Auto gear box oil change - What to buy

[TheStinkyHippy]

Lots of information found in the forum about gear box oil changes.

Looks like I need,
5L Dextron 3
Liquid Gasket

Tube,Funnel,Tray,Petrol and rags

So, any preference/recommendations?

Found these..
Comma AQ35L 5L AQ3 Automatic Transmission Fluid £22.80
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comma-AQ35L-Aut ... 003BPNNVE/

Will this do for the liquid gasket?
V-tech Black RTV Silicone Instant Gasket Maker 600F 85g £2.94
http://www.amazon.co.uk/V-tech-Black-Si ... B00442NWOQ

many thanks again for excellent help

[JoeC]

Give Opie Oils a call. And don't forget we get a discount with them - 10% I think.

[Northern Bongolow]

this stuff is really good, great service interval too.
used this seven years ago, never missed a beat.

http://www.millersoils.co.uk/automotive ... sector=Car.

if your careful you should be able to use the old gasket, i wouldnt use instant gasket unless your really stuck. the genuine gasket is available from mazda if you give them your vin number, they arnt cheap but neither is a new gearbox.


i think muzorewa has a spare one that we didnt use when we did his box oil and filter before his epic 4600 mile summer trip. that has millers oil fitted.

[Simon Jones]

The factsheet is quite helpful: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/member ... ts/atf.pdf

I found getting the level right afterwards extremely tricky. You fill the 'box via the dipstick tube which means when you put dipstick in to check the level, you end up getting ATF all over it which makes getting accurate reading tricky. Best tip is keep every drop you remove (easier with Pela pump) and then refill with same amount so you are in the right ballpark.

This is the dipstick on mine that has different levels for hot and cold.



To get it up to temperature, you'll need to go for a good long ride but obviously ensuring you don't have too much or little in before you start your trip. The engine needs to be running and the gears run thru a few time before you can get an accurate level. It will be much higher before start the engine as a lot of the fluid will have drained from the torque converter.

The fluid you need is Dexron 3 (rather than Dextron) and I personally use EuroCarParts QX brand but at some point I will drain this and put some Millers in (as per NB's recommendation).

There are several different gearboxes fitted and the filter arrangement differs, but in the case mine, there are 3 types of bolts so it's vital to note which goes where:

[Northern Bongolow]

is that a paper filter simon.

[Simon Jones]

It's a fine metal gauze which is much easier to clean than the older 4WD box as you can see much more of it. Slosh it around in a bowl of petrol and it comes up good as new.

[TheStinkyHippy]

Thanks for the replies.

The info sheet indicates when putting back on the pan "Just clean it and put
it back on with sealant"
What "sealant"?

[Tony x]

Regarding the oil, if you view my avatar, both these bikes have Dextron 3 in their gearboxes.
There were endless debates as to which was best but I found Maxima MTL to be excellent. It comes in 3 slight variations of thickness.
These little bikes run hot and keeping the automatic clutch cool was really important. The Maxima was very good at this, better than most including the Motorex stuff. If you used cheap oil, you would notice the difference - overheating of the clutch, clutch slip and a DNF.
You had to change the oil every 45 minutes (every 15 minutes if it was wet) to keep a race bike on form. Left longer and it would smell burned and come out black rather than red.

I realize a bike is not a Bongo,

[TheStinkyHippy]

So, looking under billy, there seems to be no sump drain on my gear box, so i'm going to get one of the pumps to suck it out before undoing..

However, its very oily under there.. I wonder if I have a leak?
Its thick black oil.







Perhaps I should buy one of these?
http://www.mazdabongo.com/catalog/gearb ... ost-models

[Simon Jones]

The majority don't have sump plugs as standard so that's normal. I would guess the oil is coming from the bellhousing or engine. Possible crankshaft seal problem? Give it a good clean up & then check for signs of fresh oil. On the plus side, it keeps the rust at bay