On the ground transmission flush...

[mikedalcollo]

So long story short....I will be putting the long story in another thread, might be helpful for others...

I got this 5 speed 4x4 transmission from a 97' 1.6L 4 door sidekick,
This is for my 5 speed 4x4 96' 1.6L 2 door tracker

Got this tranny from a junkyard....donner looked great minus body damage, so i got the tranny for a mistake I made ...again long story later...done the ground checks including wrench shift with shiftbox off. 2nd took some rotating the main shaft a bit and was still a harder than all others but, I had drained the fluids a few days before, so no fluid probably attributed to this.
I put the shifter box on with plastic bushings that are good, no cracks or breaks. Shift lever that I also had to get because my spring was in 2 pieces.
Shifts good but that 2nd gear is still needs coaxing with a shift into 4th n reverse, witch gets into pretty smoothly....all this with no fluid and no telling how long was sitting before i got it.

Now to my actual question in this matter....when i drained it, the amount of sludge i got out of it made my eyes big...and there was a good fingernail width of it on the drainplug. Looking into the shift gate area it is caked on the walls pretty good...what's the best way to clean this, preferably without taking the case apart...just on the ground?

[fixkick]

take out the side plug (filler /level check)
put in 1qt of oil base paint thinner, even seen at walmart in paint department.
the spin the box with large drill motor.
in gear. get the cluster gear going fast this way, in 4th gear from rear or 4th front.
try 1,2,3,4 gears,
then drain it.
that is the only way I know to do this, and not using something that will wreck steals like Lucas oil junk.

the tip of the tranny fits a 1/2" drill chuck , i put 2 turns of duct tape on end from pilot shaft and spun it good.
good luck !
even by hand is better than nothing.

or alt way is use GL4 , drive 10 miles, lots of shifting.
drain and fill now.

[mikedalcollo]

That's a great idea thanks.....let y'all know how it turns out

[fetcher]

I can attest to the fact that Pennzoil Synchromesh is good transmission oil
for these manual cars. My understanding is it's not GL rated at all.
I think it's just too good for that.

[fixkick]

the Pennzoil is GL4.
it is not GL5 at all , not for axles at all.
the issues is many GL5 axle lubes can wreck the brass synco rings inside (eats them)
or at the least cause them to hang up, (seen and balky shifts or grinds)
the best GL4 is the one you like, by feel'

the other gross error is using GL4 Synthetic lube on any old box, the synros will now slip, and fail to match speeds. causing, slow shifts or far worse
most stores dont even carry manual gear box lubes
the excuses is nobody drives them (lame no?)_

[fixkick]

watch out for lubes marked MT
that is for 1959 school buses. with stick crash boxes, I drove a dump truck that year, 15speed, (5+3) ford, and not 1 syncro gear in the mix.
not one. (called double clutching)
MT means that (by rules of ASPI) a very very old spec rule for MT.

[fixkick]

GL means gear lube, not anything else.

there are lubes sold that are marked, GL3,4,5 on the bottle (we have them in texas , made here)
it uses additives that do not wreck syncro rings (know that the damage may only happen parked in very humid climates say Florida)
and has additives for GL5 (HYPOID GEARS RUN HOT) THAT HAVE EXTREME PRESSURE GL5 ADDITIVES TO PROTECT THOSE NASTY HOT GEARS IN AN AXLE (under load they do get hot)
those GL5 additives can make shifting very hard, if used in a box.
some top makers, can do that magic, I have tried it.
it is not easy make, and most stores do NOT sell it.

I think the Pennzoil you fund is best, .... non GL5.