manual transmission fluid
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 63
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manual transmission fluid
I'm getting an 87 F150 this afternoon with the 4spd manual transmission. I called the Ford dealer and he said his book only goes back to 1988 but that it recommends an ATF for their manual transmissions. What is everyone else out there using for a manual trans? ATF sounds to light.
Please forgive me if I ask all the stupid questions but I'm not real experienced in automotive work. This vehicle is a project for me and my son.
Please forgive me if I ask all the stupid questions but I'm not real experienced in automotive work. This vehicle is a project for me and my son.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Mt. Clemens Michigan
no do not put gear oil in that 4 speed. the old 4 speeds use gear oil, the old cast iron ones. all ford aluminum case manuals use atf. had a 4 speed from an 87 in my truck a while back, same problem noone knew what to fill it with. ended up finding a ford part number at one of the parts stores and it was just regular old atf. i put in about 30% of lucas trans medic to shut up the syncros. gear oil will trash that cause it is to thick wont lube the input bearing enough. if its cast iron, gear oil is fine, aluminum is atf
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Mt. Clemens Michigan
ok well i guess i should just come on here for any of my questions from now on cause i asked 2 trans shops around my house and a parts guy at the dealer and they all said if its aluminum its atf. was confient that they knew what they were talking about so i didn't look anything up, just did, says use gear oil. now ifeel like an a**. sorry all
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 19,402
Likes: 38
From: Bonita Springs FL
He's sorta right, if you ignore the aluminum 4sp/OD transmissions. The newer 5 speeds have aluminum cases and they take ATF. The older cast iron trannies all take gear oil.
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Senior User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 164
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From: Mt. Clemens Michigan
well i just never even questioned it when 2 tranny shops told me that. but i guess i should be more careful
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,244
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From: Cottage Grove, WI
^^^ Agreed. Im a fleet mechanic for a living, and I can tell you unless the people you talked to were only months away from retirement, they probably were not working on an 88 when it was new. The younger mechanics probably have heard that "unless that ford is old as dirt, the manuals take atf." And heck, your truck has EFI, so it cant be that old... right? Most public mechanics have no idea about anything older than about 97-98, its all they ever work on, and all they want to know about.
Super Moderator
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 40,024
Likes: 1,519
From: Maine, Virginia
Follow the recommendations of the owner's manual. My old '86 M4OD specified gear oil and my '88 M5OD says ATF. But with 200K on the clock, the syncros are loud as hell.
The Ford dealer told me that these trannies don't build up that much heat and don't need the heavier lube.
Tim
The Ford dealer told me that these trannies don't build up that much heat and don't need the heavier lube.
Tim
I won't get into what I run in all my T5 builds . . . .
More Turbo
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 507
Likes: 2
From: Pasadena US
A manual trans leak is something that needs to be fixed. First, find the leak, its either a rear seal, a front seal, posibly a rubber plug etc. But find it and replace it. Usually its not a difficult task.
