Can I add fluid through the shifter opening?

[wythors]

Well can I? I'm in the middle of my AOD/T5 swap. The transmission is in and it seems like it would be much easier than pumping it in through the fill plug.

 

[cenok is family]

YES. that's the way i've always done it. use a funnel. makes it easier and you won't spill ATF in your car. screw climbing under your car and pumping fluid in. that's just silly.

 

[MustangOwner]

Yup, just grab a funnel and pour it in. Make sure you put the correct # of quarts in it! Good luck

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

That's the only way i've ever done it. The whole bit with using a siphon or however it's *supposed* to be done is stupid.

 

[Foxfan88]

i add fluid from inside the car also.

 

[RYC CUKR]

Its the easiest, cleanest way to do it.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Its the easiest, cleanest way to do it.

*IMPORTANT*


Make sure you use a funnel for good measure, and pour it SLOWLY. My buddy did this once and got in a hurry and it overflowed and splashed all over his carpet

 

[wythors]

Done. Thanks guys. Transmission is in, shifter is in, wiring harness is swapped and the aluminum driveshaft is installed. All that's left under the car is hooking up the clutch cable and reinstalling the X-pipe. Then, reassemble the interior and I'm done!

 

[Turkey Sammich]

Stupid question, but adding fluid by unbolting the shifter, and adding fluid via funnel?

 

[90]

wheres the Question in that ??? i see the question mark But nothing in question forum...

 

[Turkey Sammich]

wheres the Question in that ??? i see the question mark But nothing in question forum...

Alex Trebek is that you?

I didn't know we had a question forum.

 

[90]

Stupid question, but adding fluid by unbolting the shifter, and adding fluid via funnel?

well i guess ill go out on a limb here,... And Say that you don't know what there talking about so ill Try to Simplify for you...

A) Start with a 5-speed transmission...
B) you will notice that there is no trans fluid dip stick for a manual trans Thus, there Being a Reason you can not add Fluid like an AOD.
C) there are 2 way you can go about inserting fluid into your trans
1)going under the car and pumping it in
2)taking your shifter off from inside you car, using a VIA funnel and pouring it in From the Shifter...

 

[Turkey Sammich]

To sum it up to you. I was asking, do you add fluid by unbolting the shifter, and adding the fluid with a funnel? I ask because I wanted to know if there was an easier way than jacking up the car. But you answer my question.

 

[90]

yeah once the shifter is out you can funnel it right down... its the fastest and to me easy way... i hate jacking the car up and getting under it.. i avoid at all cost..

i one time spent 5 hours doing a simple clutch cable quadrant install... i new what i was doing, just doing by self... if i was in the car it would slip off under, if i was under it would slip off the quadrant... i was sooo pist..

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

i do it that way too... i pul the fill plug out and wait till fluid starts draining out while i am pouring it in the shifter hole

 

[Mustang78]

i have a little pumper deal that screws on (like a cap) to any quart oil container, you just stick the end of the hose in the hole and pump away, works pretty good except now it's kinda broke, so the top half falls off and you have to hold it on..otherwise it's yellow and has no brand markings on it. I would guess wal mart sells em

~Mark~

 

[Igofaster13]

i have a little pumper deal that screws on (like a cap) to any quart oil container, you just stick the end of the hose in the hole and pump away, works pretty good except now it's kinda broke, so the top half falls off and you have to hold it on..otherwise it's yellow and has no brand markings on it. I would guess wal mart sells em

~Mark~

Sounds like my lower-end pump for outdrives, Works great for rear ends too! You guys really don't want to get under your cars, you need to check things out down there sometimes. Never filled from the shifter, sounds weird to me.... Must be from the VIO job I had when I was young...... rolling it in the bay and doing a D&R every week!

 

[mojopony]

I plan on changing the fluid soon in my T5. I was underneath the car today trying to remember how I filled it the last time since its a pretty tight space under there. After a little pondering I kinda remembered pulling the shifter out and filling it from above. I used Amsoil ATF last time, but it only shifted worse and the tendency to crunch on the 1 - 2 upshift increased. I'm going to try Redline D4 this time.

 

[Darkwriter77]

I dunno, maybe I'm weird, or I've got a more handy fluid pump than y'all do. Here's how I do mine:
1. Put car up on ramps.
2. Remove drain plug to drain oil fluid.
3. Replace drain plug, remove fill plug.
4. Pump in fluid 'till it runs out.
5. Quickly replace fill plug.

Seems a lot easier than...

1. Put car up on ramps.
2. Remove shift knob.
3. Remove shift boot trim and boot.
4. Remove shifter.
5. Scrape off old RTV silicone sealant.
6. Crawl under car and remove drain plug to drain old fluid.
7. Replace drain plug, crawl out from under car.
8. Pour in new fluid.
9. Reapply bead of RTV silicone sealant to shifter base.
10. Reinstall shifter.
11. Reinstall shifter boot/trim.
12. Reinstall shift knob.

I mean, either way, you've gotta crawl under there to remove the drain plug, so why not refill it while you're still under there...?

I use a groovy little fluid pump I scored at Checker Auto for less than $10 (Valvoline brand). Kinda like the above mentioned one, it screws onto the top of a gear lube bottle, and you pump the thing on top until you run outta fluid. Take the remaining last few drops, pour it into the next quart before putting the pump onto that one, and repeat. Takes me about 30 minutes total, and only one time crawling under my car.

 

[ninety15.0]

Here's the best way to do it. Remove drain plug. Remove shifter knob and boot. Take a funnel with a 3 foot extension of flexible tubing. Pass the filing tube though the shifter opening in console/tunnel and place the end of the tube in the drain plug hole. Sit in driver's seat and pour the ATF into the funnel.

Very simple, quite cheep, and very quick. The bottle pumps are a good option too.

Taking the shifter off every time is ridiculous....and like they said...you still have to get under the car to take the drain plug off?!?!