Going to do new fluids all around- need some help

[1994SEV6]

In the process of doing my transmission, I've noticed a whole bunch of things that need to be fixed or replaced. This made me realize that I don't want to be one of those neglectful owners that run their cars into the ground.

 

I decided it would probably be a good idea to change all the fluids. Who knows if the previous owner did it, or when. I'm kinda scared of the fluid in my diffs coming out like tar.

 

I was wondering where the drain plugs are. I see the weeping hole on my rear diff, but I don't think I ever noticed a plug at the bottom for drainage. The same goes with my front diff, but I never looked at that too carefully.

I've read that filling the diffs with gear oil takes forever. Actually, I've done it once on my dad's truck. Talk about bottlenecking... Some people say it takes hours. I'm not sure if that is an exaggeration or not since I could believe it. I was wondering if there was some way to prop the bottle up?

 

What about the power steering pump? I think I read somewhere that I have to use a siphon for that? And some guy around here recommended using synthetic ATF for the P/S?

 

How do I do a brake fluid change? I bet that would involve bleeding the lines.

As far as coolant goes, I just use that spigot type thing at the bottom of the radiator? Just hooking up a tube and letting it drain seems like it would do the trick.

 

Oh yeah, what about the M/t and transfer case? I just bought a M/T from this guy, and it has fluid it in. I bet the fluid is new because that's the type of guy he was, but I think I got some water in there. How do I drain the M/T? Also, what's all this about a filler hole? I don't have one. Is there supposed to be a dipstick tube like on the ATF?

 

Also, what brands of fluids should I use? I want to stay away from over-priced gas station BS. I've heard the brand Redline thrown around a lot, but I think it's rather expensive.

 

Where can I dispose of the fluids? I know oil, ATF, gear oil, and P/S fluid are all oils, so they can go into that container that Advance Auto has. What about coolant and other things?

 

I can't wait for the responses. Thanks guys

[sewebster]

Both diffs, the transfer case, and the manual transmission have drain holes on the bottom and fill holes on the side. You should get some kind of fluid transfer pump to put the oil in. The power steering fluid has no "easy way out" that I'm aware of. It's the only fluid I've never changed. Probably I should. Brake fluid.... you can just basically bleed each brake for a while (while continually adding fluid to the master cylinder) until it is all changed. If you haven't bled brakes before, read up on it first

 

Yeah, drain coolant out the bottom of the radiator. I don't know where you are supposed to dispose of it. I usually leave it next to the oil drop off place. I think they even told me it was ok once.

 

You can probably read around the board about the right fluids to use, or read the FSM. The most important thing is to use ONLY GL-4 gear oil in the transmission. NOT GL-5 and NOT GL-5/GL-4 compatible. If you mess it up you'll ruin your synchos. ALSO, the transmissions are designed wrong, so that the fill port is too low. This means you have to get extra fluid in somehow. You can either remove the gear shifter and put it in the top, or jack the truck up on an insane angle from the side. Both are somewhat annoying. The TSB with the correct fluid amount is stickied somewhere.

 

Use LSD fluid (or an additive) in the rear diff if you have an LSD. Transfer case takes ATF or gear oil. The favourite of some people for the transmission (and t-case) is Redline MT-90. Basically all this info is elsewhere on the board somewhere if you search around too.

[Towncivilian]

Use a turkey baster or suction gun to exchange fluid in the power steering reservoir. Also do this once for the brake fluid reservoir before starting a brake bleed as this speeds up the process. A synthetic ATF will be excellent in the P/S system, especially in colder weather where it may groan and make noises with generic PSF or mineral ATF.

 

Dispose of used coolant and brake fluid (each in their own container) at a quick lube shop, they should let you do it. These do not mix with used oil properly and must be disposed of separately.

 

There is a pretty large thread about fluids, filters, grease, and change intervals here.

 

The manual transmission TSB thread is here. Redline and Amsoil make excellent GL-4 fluids, I think a lot of people here run those fluids.

 

If there's an Advance Auto Parts near you, I'd run Mobil 1 75W-90 in the diffs (and t-case if you decide to run gear oil) - it's a very good synthetic gear lube and has LSD additive. Order online and use discount codes, then pick-up in store.

 

Use gear oil in the transfer case in manual trucks, ATF in auto trucks to prevent cross-contamination should a seal start to leak.

Edited November 25, 2011 by Towncivilian

[Trogdor636]

He covered most of it. I know you have a Hardbody, but you should download the FSM. All mechanicals short of the leaf springs vs coil springs are going to be covered, and it should have most of this stuff in the Maintenece section.

 

To do a bit more for the radiator flush/fill, I've used something like this.

 

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PST0/AFKIT.oap?ck=Search_antifreeze+flush+kit%21s%21test_-1_3230&keyword=antifreeze+flush+kit%21s%21test

 

Some people hate them, but I've always had good success.

 

As for places to get rid of all this, where I live its a pain. Most local parts stores etc take oil, but antifreeze, brake fluid and gear oil I have to take to my local dump, they have a special place for that. So dont just mix it all together and take it in, your local oil recycler may not take it all.

[1994SEV6]

Both diffs, the transfer case, and the manual transmission have drain holes on the bottom and fill holes on the side. You should get some kind of fluid transfer pump to put the oil in. The power steering fluid has no "easy way out" that I'm aware of. It's the only fluid I've never changed. Probably I should. Brake fluid.... you can just basically bleed each brake for a while (while continually adding fluid to the master cylinder) until it is all changed. If you haven't bled brakes before, read up on it first

 

Yeah, drain coolant out the bottom of the radiator. I don't know where you are supposed to dispose of it. I usually leave it next to the oil drop off place. I think they even told me it was ok once.

 

You can probably read around the board about the right fluids to use, or read the FSM. The most important thing is to use ONLY GL-4 gear oil in the transmission. NOT GL-5 and NOT GL-5/GL-4 compatible. If you mess it up you'll ruin your synchos. ALSO, the transmissions are designed wrong, so that the fill port is too low. This means you have to get extra fluid in somehow. You can either remove the gear shifter and put it in the top, or jack the truck up on an insane angle from the side. Both are somewhat annoying. The TSB with the correct fluid amount is stickied somewhere.

 

Use LSD fluid (or an additive) in the rear diff if you have an LSD. Transfer case takes ATF or gear oil. The favourite of some people for the transmission (and t-case) is Redline MT-90. Basically all this info is elsewhere on the board somewhere if you search around too.

 

Thanks. The other threads, and your response, reinforced a lot of what I knew, but I had other questions too. I thought the thing about the t-case taking either fluid was weird.

If the t-case can take EITHER gear oil, or ATF, then that kind of makes them the same, right? If A=B and B=C, then A=C? Just by logic, that would make it true that you could put gear oil in your auto trans or ATF in your M/T. It's logical to think that, but I know it's dead wrong.

[Trogdor636]

Use gear oil in the transfer case in manual trucks, ATF in auto trucks to prevent cross-contamination should a seal start to leak.

 

I swear I read in a thread around here that wasnt the case. I did it because I assumed the same thing. I'll have to poke around and see if I can find the thread.

[Towncivilian]

I swear I read in a thread around here that wasnt the case. I did it because I assumed the same thing. I'll have to poke around and see if I can find the thread.

Actually, I think I remember reading that too... if true, wouldn't gear oil be a better choice due to the extreme pressure additives, etc?

 

EDIT: I clarified a bit of wording in my first reply. Also, here's the FSM download link. Right click -> save as on all the files, store them in one folder, and use fwd.pdf to navigate.

Edited November 25, 2011 by Towncivilian

[1994SEV6]

I swear I read in a thread around here that wasnt the case. I did it because I assumed the same thing. I'll have to poke around and see if I can find the thread.

Yeah, I read somewhere on here that the leaking doesn't happen. I think it went something like "there are seals between the two. And even if those seals break, then there are still other protections making impossible for them to mix". It pretty much said that it's impossible. Besides, even if it was, you would have to break a few seals on both the trans side and the t-case side. I think you would have worse problems than a little gear oil in your ATF.

 

 

By the way. Thanks everyone for the input. I was looking up Redline. Boyyyy is that stuff expensive. $15 a quart, not including tax, or shipping. By my math, I think I need 9 quarts? 5 for the M/T, 3 for the rear diff, and 1.3-ish for the front diff? Jeez, that's like $135. I like to put the best stuff in my truck (especially since it's my first), but damn. A Royal Purple oil change costing me $60 is one thing, $135 on a bunch of lube is another.

 

Wow. Towncivilian, I looked at those links. You are on top of stuff like nobody's business. Are you sure I don't have to pay for this service? You offer for free what other people can't even do while earning $15 an hour. Those coupons are sure to save me a bunch of money. You're the man!

Edited November 25, 2011 by 1994SEV6

[Trogdor636]

I only did the Redline MT-90 in my tranny and transfer case, due to the GL-4. I did Castrol in my front and rear diff. And my local Napa has the Redline for 10 bucks per bottle, so if you have a Napa near it may help to check.

[Towncivilian]

Redline MT-90 is $13.49/qt on Amazon with free shipping. I'd second running MT-90 in the trans and t-case and using Mobil 1 or other gear oil for the diffs to save some cash. Diffs are pretty damn bulletproof, they won't know the difference. My R50 went 123k on factory fill on the rear diff, no problems.

 

And thanks, I do my best

 

Don't forget to grease the driveshafts and anything else that may be applicable too. Any NGLI #2 lithium soap base grease will do as long as you grease regularly. I'd suggest Valvoline DuraBlend.

Edited November 25, 2011 by Towncivilian

[1994SEV6]

Redline MT-90 is $13.49/qt on Amazon with free shipping. I'd second running MT-90 in the trans and t-case and using Mobil 1 or other gear oil for the diffs to save some cash. Diffs are pretty damn bulletproof, they won't know the difference. My R50 went 123k on factory fill on the rear diff, no problems.

 

And thanks, I do my best

 

Don't forget to grease the driveshafts and anything else that may be applicable too. Any NGLI #2 lithium soap base grease will do as long as you grease regularly. I'd suggest Valvoline DuraBlend.

 

Amsoil wants $15 a quart of M/T or gear oil 75w90. No complaints, just an observation. Advance sells the Mobil 1 75w90 for $11 a quart. Not bad. I noticed that Mobil 1 75w140 was $19 a quart though..doesn't that seem a little odd?

 

Hey Town, about the lithium grease stuff. Do I just put some on my finger and just smear it around parts that make contact and slide?

[Towncivilian]

There are grease fittings on the driveshaft (well, at least the front driveshaft has one, according to the FSM) - see MA-22. You'll need a grease gun. Other stuff like ball joints may have grease fittings as well if they have been replaced with aftermarket parts.

 

The M1 gear oil is cheaper than that with discount codes. AAP is easily my favorite parts store just because of the coupon codes. It helps that my local store is helpful and courteous as well. The 75W-140 is more expensive probably because it needs more/different viscosity improvers due to the greater range of viscosity and there's presumably less demand, but don't quote me on that one.

Edited November 25, 2011 by Towncivilian

[sewebster]

Someone recently posted that there is a drainage channel between the transmission and transfer case. If true, then running the same fluid for only that reason is pointless. I believe they also mentioned running ATF in the t-case if you are easy on your truck because it probably provides less resistance, giving better fuel economy. Makes sense.

 

The reason the transfer case can use ATF or gear oil is likely just that it is not very demanding on the lubricant and thus a wide range of things are probably "good enough." Other components have more specific needs and therefore require specific lubricants. Probably you could fill your transfer case with vegetable oil and it would work or something...

 

Edit: I think I spent around $200 when I changed all my fluids. You don't do it very often so it doesn't matter so much. In Canada this stuff tends to be more expensive though. It was rather annoying when I saw the total bill, I'll admit!

Edited November 25, 2011 by sewebster

[1994SEV6]

Someone recently posted that there is a drainage channel between the transmission and transfer case. If true, then running the same fluid for only that reason is pointless. I believe they also mentioned running ATF in the t-case if you are easy on your truck because it probably provides less resistance, giving better fuel economy. Makes sense.

 

The reason the transfer case can use ATF or gear oil is likely just that it is not very demanding on the lubricant and thus a wide range of things are probably "good enough." Other components have more specific needs and therefore require specific lubricants. Probably you could fill your transfer case with vegetable oil and it would work or something...

 

Edit: I think I spent around $200 when I changed all my fluids. You don't do it very often so it doesn't matter so much. In Canada this stuff tends to be more expensive though. It was rather annoying when I saw the total bill, I'll admit!

 

Right. I think that's what I read. With the ATF or gear oil, I think you're right. If you do hardcore wheeling, then gear oil is what you need. The high cost of the fluids is worth it and it will last a long time, but I don't think I have $200 to spare on stuff like that. I might do them slowly while worrying about the M/T and t-case for now.

[sewebster]

Another tip is to always open the fill port before the drain port. This prevents draining the diff and then realizing the fill port is stuck later. So you can still drive around to buy bigger tools

[1994SEV6]

Another tip is to always open the fill port before the drain port. This prevents draining the diff and then realizing the fill port is stuck later. So you can still drive around to buy bigger tools

Oh that's a good one. That's just being smart. That applies to alot of stuff. Thanks