blandry23

ive been wanting to change my tranny fluid for some time now. Some people i talk to say its bad to change it but ive also read that it should be changed every 30k cuz excessive heat destroys the lubrication properties of the fluid. I went to check my manual on how to do it and it says nothing about it in the service requirements nor does it say anything on how to change it. My car is an automatic. Does anybody know if there is a drain bolt on it anywhere or am i gonna have to drop the pan to get all the fluid out. And on that note is the fact that the book says nothing about doing that fluid change mean that i shouldn't be doing it? Help would be greatly appreciated.

thatpoorguy

alright, according to my manufacturer's manual, the auto trans fluid should be inspected every 30k miles. start the car and while holding the brake pedal cycle it from forward to reverse several times to get the fluid run through it then shut it off. pull the dipstick and according to the manual "inspect for any foreign matter, if it's dark, or smells burned the clutches may need to be replaced. a tacky film that will not wipe clean indicates varnish build-up which can cause valves, servo and clutches to stick and may inhibit pump pressure."



i normally change mine every 100k but that's just my preferance. if you do choose to do it, you will have to drop the pan, but there's a trick to it. remove the bolts on one end and only loosen the bolts on the other side so the fluid only pours out one side, then completely remove the pan. make sure you clean out the pan of any sediments that are in it. small amounts of what looks like metal dust on the bottom are to be expected with a car this old but if there's a lot, get it to a tranny shop asap for a rebuild. after removing the oil pan you'll see something that looks like a mini version of an oil pan. this is the oil strainer. if you can find a new one replace it. if not just remove it and clean it with some carb cleaner. be careful when you remove it because the bolts are different lengths and if you remove the wrong ones the entire valve body will drop out with the strainer. also the manual says that if there are any scrathes, scores, or holes in the strainer it HAS to be replaced or fluid can bybass the correct oil passages.



when reinstalling everything the strainer bolts need to be torqued to 2.9 ft-lbs and the oil pan bolts to 5.8 ft-lbs.



best of luck whatever you do

thatpoorguy

wow i wrote a book, and did it from my phone too lol

blandry23

thank you for the input, that book you just wrote me was very helpful lol. My fluid is a little brown but its not sticky nor does it smell burnt. So im probably gonna do the fluid change and then if its still running bad i'll take her in unless i see the mass amounts of metal dust then shes going in right now. Should i get a new pan gasket as well?

thatpoorguy

if the car is high mileage then the gasket is probably going to want to stick. the hillbilly in me says you won't need to but from experience I know it's better to have one on hand in case the old one sticks to the metal and tears lol. i can give you page references but i'd want to go home and look at my paper manual (easier to flip through the pages and i have them marked lol) but here's a site with the factory manual and other paperwork goodies for your car http://foxed.ca/foxed/index.php?page=rx7manual

blandry23

Thank you once again. I'll let you know how it goes when I get to it.