New Hachi owner... Trans fluid location?

[TKD-Wolf]

I just recently bought an AE86 with 193,000 miles on it for $300. It's a SOHC open diff SR5, but with an 8 valve 4A with what I believe to be around 80hp... It's carburated. It hasn't had a tune up in a long time, and I wanted to check fluid levels and such - the dash has an oil gauge - but I can't find the trans fluid dipstick anywhere in the freaking engine bay. Anyone know where it would be? Any help would be much appreciated. Oh, and what kind of trans fluid to use?

One more thing, this is my first car, and consequently the first car I've ever really had to do anything with. (other than our 1988 Pontiac with 274,000miles...)

[Mux213]

Heya Wolf,

Only automatics have the dipstick to check transmission oil. Manuals don't have nor need this generally. Putting some new transmission oil in could be wise after nearly 2k miles (damn thats alot ) but generally its not needed unless you plan to start doing circuit work with her.

I would always replace the engine oil on a car I'd bought even if the previous owner told me he's done a tuneup. Saves you alot of headaches.

[SutteR]

You won't find the tranny's oil filler in the engine bay because the whole engine-tranny combo is fitted longitudinal. Follow the transmission arm downwards and you find the tranny.
There is no dipstick, only two screws for bleeding and filling the oil.
They say the hachi likes the GL4 spec oil (no GL5!).

[jamiemirror]

Mux, 2k miles ??

[Mux213]

oops,

typo

meant 200k miles

[Plex]

Take out the shifter and fill it through the hole where the shifter was, its alot less of a hassle than pumping it in through the filler hole...

[Red]

"Take out the shifter and fill it through the hole where the shifter was, "
Yes, and if you do that...exactly how do you know when the fluid is at the correct level?
Quick answer, you don't and can't, so that's the wrong way to fill it.

It isn't difficult to jack up the car and use the fill hole on the tranny. Especially since you've got to jack the car up and slide into the same place to open the drain hole. This is also faster than stripping out the center console and shift boots to fill it from above, and you can't spill fluid in the car to ruin upholstery or the console.

If you are wondering how to tilt the bottle and pour into the fill hole while there's a car blocking you from raising the bottle...You don't. Just buy two meters of cheap plastic hose. Jam one end onto the bottle, and have a friend hold it next to the car while you stick the other end into the fill hole. Voila, the fluids runs downhill, no mess no fuss, fast clean job. AND you will fill it to the correct level, not "good enough" but exactly CORRECT.

[Plex]

Well red, it takes 1.9 quarts to fill it, and 2 quarts is fine for a T50

Quick answer, filling it that way is fine, so kiss my ass.

[Mux213]

Now no fighting guys

I don't think the oil level on the tranny reacts that strict to a little more or a little less. There is always a margin build in as its always possible for some oil to be lost through leaking or so.
If it wasn't so the system would be using a dipstick and you would have to check it regularly for differences.

So I guess filling it through the shifter hole would work.

What is the better solution, or the easiest. I'm not qualified to say. I do have to add to this discussion that here in holland atleast, all tranny oil bottles come with a screw on cap that has a small but of tubing build in and I've never had any problems filling the tranny up. As red said, you need to jack the car up to drain it anyways.

[Red]

Well, Plex, if you want to be sloppy and slovenly and risk wasting an interior, that's your business. Telling other people to do it that way when there's nothing to be going, is just foolish. Sending me a PM with your potty mouth and then inviting me to kiss you ass, just confirms the kind of mechanic who fills his gearbox that way.
You demonstrate no respect for the cost of maintaining an interior in a car, or for the correct ways to maintain and operate the car itself. Or, apparently, for much else.

As Mux says the gearbox level may not be critical. Still, it costs nothing in time, money, or effort, to do the job the right way. Doing it your way...Remind me again, what does it cost to replace one oil-stained interior seat? And, if someone is lucky enough to have an original interior, they simply *can't* be replaced. That's the kind of difference that adds up to a 10x difference in the resale price of a car.

Trash your own beater, don't invite other people to abuse theirs.