what size if you know.
Thanks in advance for helping out with what may appear to be silly questions.

Kenny

Jeff · 12-09-2002, 08:31 AM

Nice car Kenny. No silly questions here.

Yes the tranny drain plug is on the bottom and the fill plug on the driver's side. And yes it is a hex head. I think 8mm (I may be wrong on the size).

Jack your car up on the driver's side. You should clean the hex heads out so you get a good fit with the allen wrench. Also you will want to loosen the FILL plug first (if you can't get the fill plug out once you drain it you are out of luck). To fill the trans mission I used a piece of flexable tubing and taped it to the top of tranny oil container (it is hard to tilt the bottle right next to the tranny). Fill it while the car is jacked up until the oil comes out of the fill hole, then lower your car and let excess drain out of the fill hole. Jack it up and replace fill plug.

Both Fill plug and Drain plug are torqued to 22 ft/lbs.

pwd72s · 12-09-2002, 08:35 AM

My fill tool is a 4' length of 1/2" tubing, a funnel plugged in one end. I'm under the car, Cindy is outside with the fluid & the funnel held high. "Okay dear, pour"..."Okay, stop"...it may be crude, but it works.

Superman · 12-09-2002, 08:47 AM

Mine is a female "allen" fastener, which is 17mm.

Bart911Man · 12-09-2002, 08:49 AM

I recently posted some picks of my unfortunate attempt to do just that job.

Lesson: start with the filler plug, imagine distroying your filler plug with the oil already drained...

Good luck,
Bart.

Allan Broadribb · Allan Broadribb's Garage

I hope you are going to fill it with Swepco! I'm changing my transmission oil next week. If you run down to Discount Auto Parts or similar you can buy a cheap plastic pump which will screw onto your oil container in place of the cap. Clean and easy. Good luck.

arcsine · 12-09-2002, 09:25 AM

The plugs on my car are as The Super lists. I used an inexpensive hand operated fluid pump that I got from Schucks to fill the transmission. Worked swell.

Jeff · 12-09-2002, 09:33 AM

Use Mobil 1 or Redline to fill your tranny (no offense allan). These work better in the G-50 transmission. Make sure it is gear oil NOT transmision fluid.

JDaniel · JDaniel's Garage

Buy 4 qts of the Mobil1 75-90 or the Redline (more expensinve... might be better). Swepco is for the 915. Make sure car is level when filling (don't just fill with one side jacked up). Fill until you can't fill anymore... or until you can feel the oil at the lip of the filler hole (insert pinky). Don't get the stuff on you. It's pretty stinky.

KennyG · 12-09-2002, 11:55 AM

Thanks all. Glad I asked. I was told to use Swepco and that's what I bought. Anyone need an unopened Gallon?

Redline is great in my BMWs, guess that's what I'll get.

joehahn · joehahn's Garage

at autozone you can buy a little pump that screws on top of mobil one bottles. made for "marine applications" it is nothing more than one of those shampoo type things with a hose connected to it but it is awesome. after you do it a few times you wont spill (except for the overflow when box is filled.). i thought the hex head was 13mm?

By the Way, I love your music!

Joe 68 L

KennyG · 12-09-2002, 02:44 PM

Thanks all. Glad I asked. I was told to use Swepco and that's what I bought. Anyone need an unopened Gallon?

Redline is great in my BMWs, guess that's what I'll get.

Superman · 12-09-2002, 02:50 PM

I'm going to be needing a gallon soon. Perhaps you can leave it with JW if that's most convenient for you, since he also has some of my clutch parts. Just e-mail me and we can work out the pesky details.

Doug Zielke · 12-09-2002, 04:14 PM

That really is a nice car, Kenny.

Too bad you can't play the sax worth $hit.
Listen to some Art Pepper albums, and dig his chops!

masraum · 12-09-2002, 04:23 PM

Kenny, I just did this on my '88 targa. It's a 10 mm hex, 17 was for the old 915 cars I think. Make sure you get loosen the fill plug before you drain the fluid. I have heard stories of guys drainign the fluid to later find out they couldn't get the fill plug out. Since you have the G 50 use Mobil 1 Synthetic. The swepco is most recomended for the 915 croud, but I can tell you from experience Mobil 1 is the way to go with the G50.