Woohoo!!! Success...
I completed my first transmission fluid change. I changed the oil while I
was at it. Let's talk about that first. The filter that was on it, when I
bought the car, was a Valvoline VO-9. I checked everywhere in Rochester, MN
for a replacement. Best I could find was a FRAM PH922A. It fit, but it is
MUCH smaller than the Valvoline. I'm a little nervous about heat. When I go
over 4000 RPM, I peak at about 3/4 of the temp gauge. Not sure if this is a
problem or not. I'm worried about when the hot weather comes to Rochester. I
used Castrol GTX 10W40. Engine runs much smoother. I feel more acceleration.
A definite improvement.
For the transmission fluid change... Haynes mentions SAE 90. I couldn't find
it anywhere. The guy at Checker auto says 80W90 should work just fine. Would
you agree? Wal-Mart had some 80W90 that was labeled for marine use. The guy
said I shouldn't use that. Is there a difference?
When I went to drain the existing transmission fluid, I noticed a LOT (at
least I thought it was a lot) of metal shavings stuck to the plug (the
magnetic kind of plug). That can't be good. As for the refill, I bought a
little hose attachment thing that screws onto the oil container and allows
me to squirt the fluid up into the gearbox. It even has a twist shut off.
Worked like a charm. Same principal that Ray mentioned. I did a combination
of working from top and bottom.
In a previous post, I mentioned that I get grinding if I shift from 1st to
second to quickly. That problem seems to be gone. I should have measure the
drained fluid to see how low it was before I started. Oh well. I still pop
out of reverse, but the transmission feels MUCH better now.
I noticed, that my car sat about 2 inches higher off the ground after
jacking up the car. About 10 minutes later, it eventually sank back to
normal. I had a real tough time getting my new hydraulic jack under the car.
Can I assume that my shocks and springs are shot?
Overall, the experience was a successful one! I appreciate everyone's
suggestions. They made the process much easier!
David Lover
'74 Spitfire 1500 (with fresh oil, filter, and transmission fluid!!!)
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