93 Nissan Terrano R3M TD27 Auto Trans Service

[Drifter2090]

Hey Guys,

 

Looking to do an automatic transmission service on my 93 Terrano with the diesel TD27t. Most of the guides I am seeing are for the gas variants, is the transmission the same between the gas and diesel models? is there a filter as well to replace? and how much fluid should I purchase?

 

Thanks!

[Frenchy]

Chances are the transmission will be the same. The filter could be different. Chances are the fluid is Matic D. That is still available from Nissan. Personally I would just do the basic drain and fill.

[Slartibartfast]

I've never found a service manual for the Terrano. But one of the guys (pretty sure it was Ekim Naelcm) on the FB page made an R50 auto trans work in his Terrano, and IIRC all it took was swapping over the bellhousing and having a torque converter made, which means it's (at least a variant of) the same RE4R01A that's in the North America-spec gas-engine trucks.

 

The '95 US manual specs 8.5 liters (9 US quarts) for the 4WD, 7.9 (8-3/8) for the 2WD. It calls for "Genuine Nissan ATF" or Dexron II. The R50 (which has an upgraded variant of the same slushbox) service manuals spec Nissan Matic D, so I assume that's what "Genuine Nissan ATF" means. I used bottom-shelf generic dex-merc in mine and it didn't seem to mind.

 

I flushed mine by putting the cooler lines in a bucket, running the engine until it stopped pumping brown fluid into the bucket, adding fresh fluid through the dipstick tube, and repeating that process until the fluid coming out was recognizable as the fluid I was putting in. Dropping the pan looked like a PITA, and I'd been told that the filter is more of a screen than a filter anyway, so I didn't bother with it. I have since seen a picture of a trans filter full of what looked like clutch material--not sure what else was wrong with that transmission, or how common that is. Might be worth checking the filter (and wiping the sludge out of the pan) for peace of mind if nothing else.

 

Be careful filling the transmission. The level changes a lot as it warms up, and you're supposed to check with it warm. I thought I had it close, warmed it up, and had to drain about a quart to get it back down to the mark.

[Drifter2090]

On 4/29/2024 at 11:32 PM, Slartibartfast said:

I've never found a service manual for the Terrano. But one of the guys (pretty sure it was Ekim Naelcm) on the FB page made an R50 auto trans work in his Terrano, and IIRC all it took was swapping over the bellhousing and having a torque converter made, which means it's (at least a variant of) the same RE4R01A that's in the North America-spec gas-engine trucks.

 

The '95 US manual specs 8.5 liters (9 US quarts) for the 4WD, 7.9 (8-3/8) for the 2WD. It calls for "Genuine Nissan ATF" or Dexron II. The R50 (which has an upgraded variant of the same slushbox) service manuals spec Nissan Matic D, so I assume that's what "Genuine Nissan ATF" means. I used bottom-shelf generic dex-merc in mine and it didn't seem to mind.

 

I flushed mine by putting the cooler lines in a bucket, running the engine until it stopped pumping brown fluid into the bucket, adding fresh fluid through the dipstick tube, and repeating that process until the fluid coming out was recognizable as the fluid I was putting in. Dropping the pan looked like a PITA, and I'd been told that the filter is more of a screen than a filter anyway, so I didn't bother with it. I have since seen a picture of a trans filter full of what looked like clutch material--not sure what else was wrong with that transmission, or how common that is. Might be worth checking the filter (and wiping the sludge out of the pan) for peace of mind if nothing else.

 

Be careful filling the transmission. The level changes a lot as it warms up, and you're supposed to check with it warm. I thought I had it close, warmed it up, and had to drain about a quart to get it back down to the mark.

 

Perfect thanks so much for the info, I will give this method a try!

 

Maybe I should measure how much actually comes out and try to refill the same amount.

 

Think I won't bother with the filter either then.

 

Did you notice any difference in trans performance?

 

[Slartibartfast]

A friend and I did that on his Blazer. Got a bucket with measurements on it and poured in the same amount that came out each time. It would've worked better if we'd kept better track of the level in the bucket between rounds, but we got there in the end, and we didn't overfill it like I did mine.

 

I did a bunch of work to the truck right after I got it, including the trans fluid, so I never really got a baseline for how it shifted before. After the flush, it shifts pretty well, apart from a lazy 1>2 shift under load. It hasn't gotten worse over the last 26k miles, and the transmission is still alive at 257k miles, so I'm not complaining.

 

While you're in there, consider adding an external cooler, especially if you wheel or tow (the hotter the fluid, the faster it degrades). I also plumbed in a Magnefine external filter while I was in there. I don't know that it's doing much, but there was a little metallic shimmer in the old fluid, so I figured adding an actual filter was a good idea.