Change transmission fluid

[jonnyred]

Evening all. Gave my Bongo a check over at the weekend and noticed that my transmission fluid was a very pale pink verging on brown. So from what i have read this should be drained and changed. Has anyone here done this themselves ? Any hints or tips ? I was thinking of buying a pump to remove the old, is this the way to go or any advice on draining please.

Never been into messing about with engines and bits but it only seems right to know about this stuff when you own a Bongo, all part of the fun !

Cheers

Jon

[mikeWalsall]

As some Bongo do not have an auto box sump drain plugs .. some do pump the Dexron3 fluid out with a lecky pump or the excellent Pela type ..

As my V6 had a drain plug I drained the sump that way .. then removed it, and the valve block filter ,.. cleaned them both with solvent .. then put them both through the dishwasher before re fitting ..

A thing to bear in mind is the torque converter holds more fluid than the sump and you cannot drain it while draining the sump .. the only DIY way to do a full auto system fluid flush / change is via the fluid cooler pipes on the bottom of the radiator ..

[jonnyred]

Thanks for the reply. It would appear that i'm one of those without a sump plug, as i cant see it on my 2002 V6, so i better either go buy a vacuum pump and start messing with pipes or pay for a garage to do it. any idea of rough costs ? There are a couple of recommended Bongo garages in Bristol so i will give them a call and compare.

cheers

Jon

[jonnyred]

Just a question if i do the sump myself, is there a gasket in there that needs to be replaced as well ?

[Bongolia]

Just a question if i do the sump myself, is there a gasket in there that needs to be replaced as well ?

Yes cork I believe. Have a search through for Alacrity posts. He is an ATX specialist.

[mikeWalsall]

Not a recommendation .. But my gasket was more like a rubbery type .. it came away from the gearbox very cleanly .. so I put the slightest smear of silicone gasket goo on it and used it again ..

[jonnyred]

Great thanks guys. i am looking at getting a garage to do it now, if mine had a drain plug id probably go for it. I have been ringing around to see if i could get a sump cover with a drain plug to put back on, but no joy as yet. Might try Mazda and see what the cost would be.

[mikeonb4c]

Great thanks guys. i am looking at getting a garage to do it now, if mine had a drain plug id probably go for it. I have been ringing around to see if i could get a sump cover with a drain plug to put back on, but no joy as yet. Might try Mazda and see what the cost would be.

Ask them to check and clean any filter / magnet while they're doing the job plus note and report to you any notable stuff (metallic gunge etc) they find. I know nothing about autoboxes but i think there is some sort of a filter and if your fluid has a funny colour at present it's just possible there could be a connection. Hopefully a techie on here can comment.

[mikeWalsall]

It's realy easy to remove the auto box sump .. Like I said some sumps have a drain plug .. some don't and either pump the fluid out via the dip stick tube .. or 'tilt it out' ..

Which means .. Firstly slackening all the sump bolts ... put a drain pan (I use a baby bath) under the sump .. then remove all the bolts with the exception of those on one end .. this will make the sump pan 'hinge' down and the fluid will pour out into the 'baby bath' ..

Easy to clean the sump and magnet .. the filter is simply bolted onto the valve block .. if it's a metal mesh inside it can be washed out .. the sump gasket is a rubbery type and I re used mine ..

[jonnyred]

Cheers Mike, maybe i can do it myself, might be a job for next week ready for the season. My brother was a mechanic so has every tool imaginable, except a pump that is but they are only £15 on ebay.

p.s copied your signature as it matched my details and i thoughts its good to show which bus you have ! Imitation and flattery and all that !

[mikeWalsall]

Mine was a 1998 and had a drain plug .. I would have thought the later models would have as well ..

Once you have the motor 'off the ground' and the fluid is out then it's just a five minute job to drop the sump and remove the filter ..

I have to confess .. rather than manually using a ratchet and a 10mm socket ... I wizzed them out all with a cordless drill ..!!

[Alacrity]

Above advice all good,but just remember when refilling to check the level with the dipstick, engine running in park & use a quality oil, not cheap s##t. I would guess it will take 4-5 litres to refill it but others on here may know better - we always fill from a pump so my lads don't always know how much they have put in. If you are changing the pan gasket (as others have said you may be able to re-use it (we wouldn't but then you would be paying me to do it 'by the book') but if not don't use a cork/rubber one, they are trouble, you can get the correct type for only a few quid.

[cmm303]

I am no specialist so take my comments accordingly! Removal of the sump is a straightforward DIY job, notwithstanding the point already made that draining the sump only drains part of the oil (4.5l from 7 or 7.5l).

The oil level sits above the sump gasket so slackening the sump will be messy unless you pump out some or all of the oil beforehand. The excellent pumps already mentioned are expensive. I bought a pump from Screwfix for a tenner which resembled a very large syringe. It was a bit fiddly and pretty much died by the end but justified itself with the saved garage bill but not recommended if doing this sort of thing often! I think I also had to sort a narrower tube to fit down the dipstick shaft. When using a pump it is easier with the oil hot.

The sump distorts easily (and then leaks) so always support it especially if full of oil.


My original gasket was as hard as nails and broke up during sump removal. I purchased my replacement from Bongo Towers and it was cork, which Alacrity (an expert on these things) does not recommend. I had no choice at the time and it has been fine. I was very careful about cleaning all surfaces and lightly oiling them before reassembly making sure the gasket stayed in line all the way round. Tighten bit by bit evenly around the pan and do not overtighten - this can distort the pan and cause the gasket to leak incurably.

Earlier in this thread a filter is mentioned. It is the long shiny thing in these photos. The mesh filter is inside and cannot be removed, hence the need to soak it etc to clean. Just make sure it is properly dry before reassembly.

[jonnyred]

Thanks for the great pics and advice. I am thinking of purchasing a Draper vacuum pump online (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Draper-Transm ... Swd0BV1z2P) that looks to be ok for the removal, although the tube looks like it might be a bit short. Alacrity do you have a part number for the gasket, if the cork ones are not recommended ? Also is there a particular decent fluid you would recommend ?

Ill try and remember to take a few pics as well and post back with how i do as a complete mechanical noob. Luckily my old man and brother are going to pitch in so should be fine.

[mikeonb4c]

I've not been impressed with one or two Draper items I've bought. Pela pump twice the price but I've used mine for oil changes for 11 years and it's never let me down. Always warm engine before use to thin oil/ATF so it is easier to suck up.

Probably stating the bleeding obvious but when cmm303 refers to oil in his post i assume he is referring to automatic transmission fluid - i always worry in case someone ends up using engine oil to wipe around gasket faces etc. Similarly, I'm not sure what solvent is best/safe to use for cleaning the filter mesh.