Note that this is NOT my own DIY. But I feel this is so useful it belongs here in the DIY forum.

Credit for this excellent DIY goes to forum member "jdl" - and KUDOS to him for a superb DIY! It was first mentioned in this thread (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=19006), which is a good read and has lots of info in it too.

http://www.5cats.org/rx8/trans_diff_refill/

Sweet ! I'm doing mine next week

Easy enough. Are the fill plugs located such that you can't overfill? Or do I have to measure our the liquid?

I did mine...the fill plugs will let you know when the tranny/diff are full...they'll also let you know if you overfill :D

Fill till they dribble

Few notes -

You WILL need a gear oil pump to get the gear oil from the bottle to the tranny/diff. I've tried other methods, trust me, you need a pump :). It can be tricky finding a small pump that will fit Redline/Royal Purple bottles. Autozone had one that was for some sort of marine use - had a check valve at the end of the fill tube. Ditch the check valve, you're good to go.

ALWAYS remove the fill plug first. If you end up not being able to get the fill plug off for some weird reason, or you strip it out or something, at least the car still has gear oil in it and can be driven!

Dunno the exact torque specs for the two plugs, but around 30-40 ft-lbs. Just enough to crush and seal the washer. Make sure the washer and the sealing surfaces are clean and free from dirt, too.

BTW, it still weirds me out seeing undercar pics of a NEW Mazda, with everything nice and clean and new. I'm used to 100,000+ mile RX-7's that are filthy and rusty looking underneath! :)

Dale

if you're pumping out the liquid, why does it need to fit any bottle?

cause you can't pour in new fluid sideways.

Note that this is NOT my own DIY. But I feel this is so useful it belongs here in the DIY forum.

http://www.5cats.org/rx8/trans_diff_refill/

If anyone can tell me WHO did this excellent DIY, I'd love to give them credit! rx8cited, do you know? Apparently you supplied him with the torque specs for the RX-8...

Omicron,
Why yes, that would be our forum member "jdl".

Please edit your original post to include the change tranny oil (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=19006) thread, where in post #10, jdl posted his link that you quoted.

There a ton of other good info in that thread.

BTW, I did not use no stinkin' commercial pump ;) to change my tranny fluid, I used a $5 flotool (clear tubing attached to a valve that fits a 20 oz plastic soda bottle) described in the "change tranny oil" thread.

I funneled the tranny/diff lubes into a cleaned/dried out 20 oz Dr. Pepper bottle, attached the flotool to the 20 oz bottle, put the tube into the appropriate filler hole, tilted the bottle so it was sideways and higher than the filler hole, opened the valve, then squeezed the bottle so it forced lube into the filler hole. It worked really well for me.

Like I said, lots of other good stuff in that thread.

rx8cited

where can i buy this $5 flotool.... and after every 3000 miles should the tranny and differential fluid be replaced??? :D

where can i buy this $5 flotool.... and after every 3000 miles should the tranny and differential fluid be replaced??? :D

I bought mine at Advance Auto Parts and I've seen them at Pepboys. There's a link that has a picture of it in my post here. (http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=299194&postcount=48) Note that I've seen flotool's valve pictured red here also come in yellow.

Every 3k ? Heck no! The Owner's Manual recommends replacing the manual transmission / differential fluids at 60k/30k miles for normal/severe schedule, so I'd suggest replacing the factory non-synthetic with synthetic Red Line lube around 1500 miles, then again at your normal scheduled service interval per the manual.

rx8cited

PS: Omicron, jdl's been made aware of this DIY.

Thanks rx8cited.... ill go and change my trans fluid and diff fluid this weekend to the synthetic... also... where can i buy the crush washers??? at any harware store or auto store??? sorry so newb.... :p this is my first time changing the fluids for my car :D

Thanks rx8cited.... ill go and change my trans fluid and diff fluid this weekend to the synthetic... also... where can i buy the crush washers??? at any harware store or auto store??? sorry so newb.... :p this is my first time changing the fluids for my car :D

I bought the washers from the dealer.

When I bought mine, they had to be ordered, but came within two days.

I've heard of people resuing them also, but is it really worth taking a chance doing that? Not for me. The cost of the lube, my labor, and potential damage caused by leaks is just not worth risking a couple of buck.

Don't rush to do it this weekend if you cannot get all the right parts and don't have the right tools ;).

rx8cited

Omicron,
Why yes, that would be our forum member "jdl".

Please edit your original post to include the change tranny oil (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=19006) thread, where in post #10, jdl posted his link that you quoted.

There a ton of other good info in that thread. All updated... thanks!

Also, can anyone tell me where to get those nifty magnetic drain plugs?

Can anyone tell me where to get those nifty magnetic drain plugs?

I'm not sure what your application is ...... the stock differential and manual transmission plugs have magnets built-in.

rx8cited

I'm not sure what your application is ...... the stock differential and manual transmission plugs have magnets built-in.

rx8citedThey do? Even better, thanks! :D

Cool... i will order for a dealer and just go and buy supplies this weekend.... next weekend, im going to change the oil and the other two fluids. BTW... changing trans and diff oils ... it is as easy as oil changing the rx8.. no??? :rolleyes: :confused:

Cool... i will order for a dealer and just go and buy supplies this weekend.... next weekend, im going to change the oil and the other two fluids. BTW... changing trans and diff oils ... it is as easy as oil changing the rx8.. no??? :rolleyes: :confused:

You tell me next weekend :). I've never changed my motor oil .......... because I have free maintenance for 4 years :D. I have the dealer do it every 5k.

rx8cited

The picture for this post was lost when the forum was upgraded so here is the post again.

---

To level the car for installing the MT oil I did the following:

There is a mild incline (15-20 degree) in my parking pad going up to my garage. I did the following:

1. Backed the car into the garage

2. Placed a pair of Rhinoramps down the incline in front of the car so the top if the Rhinoramp was level with the garage floor.

3. Drove the car out of the garage and onto the Rhinoramps resulting in the car with its front wheels on the Rhinoramps and rear wheels in the garage.

It took 4 or 5 tries to position the Rhinoramps at the right spot on the incline so their top was just level with the garage floor. To confirm the car was level, I first used a carpenter's level on the top part of the door sill with all 4 wheels in the garage, then checked to confirm the same reading with 2 wheels on the Rhinoramps.

This results in plenty of room to work on the Tranny from underneath the car. I used this technique when putting RedLine MTL in my Miata (which is even lower to the ground) years ago. Looks pretty goofy though!

You know it's a bitch finding any portion of the RX-8 that is "level" when the car is on level pavement, too many styling lines and curves.

The pictures for this post were also lost, so here they are again.

---

With the car raised up, I used an inexpensive pump (first picture) to install the oil in the transmission (second picture). The same pump can then used to move the old oil into the empty bottles (third picture) for recycling.

The pump can be purchased at most auto parts stores. My local NAPA Auto Parts store has two types of these pumps in the $5-$6 range. You will find them in the Gear Oil section.

Ok, silly question, but... (go ahead and laugh if you need to)

If I have a level working surface for my 8, is it necessary or "nice-to" put the car up on blocks to do the tranny & differential oil swaps? I guess I could crawl underneath to confirm, but I'm at work and don't want security to drive up and start asking what the heck I'm doing.

BTW, thanks everyone that has contributed info to this and the other linked threads. This is such a supportive site. I love this place and I love my car... No wonder someone here described it as a cult! :)

-Dennis

I would have to say that fluid changes without raising the body a little would not be possible.

An oil change, where you use a shallow pan and an extension socket is do-able, but not tranny or diff.

If you want a really stable, level and safe lift, you should get two ramps, a jack and two jackstands.

Put the ramps behind, and put a little wood between the wheels and the ramp, to give the tires a 'head start'. The rear wheel drive will scoot the wheels up, then leave it in gear, handbrake on.

Ain't going nowhere. Then jack the front at the frame rail just ahead of the motor, jack it way up until it's level, front to back, then lower it gently onto your two jackstands.

Solid as a rock, safe and lots of room to torque stuff......enjoy!

S

I would have to say that fluid changes without raising the body a little would not be possible.


Well, thanks for taking the time to reply, and for the advice on safe lifting.

Looks like my Sears shopping list is going to be a little longer, but hey, can you have too many tools? I didn't think so! :)

Thanks again,
-Dennis

Well, I did a little website maintenance on the transmission and differential oil change howto (http://www.5cats.org/rx8/trans_diff_refill/) -- I fixed several outdated links mainly due to Red Line's own website reorganization.

Hope it's still helpful,
-jd.

jdl,

Could you also update on your website the part numbers for the differential fill and drain crush washers? You have both as 9956-41-800 but that is actually the part number for the drain crush washer ONLY (which is silver in appearance). The fill crush washer part number is 9956-21-800 (which is copper in appearance, as your pics show). Thanks.

I'm confused about where to place the jack and jackstands. For jacking up the FRONT END, StealthTL said to place jack at the "frame rail just ahead of the motor." However, where do I place the jack stands? At the outer edges underneath the door sills?


Similarly, if I want to jack up the rear end, where do I place the jack and jack stands?


***Edit: I found the answers at http://www.techguys.ca/howto/floor_jack.html. This website was given in the thread "Best way to jack the car?", which is at http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=23663&page=1&pp=15&highlight=put+jack+jackstands.***

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this DIY.

I changed trans and diff to Red Line yesterday using much of the information contained here. Some additional notes and thoughts for those of you embarking on this project.

For those of you uncertain if you want to change these fluids now or wait until the 30k maintenance interval... this change was perfomed at 9500 miles on my 8. The magnetic plug for the trans had a "dome" of metallic filings at least a quarter inch thick and the fluid drained from the trans was quite "silvery". The differential drain plug didn't have quite as thick a deposit and the fluid was not as visibly contaminated but I feel better knowing that the "break-in" fluid and residues are out.


1. Leveling the car - check the level first before starting to raise it. I used a 36" carpenter level across the door sill with the front and rear doors open. In my garage there is a slight pitch to the garage door so I wanted the level the same once raised.

2. Raising the car - I used Rhino ramps in the rear so started by backing the 8 up the ramps. Easy enough, but now the front was too low to get the floor jack under the front crossmember. I used the scissor jack under the standard lift point at the front to slightly raise the front enough to get the floor jack positioned under the center of the front cross member.

3. Raised the front and placed the jack stands under rear attachment points for the subframe (heavy stamping just rear and inboard of the rear side of the front tires). I do not like placing the jack stands under the rocker panel lift points or the unibody frame rails. Three notches on my Craftsman jack stands and the level was perfect.

4. Loosen the trans and diff FILL plugs first. You don't want to find that you have a stuck or stripped fill plug after draining the fluid. Leave the fill plugs in place, finger tight.

5. Remove the transmission drain plug while holding the drain pan right up under the drain. Once you have the drain plug out and the pan right up under the trans, remove the fill plug. This way you don't have fluid shooting all over the floor and yourself. Do the same when you're ready to drain the differential.

6. Refilling - I used the flotool/hose method. I bought two flotools and cut two 4' lengths of 1/2 inch clear tubing. I bought the tubing at a marine supply store for $1 per foot. It is food grade tubing. I only mention all this because this tubing fit the flotool and the fill openings perfectly. I transferred the Red Line to thoroughly cleaned and dried 2 liter soda bottles. The flotools fit the soda bottles perfectly with no leaks. The reason I used 2 of everything is so that I wouldn't cross contaminate the API4 and API5 products.

7. Place the tube into the fill hole. The fit is very tight. I placed a short phillips head screwdriver between the top of the tube and the top of the fill hole in order to allow air to escape as the fluid was filling. Raise the bottle and squeeze until some fluid escapes from the airgap at the top of the tube. You will probably need to lower the bottle and allow air to reenter the bottle perodically.

8. Don't forget to replace the fill plugs and crush washers. I torqued to 39lbs/ft.

There was a lot of preparation, but it was worth it. Very little difficulty or mess. Only used two small rags for the whole job and that was to wipe off the small overfill on the trans and diff and to clean the magnetic drain plugs.

Please return the used fluids to the local oil change facility or your municipal collection site. (most will take the oily rags too)

Ok someone help. I changed my tranny, oil and rear diff. 2 weeks ago, to redline, except the oil was castrol. No problems with any of it until the other day I started to notice spotting on my driveway. Didn't have time to check it out, and I just jacked the car up today... the rear diff. is leaking. I tightened the bolt, but it was already tight enough, I made sure that I put the correct plugs and washers back in each fill/empty hole. Any suggestions on why this would happen?

Ok someone help. I changed my tranny, oil and rear diff. 2 weeks ago, to redline, except the oil was castrol. No problems with any of it until the other day I started to notice spotting on my driveway. Didn't have time to check it out, and I just jacked the car up today... the rear diff. is leaking. I tightened the bolt, but it was already tight enough, I made sure that I put the correct plugs and washers back in each fill/empty hole. Any suggestions on why this would happen?

Were all the threads clean?
Were the mating surfaces clean?
Did you use NEW crush washers?
Did you torque to 39lb/ft?
Did you thoroughly clean the fins on the differential rear plate? Maybe it's not leaking. Maybe it's just overfill dripping off.

Thanks for the suggestions beachdog. I did all of that, the only thing I didn't do is use new washers, but they weren't damaged or worn at all. It's not coming from the plugs, it's coming from the seal. I spoke to my mother's b/f who is a mechanic and he said that sometimes that happens when the oil is too thin, as redline is. He said the pinion seal won't hold the thin oil because there is some pressure built up in the gearbox and the thin oil is pushed out and will break or pass the pinion seal. He told me to change it back to the factory specs, then see if it still leaks, if so then bring it to Mazda. I have the car jacked up right now and I'm going to change it out, I'll let you guys know what happens. There wasn't any additive that needed to be used in the rear diff. right?

Thanks,
Brian

Thanks for the suggestions beachdog. I did all of that, the only thing I didn't do is use new washers, but they weren't damaged or worn at all. It's not coming from the plugs, it's coming from the seal.

Hmmmmmmmm, been reading this forum regularly for the past 6 months and have not seen any posts on a leaking diff seal. Many forum members have changed to syn oil in their trannys and differentials with no reports of leaking seals. Did you use the recommended viscosity and spec?

BTW, the washers for the plugs are actually crushable seals that are compressed when torqued down. It's best to replace them with new washers when you R&R the plugs. Depending on how much torque was applied at the factory, the original washer might have already reached it's crushable limit and is now not sealing. Make sure you re-check that again before looking at more serious possible causes for the leak. Good luck and let us know what is causing the leak.

Thanks that sounds logical. Where can I get new washers?

Your dealership or on-line at Rosenthal.

Thanks, I think the differential is ok though, haven't seen spotting since I did the switch back to stock, time will tell now.

Thanks, I think the differential is ok though, haven't seen spotting since I did the switch back to stock, time will tell now.

Did you change your washers when you switched back to stock? Also, did you notice exactly where the fluid was leaking from (was it the fill or drain plug)?

Did you change your washers when you switched back to stock? Also, did you notice exactly where the fluid was leaking from (was it the fill or drain plug)?

Nah, he said it was leaking from the pinion seal, which is at the front of the diff. I told you, those crush washers will last forever!

Nah, he said it was leaking from the pinion seal, which is at the front of the diff. ......

Doh! Thanks, he said it here: http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=686040&postcount=30

Interesting that this is the first one that has leaked.

I'll give you guys an update over the weekend, the weather is horrible right now and the cover is on my 8.

I changed my trans/diff oil today with the Redine MT/75w90. I also installed RP's short shifter at the same time. Shifting is now perfect.
I couldn't believe how many metal flakes were on the magnetic drain plugs. It looked like it couldn't hold anymore and the old oil was very muddy looking.
Very helpful DIY thread.

I changed my tranny and diff fluids this weekend. There were NO crush washers on either of the drain plugs - only the fill plugs... Anybody else have this issue?

On another note, I can't believe how the Redline improves the synchro meshing. I can now easily shift into first gear going 25mph. Before, I was lucky to get it into first going <10mph! Wow! What a difference!

I can now easily shift into first gear going 25mph. Before, I was lucky to get it into first going <10mph! Wow! What a difference!
You might be able to do it, but I'd strongly recommend that you stop doing that! You're putting a huge load on the synchronizers when you downshift to first at 25, and they can and will wear out. Downshifting to first at 25 mph will definitely cause the 1st gear synchro to wear out prematurely.

Regards,
Gordon

c'mon... Its just a way to judge how different the Redline is from the stock stuff. Besides, in 2nd gear @25 you are turning 3500 RPM - hardly in the power band - hardly out of the range of 1st gear. Before changing the fluids, if I pulled-out and then saw the need for rapid acceleration after already shifting into 2nd, then I'd have to slam the gears - or get run over while waiting for the car to get the RPMs up out of the bogged-down range. Now, the synchros are lubed well enough to slide right in. I'd venture to say that the amount of effort required to get it into gears in proportional to the damage being done. So, since it goes right into first now, I doubt I am doing anything detrimental to the synchros. Hell - its a machine. If you drive it, it will wear out.

.... Hell - its a machine. If you drive it, it will wear out.

c'mon, hell, like any other machine, if you abuse it, it will definitely wear out faster :rolleyes: .

Okay okay! Sheesh!! :p It's not standard operating procedure for me. I was just extoling the rheological virtues of this stuff through an illustrative example. I still can't believe how much better it lubes the gears than the stock fluid. One of the biggest differences is cold-weather performance. The stock fluid felt like shifting through bubble gum if the tranny was cooled down to 40 deg. F or so. The Redline is -way- less viscous at lower temps. I'd bet its also more well behaved at higher temps. :D

-Shift-on, Brothas!

I can't wait to do this. Excellent DIY. I read it twice however and somehow I missed the correct Red Line products to use. Is it MTL or MT90 for the tranny ? Redline mentions Mazda's specificaly for MT90 although the DIY seems to link to MTL .... Similarly did everyone use 75W90 in the diff with friction modifiers? I have the Sport Package. Thanks for clarifying.

I missed the correct Red Line products to use. Is it MTL or MT90 for the tranny ? Redline mentions Mazda's specificaly for MT90 although the DIY seems to link to MTL .... Similarly did everyone use 75W90 in the diff with friction modifiers? I have the Sport Package. Thanks for clarifying.
Below is what you need.

Thanks, that helps.

Ok here's my update sorry it took so long. My pinion seal was broken from the thin oil it wasn't the washer, thank god Mazda covered it. I did speak to a mechanic and he told me that it was from the thin oil, he said he's seen it happen on a few cars, not 8's though. So that's my story, remember it is possible that I overfilled the rear differential, I thought I had my measurments correct, but I do make mistakes. If I overfilled it, I would guess that the pressure would be too much and that could have caused for a broken pinion seal.

Break the pinion seal from using too much liquid ? I doubt. Cannot fill the differential completely, the filler port is lower than the top of the case. Can put in a little extra, if car is tilted to the front. Now, from that extra amount, to go from a safe pressure to a huge one capable of breaking a seal, seems too extreme to me.

Well, I had never changed transmission and differential oil before. It was a great project to do with my son. We had access to a 9K lift so we were able to walk under the car... a real advantage.

Things we learned.

We ordered new drain plug crush washers from Rosenthal but when we compared them the ones on the car, the factory installed washers were thicker. We reused the original washers. Your choice.
Getting oil into the fill hole is tricky. We had planned to use a syphon unit for draining gas but could not get the oil to move. I had also bought a funnel that had a shut off valve at the base. I patched together the hoses from both systems and we filled the tranny by feeding the hose down from the engine compartment, by the oil stick.
The differential was worse. Our tubing did not reach to either side of the car. We finally got it done by filling the funnel, raising it up into fender well behind the rear tire and feeding the tubing along the half shaft. Took some time, but worked.


In the end, my son and I spilled a little but it was a fun project.

The end result....
After some cautious laps around the garage, we took it on a run that combined city and highway speeds... up to 90. The tranny is quieter. There is a 20% drop in shift effort. The car goes into reverse far easier. The gear noise in fourth is significantly less. Gear noise at 90 is almost noexistent and... while it may be just my imagination, I think the car is quicker and requires less throttle to maintain 80 mph.

I will be checking for leaks over the next week, but we are really satisfied. Now I have to do the same on my wife's 8. Should go much quicker.

Thanks to all for all the information and insights. You made this an easy and fun saturday morning project.

Dave

Some marine stores have a neat little hand pump that screws into a qt-sized bottle and makes the fill part of the job much easier. Unfortunately, since the Redline bottles are not "standard", you will have to pour the oil into a regular oil bottle in order to use the pump. I tried several methods and the hand pump worked best.

so let me get this straight (haha sorry newb at this stuff)
i need 4 crush washers... 2 for diff and 2 for tranny
need 2 bottles of redline 75w90
and 2 bottles of redline mt-90

is this it? then i'm ready?

Some marine stores have a neat little hand pump that screws into a qt-sized bottle and makes the fill part of the job much easier. Unfortunately, since the Redline bottles are not "standard", you will have to pour the oil into a regular oil bottle in order to use the pump. I tried several methods and the hand pump worked best.

While you're at the marine store, get some 1/2 clear tubing. Fits the flotool valves that you buy at the auto parts store perfectly and fits the fill holes on the trans and diff perfectly. Flotool does not fit redline bottles. I transferred materials into clean 2 liter soda bottles.

I wrote up my findings in post #27 above.

Just finished doing this myself... It sure was nice to have all the advice in this thread!

A few notes:

1. I used the inclined driveway / Rhino ramp idea posted by msrecant in #19 above - my garage floor is apparently too smooth and the ramps just kept scooting forward every time I tried to drive up them (anyone else had this problem?). On the rough surface of the driveway they worked OK.

2. I used a little laser light level to position the ramps properly. Just put the level on the garage floor and shoot the beam out to the ramps to position them. Once you have the car up, you can double-check yourself by shining the beam along the tires. Using this method I got the car level on the first try.

It seems that the jury is a little mixed on whether there are tangible benefits to using the Redline... My experience is shifting into first is *definitely* easier as I'm coming to a stop, shifting in general seems a bit smoother (most noticeable from 1 to 2), and also, tranny noise in neutral (clutch out) while sitting in the garage is definitely less... It was such a striking difference, it made me wonder whether the factory had put enough lube in there in the first place, and it was just that it was filled properly now!

Anyway, I'm glad I did it. Thanks to all who've contributed in this thread and others on this subject...

Has anyone here tried using Redline's Superlight Shockproof fluid for the differential? I run this in my 2nd gen rx7, curious as if anyone has tried it in their rx8 yet.

Just wanted to express my gratitude for this DIY. My 8 has now been introduced to the fine family of RedLine gear oils. :)

Replaced mine with the recommended Red Line fluids recently at 11,000 miles. I used the plastic-tubing method; you can pick up a good length of 1/2" inner-diameter - 5/8" outer-diameter plastic tubing at Home Depot. This will just fit into the filler openings. To make sure there was a way for air to escape, I took a thick piece of copper wire and inserted it alongside the tubing to create an air gap. I bent a nice big loop in the other end of the wire to make absolutely certain that there was no way it could slip into the tranny case!

Attached to the other end of the tube was simply a kitchen funnel. There's room in the engine bay for the funnel and to run the tube down to the tranny. For the diff, I taped the funnel to a small ladder next to the car. The oils flowed well enough; if a bit slow. I figured that's not a bad thing because it allows the case to completely fill and not drip prematurely. Very easy; very little mess. A little diff oil did dribble on the exhaust and I could smell it for about a week.

Any difference? Yes. Not earthshaking, but positive. There was a noticeable reduction in gear noise right from the start. Shifting is slightly smoother, but it's a subtle difference. Neutral to 1st maybe a little notchier... but that goes away if you slow down the shift just a touch. In fact, slowing down all shifts just a bit seems to help realize the benefit of the new lube. Maybe that's why it felt like it took about 200 miles for the shifting improvement to become apparent; I was re-learning to shift for the way this lube works. I've also noticed that the occasional failure to properly get into Reverse hasn't yet happened since I swapped the fluids.

I changed mine to Royal Purple this weekend. I have 9,000 miles on my 8. I noticed a big improvement in the smoothness of shifting. I also think I have more power at the weels. This was easy to do. Used a 24mm socket for all of the plugs. On the rear differential I had to us a 6"" extension to get to the fill plug. I just used some clear tubbing and pushed it on the bottles and held it up in the air like a nurse would do with an IV. I cut a slit in the bottom of the bottle to let air in.

I didn't see this mentioned in this thread so here goes ... When we change our engine oil, we're only replacing 3.75-4.5 qts of the oil in a system that contains approx. 7 quarts.

Likewise i suppose, the trans and diff replacement capacities, at 1.8 and 1.4 qts are part of a larger total capacity.

Does anyone have any experience with a total flush of the trans or diff systems?

If so, was it a "Cooler Line Flush" or a "Pump Inlet Flush" based machine?

Is there a filter component that should be changed in the 8 in either the trans or diff?

Finally, what did you use as a system replacement fluid?

I did a trans/diff drain and fill at 12months, and now at 24 months thought I'd explore this option. Thanks in advance for this forums wonderful breadth of experience!!!

Cheers,
Oranje

I didn't see this mentioned in this thread so here goes ... When we change our engine oil, we're only replacing 3.75-4.5 qts of the oil in a system that contains approx. 7 quarts.

Likewise i suppose, the trans and diff replacement capacities, at 1.8 and 1.4 qts are part of a larger total capacity.

Does anyone have any experience with a total flush of the trans or diff systems?

If so, was it a "Cooler Line Flush" or a "Pump Inlet Flush" based machine?

Is there a filter component that should be changed in the 8 in either the trans or diff?

Finally, what did you use as a system replacement fluid?

I did a trans/diff drain and fill at 12months, and now at 24 months thought I'd explore this option. Thanks in advance for this forums wonderful breadth of experience!!!

Cheers,
Oranje
Not sure what you're asking, but I'll give it a shot anyway. The manual transmission and differential do not have external cooling components like the engine oil coolers. So the oil you drain from them is all there is, save for a minor amount coating the internal parts and possibly puddling in small crevasses.

I use Redline synthetic oils for both. Check the manual for the correct types and weights.

So no need for a flush, since there is no significant residual volume of fluid remaining in the system after the drain plug is pulled.

Thanks. That was the answer I was hoping for.

Oranje

So no need for a flush, since there is no significant residual volume of fluid remaining in the system after the drain plug is pulled.

Thanks. That was the answer I was hoping for.

Oranje
Flushing them would be overkill in my opinion. I certainly wouldn't run something like BG through them in any case. Just drain and refill. Replace the metal washer/gasket on the drain plug, and maybe the fill plug as well if you're a little anal like me.

And don't necessarily go by the quantities listed in the owners manual. Those numbers are just guidelines. Make sure the car is level and refill until the fluid just starts to run out of the fill hole or the level gets to where you can insert your little finger in the fill hole and come (no misinterpretation please :eyetwitch) out with some fluid on the tip of the finger.

I have not make sure, since Royal Purple is not available in my country and my fren will be getting it for me overseas.... Will Max-Gear 75W-90 be the right oil for both tranny and differential or is it another one?

I got it done over the weekend with my brother. Job was very easy thanks to the thread. I used Redline product. Here is my first 100 miles report.

a. Shifting 1st to 4th is very noticable. Best way I can describe is wit the new oil, gear feels like if it is soaked in water compared to sludge(Thinner Oil?)

b. On 5th and 6th gear, the car is able to pickup speed faster at lower RMP. Before the oil change, I end up lowering the gear at certain speeds but now I can press the gas a bit and car pickup speed without shifting.

c. Shifting up to 4th gear, I can feel the gear clunking in often.

Overall, I am very glad I had the oils change. Only down side is I have to relearn clutch/gas/shiting action a bit.

Nedor

Overall, I am very glad I had the oils change. Only down side is I have to relearn clutch/gas/shiting action a bit.

Nedor


Holy cow that has to be messy... :)

Any truth to the fact that the synthetic fluids might not be good for the car, or is that JUST engine oils? Any disadvantages to going to synthetic??

I'm very intrigued by this fluid swap by the way all you talk about the results with Redline.

The only question about synthetic fluids is for engine oil (even that is really up to debate, just read some of the threads on here). There is nothing different about the differential and transmission on this car than those on most other cars, so synthetics won't harm them in any way. Anybody that tells you synthetic will damage our tranny or diff is a bonehead.

Ok I ordered the crush washers from the dealer and purchased redline MT-90 & 75W90 in addition to a oil pump. I will being changing the trans/diff this weekend and will post my comments (hopefully it will make that pesty 5th gear grind go away!).

Done! MT-90 & 75W90. Had the dealer do it; provided them with the Red Line. Also had 245/40's installed at the same time. Alls I can say is WOW! Talk about smooth! Actually sounds like the entire drivetrain is mush quieter now. No issues with relearning the whole clutch/gas/"shiting" process. My technique was never perfect; however, with the same technique it now feels like I've been doing it right the whole time. Make sense? Tires are great as well. No more throbbing vibrations. :boink:

Finished the MT-90 & 75W90 about 8 hrs ago (in addition to engine oil and a K&N filter). Redline is great stuff! 2nd gear use to be tough to shift into at higher rpm but now it's smoth!Someone had posted the torque specs for the drain/fill plugs in Nm (Newton meters) so I had to convert it to ft. lb. which converted into 20 foot pounds (roughly) however, the plugs from the manufacturer were below 20 ft lb?!?!?!? I put on the new crush washers and torqued them at 20 anyways and they were fine :)

Thank You, Everyone!

I did the transmission and rear diff fluid change and the process was VERY easy. One thing that was odd on my car, my bolts to the rear diff where somewhat loose. No leaks but they where very loose.

Right out the back, the car was MUCH smoother in driving. None of the jerkiness as before.

Keep up the good work!

P.S. I called my local dealership and they wanted almost $600 dollars to replace the fluids and spark plugs. Doing it myself, I was able to save $380 dollars.

I've got 17k miles on my 2004 RX-8

Why and when would I want to change these fluids? I've had many cars that I've owned 50k+ miles, and NEVER had to think about these fluids.

Is there a performance gain? Is there high wear on these 8's? Someone give me the 411.

Several reasons.

Some people elect to change these fluids in the first 3,000-5,000 to flush metal debris from construction and wear-in of the gear boxes. The magnetic bolt in my transmission had collected quite a number of metal particles when I changed at 3K miles.

Some people prefer the feel of the synthetic lubricants (like Redline MTL or Royal Purple) in the transmission. It is subjective, but IMHO the Redline MTL made a big difference in the feel of my RX-8's shifting.

Mazda recommends changing these fluids after 48 months or 60K miles.

I've got a leaker! It's been two weeks. Nothing until this weekend. She sat from Fri night through Tues morning. Had a little puddle below it. I'm guessing a tablespoon, or so. Wiped it all down, and am letting it sit to see if I can locate the source. Will update this when I find it.

All and all, I'm very happy with the switch.

?... I left the dealer with a CEL. Check all I could w/out a scan tool. All "looked" fine. Reset it. Week later, and it's back on. Gas cap is fine. :) Any toughts? Can the 8 detect low diff fluid? Did it originally detect it when they changed fluids? Thanks for any input to this one.

MD


Added: Just checked it. Only place it's leaking from is the loose fill plug. What Knuckleheads!!! How hard is it to tighted a freakin bolt?!? Right now my dealership's techs are 0 for 3. (Service advisors are great!)

1. LOST MY WHEEL LOCK INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT/SCRATCHED THE INSIDE OF MY HOOD.
2. DAMAGED ALL OF MY WHEELS WHILE INSTALLING NEW TIRES.
3. LOOSE DIFF FILL PLUG LEADS TO FLUID ON MY EXHAUST AND GARAGE FLOOR. CEL MUST SOMEHOW RELATE TO THIS.

Bummer.....

Back home from the dealer. I talked to the service manager & asst manager about my problems. They appreciated the feedback. Seemed impressed that I wasn't out to get them, just make them aware of what had happened. They provided a free complete detail package for the concern. They're still my service department of choice. Service techs will be talked to about their lack of attention to detail. Wheels are repared to like-new-condition. I cannot tell anything happened, even by touch.

Pertaining to this thread: CEL wasn't caused by low diff fluid. Gasket on gas cap was "bad." Of all things. I guess my eyes aren't within Mazdas specs for inspecting that. They replaced it. Need to get me a scan tool.

Still loving the fluid change!!!

Hey guys, awesome thread! I am waiting until I get to 1500 miles to do my tranny/diff fluid change, just to make sure I grind as much of the extra metally crap from work-in before I drain it. Just wondering, I see a lot of you used Red Line, and only some use Royal Purple. How did you guys make your decision as to what brand to use? Is one higher performance than the other?

Just wondering, I see a lot of you used Red Line, and only some use Royal Purple. How did you guys make your decision as to what brand to use? Is one higher performance than the other?
In my case it was based on previous experience with Red Line and availability at my favorite race shop. I doubt whether anyone on here has done an exhaustive comparison if that's the information you're looking for, but maybe that information is available somewhere on the web.

Hey guys, awesome thread! I am waiting until I get to 1500 miles to do my tranny/diff fluid change, just to make sure I grind as much of the extra metally crap from work-in before I drain it. Just wondering, I see a lot of you used Red Line, and only some use Royal Purple. How did you guys make your decision as to what brand to use? Is one higher performance than the other?

The initial posters used Red Line. Also some of us called Red Line and Royal Purple and Red Line knew exactly which products to use for the RX8 and Royal Purple had to call back later. Of course this was over 2 years ago.

Okay, so really no tests to compare them, but they're both premium as far as everyone's concerned? RP has a big explanation on their site of how well their engine oil works in rotaries- I wonder why they'd be so uncertain about tranny oil? Well, any advantage towards the RP side I'm sure would be minimal (if any), and Red Line seems tried and proven. I'll throw some of that in when the miles roll around. Thanks for your replies!

Just wondering, I see a lot of you used Red Line, and only some use Royal Purple. How did you guys make your decision as to what brand to use? Is one higher performance than the other?

I used Red Line in my Miata based on a number of reports that it smoothed shifting, which it did substantially. While I was originally not going to put Red Line in my RX-8 (it was pretty smooth to begin with), when I had the dealer do a tran/diff fluid replacement at 3K mile (to flush out) I was very unhappy with the how the transmission shifted afterwards. The Red Line absolutely fixed the problem and, I believe, improved on the shifting from the way the car came from the factory.

Note, I did not use the Red Line based on a belief that it is "better" for the transmission and that the tranny will last longer. It was stricly based on the improved shifting characteristics. My take is that any quality gear oil of the appropriate grade will do fine for the expected lifetime of my 8, particularly since it is my daily drive and will probably never see a track or autocross event.

I have never used RP, but based on comments here it sounds like it does the same thing.

Using Redline in my old WRX was a nightmare. Oil was too "slippery" which wouldn't let the synchros work correctly and caused the gears to grind when downshifting.

Alright, I'm about to order my fluids and washers from Rosenthal. One question first. I asked the Rosenthal Mazda people about how many quarts of each fluid I should buy. I was under the assumption that I only needed two of each since neither the tranny or diff. is more than 2 quarts, but they said somethin about most 8 owners buying three bottles of the tranny fluid and two of the diff. Is this correct or do I only need two bottles of each? Thanks!

Only two of each. 1.8 qts tranny, 1.4 qts rear diff. Unless the mechanic spills it all over himself while refilling, two is more than enough.

Only two of each. 1.8 qts tranny, 1.4 qts rear diff. Unless the mechanic spills it all over himself while refilling, two is more than enough.
So, I should get 2 of the MT90 and 2 of the 75w90 and put one of one of each in the diff and trans?

Nope, not quite. Get two quarts of each type of fluid (4 qts total). Put 1.8 qts of MT90 in the tranny, and 1.4 qts of 75W90 in the rear differential.

Okay all. Went to local shop to arrange for them to do a variety of work for me - such as change tranny\diff fluids to redline... I was asked what the clutch\synchros etc were made of and whether or not I knew that the redline fluids would not over time degrade performance by attacking those materials... Well, i said, people on the forum do it all the time. To which you can imagine his response... something to do with lemmings...

So, to the tech heads here, are there any materials issues that we may not have thought of with the use of Redline fluids in our tranny\diff??

This shop has a long record of creating competition Porsche and other cars for over 20 years and knows what they are talking about. He does not want do the work without knowing it will not create long term issues. I am okay with that.

Nope, not quite. Get two quarts of each type of fluid (4 qts total). Put 1.8 qts of MT90 in the tranny, and 1.4 qts of 75W90 in the rear differential.
I thought that someone mentioned using MTL for the tranny? I think that the person used MTL and MT90 for tranny. Is this not recommended?

The specs call for "GL5" fluid in the rear end, tends to be very slippery, due to additives that contain sulphur. These same compounds can attack brass/copper etc. which may be used in the gearbox. So the specs call for "GL4" for the box. Basically the same stuff, but no sulphur.

I don't think Redline uses the sulphur additives any more, but to be safe, always go with the rating on the bottles.

I personally use a bit (30%/40%)of MTL in with my MT90, found it made a huge difference to the shifting feel.
Not recommending, just saying what worked for me. :)

S

GL4 or GL5 can be used in the gear box according to manual, but only GL5 can be used in the LSD.

The specs call for "GL5" fluid in the rear end, tends to be very slippery, due to additives that contain sulphur. These same compounds can attack brass/copper etc. which may be used in the gearbox. So the specs call for "GL4" for the box. Basically the same stuff, but no sulphur.

I don't think Redline uses the sulphur additives any more, but to be safe, always go with the rating on the bottles.

I personally use a bit (30%/40%)of MTL in with my MT90, found it made a huge difference to the shifting feel.
Not recommending, just saying what worked for me. :)

S

Thanks for the clarification guys. Going with the Redline MT90 GL-4 for the tranny and 75W90NS GL-5 for the differential.

If I remember correctly, somewhere in this thread it states to use 75W90, not 75W90NS

You dont want to use Redline 75W90NS in your differential because it doesn't have the Limited Slip friction modifiers.

Thanks for the clarification guys. Going with the Redline MT90 GL-4 for the tranny and 75W90NS GL-5 for the differential.

You dont want to use Redline 75W90NS in your differential because it doesn't have the Limited Slip friction modifiers.

I just looked at the bottle and it says Redline 75W90. There are no markings that say 'NS' on it. I think I'm good.

I just put a RP shifter in my car, and because of this, I still have the center console cover off.

I started thinking- can you fill the tranny from inside the car? When you put the shifter in, you can basically see right into the tranny. If I drain out all of the fluid, put the drain plug back in, and then pour fluid into the shifter hole will this work?

I used to do this all the time with my DSM tranny- there was a bolt on the top that you could take out and fill the tranny from instead of using the "fill hole."

Of course, I'm still talking about taking out the fill plug to figure out when it's full, but putting the fluid in from the top instead of side, which seems much easier and less messy. Has anyone tried this or know enough about the insides of the transmission to know if it will work?

It sounds to me like adding some MTL to the MT-90 oil will smooth out the shifting. Is this safe to do? How much is too much? I was thinking of going one and half MT-90 and the rest MTL.

Update - My Redline fluids are in. MT90 in the tranny and 75W90 in the differential. First impressions are that I don't hear the chattering when I am sitting in the driveway idling in neutral. Things are much quieter now. Feels great on the road but as others have said before, it already felt good.

I put the Red Line stuff in today. I love it. I followed the directions using the 1/2" tubeing. It worked fabulous. The only thing I would do different next time is wear latex gloves. That gear oil smell is hard to get rid of off your skin. Thx for the DIY.

By the way the notcheyness is gone and my coffee warmer is now much cooler. I took a long trip today and it's posible I'm getting a smidgen better gas milage too.

Waaaahoooooooo!

Just to verify, the tranny and differential hold 1.8 and 1.4 quarts respectively, correct?

Also, how many washers do I need? Rosenthal Mazda lists \"Transmission Seal Front\" and \"Transmission Seal Rear\"... are these what I need?. I only count two types of washers, but there\'s 4 holes total. Unless I\'m completely off the trail and need a whole different washer animal... somebody help me out.

What do you recommend, redline MTL or redline MT-90?

Just to verify, the tranny and differential hold 1.8 and 1.4 quarts respectively, correct?
That's what the manual says, but the amount you will put in may be less than that due to the amount of oil left in the nooks and crannies.

Also, how many washers do I need? Rosenthal Mazda lists \"Transmission Seal Front\" and \"Transmission Seal Rear\"... are these what I need?. I only count two types of washers, but there\'s 4 holes total. Unless I\'m completely off the trail and need a whole different washer animal... somebody help me out.
I think their "logic" is something like, you only need to replace the drain plug washers/gaskets with new ones, you reuse the fill plug washers/gaskets. Apparently the thinking is that the fill plugs will not leak (much) because the oil is not in continuous contact with the entire opening like the drain plugs openings. I don't agree with that logic, so I replaced all 4 washers as I recall.

What do you recommend, redline MTL or redline MT-90?
MTL is 75W80 and MT-90 is 75W90. The latter is closer to the recommended oil. Incidently,if you have the limited-slip differential, use 75W90--do not use 75W90NS. NS lacks certain aditives for LDDs.

I put MT-90 in my trans and 75W90 in the diff. I replaced all 4 washers. Also, note the socket sizes 23mm and 24mm. Most peeps don't have these, you will need them. Also, deep wells won't fit.

I did mine over the weekend. A few notes:

I was able to do my diff without jacking the car at all. The drain is easy to get to, the fill isn't much harder although you have to do it by feel. As mentioned, the diff fill is 23mm, and a deep socket won't fit. A normal 1/2" drive socket with a 1/2 wrench barley fit for me, but it did work. The rear lower suspension cross-brace is right behind the diff, really limiting access.

I did fill my tranny through the shifter hole, with the shifter out. Oil came out of the fill hole when I did this, so I assume it went in the right place. This was really easy! Just put a funnel in the shifter hole and dump a quart in.

Because I did it this way, I jacked up the car, pulled the fill plug on the tranny and then the drain plug. Lowered the car while it was draining. Waited a few minutes, then reached under the car and put the fill plug back in, which you can do with the car on the ground if your arms are a reasonable length. Went in the car, dumped the two quarts in and just let the extra .2Qt flow out the fill hole, since you can't see the drain when you are in the car. Jacked up the driver's side and put the fill plug back in.

By doing it this way, the car is totally level when you fill the diff and tranny, and you only need one jack and one jackstand to do the whole thing. It went pretty quick and I didn't really spill much at all.

Also for anyone wondering: all of the crush washers are the same diameter, 18mm. They are different thicknesses and materials, but if you just want to pick up random ones from the local auto parts place, 18mm will work.

DsmDriver, How did you fill the Diff?

The correct "Tool" for the job makes it so much easier :)

Pump and empty milk jug will fill the Transmission & Differential faster then it can drain!

How about providing the information on the pump and where you bought it? TIA

How about providing the information on the pump and where you bought it? TIA


Advance Auto Parts, 6.36$

(Their part # is 9016678)

Sta-Lube Fluid Oil Pump SL 4344

Looks like a PIA compared to the gravity method?

I have used just about every method that has been described on the forum and a small qt-sized hand pump worked best for me. A gallon-sized pump as described by Modena would be much better.

Tried the gravity flow technique and had a steady drip out of the fill hole. When the fluid flowed in the tube--which was not continuous--fluid would run back out on the bottom surface of the tubing and drip on the floor.

Honestly, the pump did not spill one drop on the floor or my hands...
Poured the Redline fluids in the clean and dry Milk gallon container, stuck the end part of the pump, in the diff or transmission, (it has a clip on it that stops it from falling out) and screwed the pump in the gallon jug.
Pump till it started dripping, takes about 2 minutes maybe less and released the end part of the pump. Screwed the fill bolt back in with new washer.
Done.

Going to do it again next week with my buddies RX-8 can do a better picture session or video clip.. Let me know and I will make it so:)

Yeah, I noticed the little gizmo on the tip of the hose and figured that's what it was for. Unfortunately, I have done all 3 of my cars recently with a qt-sized hand pump so I won't be doing that again for some time, but I will definitely pick up one of the pumps anyway.

I guess a few more pics with the pump setup ready to go and attached to the tranny/diff might be worth adding to the thread, but I'm not sure it's necessary since it's a pretty straighforward operation.

I used a pump that looks identical to the one in Modena's picture. I got mine at Pepboys for $8.

Possibly the same pump. The Advance Auto one is made by CRC. I picked one up today and when I took it out of the bag the clip on the tip of the hose was broken. And I even looked it over closely before I bought it. Not closely enough I guess. Sheeeesh!

i have everything to do the tranny/diff fluid change except the crush washers. (i'm anal about things like this, so i'm replacing them) i looked all over tulsa for red line fluids with no success, so i'm going with royal purple. it should be a much better change than the factory "fish oil." i'll let you know how it goes when i'm able.

yamajj

if i want to use royal purple, which mt fluid would i be using? they seem to have only one kind...which is...
Synchromax Manual Transmission Fluid (831-01512)

i'm assuming for the differential i'll be using the Max-Gear Oil 75W-90 (831-01300)

would i be alright using the royal purple syncromax mt fluid in the rx8?

I recently upgraded from redline to royal purple. The transmission shifts when cold just like it's already warmed up. Definately a step up for the RX-8.

so it is safe to use royal purple Synchromax Manual Transmission Fluid (831-01512) with the rx8 tranny along with the the Max-Gear Oil 75W-90 (831-01300)???
kinda glad to know i'm not the only one wanting to use RP...let me know. thanks.

trustbuddy: the fluids you listed were the same ones i used. it's pretty kewl to find out they actually color their fluids purple.

i finished the fluid change friday night. overall, i'm glad i did it because it is something i can do on my free time and keeps the dealer from getting $200+ of my money. i have noticed easier shifts and less noise. doing it also gave me an insight of thinking of better ways to do it next time. (yea, i know it's not for a long time) i improvised my can into an "i.v." type setup, thnx to royal purple's bottle design having a tip you can snip then put in a rubber hose for delivery.

thnx and props to this thread for instructions on how to do it. :biggthump

yamajj

ps: i did replace all crush washers and noticed the tranny washers were a bit thicker and all washers were silver. the stock differential fill bolt washer was copper though.

thank for the reply. just ordered the fluids. will change them asap.

i used the same RP fluid in both transmission and diff. I belive it was the max gear fluid.

Just had this done a few weeks ago. After about 700 miles, the shifting is a little bit easier. First to second, which was always my biggest problem takes a little less effort, but is still a little notchy. 3rd to 4th is the same. Overall, the shifting is a little smoother, and I would recommend this service to others. Just don't expect a completely different driving experience. The differences are subtle.

EDIT: I used RedLine MT-90 T.F. and 75W90 D.F.

Where can i get Redline mt90 and 75w90 at. Advanced auto cant get it and Oriellys said it takes for ever to get in. any tips would be helpfull thanks.

You can order it from the OG Racing web site. Of course, you will have to pay shipping.

I ordered it from Rosenthal Mazda online. The fluids were like $9 each, you will need 4 bottles. The shipping was a few bucks but pretty insignificant since you are already buying fluids and taking the time to change them. I would recommend Rosenthal Mazda just because you can also order the replacement crush washers you will need for the Tranny and Differential Drain and Fill plugs.

When I replaced my manual transmission fluid with Redline I was unable to get the 1.8Qts to flow out the fill plug. I am not sure if my car was slightly unlevel or what, but it was definitely pretty darn close. I had the front of my car up on ramps and the back up on jack stands. I ended up putting in all 2.0 qts I purchased, maybe spilled or lost about 0.1 qts in the process. Not sure why it didn't overfill, but I went with the specs of 1.8 qts. Did anyone else have this problem?

Didn't have this problem. In fact we had left overs after swapping fluids - 4 quarts total.

I used 1.4 qts in the rear diff (Redline 75W90) and 1.8 qts in the manual transmission ( Redline MT-90). Did you use the same oil in both the rear diff and manual transmission?

when I used redline, I did same as you - two different types. With RP there is no need for that.

when I used redline, I did same as you - two different types. With RP there is no need for that.

so you used

4 quarts of Synchromax Manual Transmission Fluid (831-01512)

or

4 quarts of Max-Gear Oil 75W-90 (831-01300)???

i actually ordered 2 of each...

how is it that for RP you don't need to use two different types?

Is it impossible or just a huge pain in the ass to do this with the car on the ground. I'm 6'5 and have very long arms.

Anything is possible I guess, but I doubt seriously if you can do that. Get some jack stands--they're not too expensive-- and raise the entire car. Keep it level. And even then, this task can be a royal PITA with slippery, smelly gear lube everywhere if you're not careful.

You might be able to unscrew the plug, but you will never be able to fill it. If this is the only thing you will ever need jackstands for, then I'd take it to someone with a lift. I paid $60 for labor when I did it. I woulda bought jackstands but I would have NEVER used them again after that.

It's easy to do the diff with the car on the ground. You can reach under the car no problem, all you need is a fluid pump.

If you take out the shifter, you can pour fluid in the transmission from the top. In this case, all you need to do is pull the drain plug and fill plug, which you can do with just the jack that comes with the car since you don't really end up under the car.

Anyway, I did change both fluids without getting physically under the car very much, and I have a full set of jacks and jack stands. This was just easier.

Thanks to all who posted great advice. I changed both trans and diff with Red Line this afternoon and it wasn't much of a job at all. Thanks for the idea of using ramps on a slanted driveway, this is a very easy way to get your car in the air and level.

The only thing I have to add is some advice on getting the fluid in. I went with the Flotool and purchased 10 feet of tubing from Menards for 2 bucks. I would put one end of the tube in the fill hole and then just custom cut it for both the diff and trans. For the diff, I found it easiest to thread the hose just behind the rear tire. It's a strait shot to the fill plug. I set a small ladder next to my car and used a twisty tie to hold the funnel up in the air.

I heated my fluid before pouring. This makes a HUGE difference, as i got it pretty hot so it was like pouring water down a funnel. I just put the bottles in a cooler, stood it on end, and set a space heater in front of it for a half hour or so.

Thanks to all for providing advice that made this pretty easy for me.

how many quarts would i need to replace the tranny & diff oils? would a gallon be enough for both?
:nono: yes i'm lazy!

Less than 2 quarts for each. A gallon would be plenty, but most people run different oils in the tranny and diff, so they don't buy one gallon.

SPECIALTY FORMULATIONS
their products are supposed to be great... i've heard lots of good feedback...
this is their MT Fluid (http://specialtyformulations.netfirms.com/store/nfoscomm/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=36)
and this is their Diff Lube (http://specialtyformulations.netfirms.com/store/nfoscomm/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=50)
anybody used their products before???

can someone please tell me the best online store to get some redline or royal purple fluids? nobody stocks the stuff locally around here....

Rosenthal Mazda and Trussville Mazda both have Redline oil. See the Vendor section of the forum. OGRacing.com has it as well.

Finally was able to do this on my tranny, skipped doing it in the differential because the dealer had just put something in there when I last took it there. I used Royal Purple Max-Gear Oil 75W-90 since Racing Beat had it when I visited them. But there's something odd... the car's so quiet now. :) I'm just not used to that.

Thank you so much for the DIY and getting me off my ass to do this.

Just did this today... it's amazing. My transmission is SO quiet now!! The car is quieter from the outside by a lot, acceleration seems smoother, and first to second actually happen at high rpms instead of grinding! If you have $40 to buy the fluid, do this DIY. You won't regret it.

i used the same RP fluid in both transmission and diff. I belive it was the max gear fluid.

How long ago did you do this? Any issues? Anyone else running RP Max-Gear 75W-90 in both the MT and rear diff who can comment?

I have a local NAPA that carries royal purple. They have the Max gear in 75-90 and 75-140, but were either out or do not carry the Synchromax. In the Owner's manual, it specifies 75W-90 GL-5 for the MT, so the same fluid should work for both safely. I am just wondering whether the Max-Gear would feel as good as the synchromax.

Since I am changing it myself, I guess it's only a $14 mistake if I don't like it. :)

BTW: Napa had RP at $6.99 per bottle (for gear oil and 5W20!!!), which seems to be less than some people have paid. If you have a Napa nearby, check into it.

Just found this info at RPMOil.com

"Synchromax® is recommended for manual transmissions that specify an automatic transmission fluid or motor oil."

Wow. I guess I'll avoid this and stay with the Max-Gear 75W-90.

Look here for Royal Purple's recommendation:

http://www.royalpurple.com/techa/tranxref.html

They do not list specifics for Mazda, but in general, Manual trannys that require a GL-4 or GL-5 75W-90 should use the Max Gear 75W-90. That's what I'll do, and I'll post my impressions.

Just found this info at RPMOil.com

"Synchromax® is recommended for manual transmissions that specify an automatic transmission fluid or motor oil."

Wow. I guess I'll avoid this and stay with the Max-Gear 75W-90.
Yeah, Max-Gear worked fine for me. :)

I hate f'ing dealerships!!!!!!!!!

Trying to switch over to RP. Got car all jacked up and on jackstands, and it turns out I don't have a large enough metric socket. Tried a 15/16, which should have gotten them off HAD THEY BEEN TORQUED TO SPEC. Could not even budge them with a cheater bar or by hammering on the end of my socket wrench. Gotta wait now till the wife gets home, so I can make a trip to Lowes.

Some real good information in this thread on how to change oil in Manual/Standard shift RX8's, but does anyone have advice on how to change the Transmission fluid in the Automatic RX8

Did this today. Switched to Royal Purple. 4500 miles on the odometer. For those wondering, I ordered 4 quarts and ended up with a little left over. I was tempted at first to order 5 quarts just in case but it was so expensive I took a chance with just 4 and it paid off. Put the car on jackstands and found the drain and fill plugs easy to remove. There was definately some buildup on the magnetic plugs so I was glad to get that stuff out of there. . Thanks to this forum, I had the right tools including the 23 and 24 mm sockets and torque wrench. I used the marine type pump for $10 that fit the 1 quart bottle perfectly. Got everything I needed at Pep Boys. To be honest, I can't tell much diference yet but I'm still glad I did it and I think it will pay off in the long run with less wear, ect. Thanks goes to everyone who posted useful info for this DIY!

I just did mine... very noticeable difference. I no longer feel the transmission shifting when I go from 1st to 2nd. All the other gears feel more or less the same... time for a short shifter now!

If you fill fluid in from the shifter hole, is there any way to add TOO much fluid? I was just kinda curious as to how to gauge it.

The way to gauge it is by doing the job right. Fill up the case till the fluid comes out the top hole. Why on earth would you take the time to remove the shifter to fill the trans when Mazda gives you a fill hole behind one bolt?

Well I originally did the job the way that Mazda intended it, with the fill hole. However, my tranny was still pretty noisy. So when I installed my AFE short shifter, I decided to add a little redline from that hole. The difference was immediate. The tranmission noise went away completely.

I just wonder if maybe Mazda put that fill hole a little lower than they should have? It would certainly explain the excessive gear noise that comes with the car stock.

If you fill from the shifter hole, you don't need to level the car while it's high enough to fill the tranny, and you don't need a fluid pump. In fact, you can do the whole thing without jacking the car at all, which is probably faster and cleaner overall.

You still use the hole on the side to determine when it's full. Take the fill plug out. Fill the tranny from inside the car until it's coming out the fill plug on the side. Stop filling, put the fill plug back in. Exactly as Mazda wanted you to, and the car is level for sure when you do this.

Just completed this myself and thought I'd chime in. I had done the Redline MT fluid swap in my old 6, and I thought it helped a tiny bit. But after I did it in my 8, I think it makes much more difference. I'm usually fairly pessimistic about 'mod' results, but this actually was worth the $40 in fluids/parts. The car screams for a short(er) shifter now.

I Want To Change My Auto. Trans. Filter And Fluid. How Difficult Is This Project And Can I Find A Filter Anywhere Other Than The Dealer?

If you fill from the shifter hole, you don't need to level the car while it's high enough to fill the tranny, and you don't need a fluid pump. In fact, you can do the whole thing without jacking the car at all, which is probably faster and cleaner overall.

You still use the hole on the side to determine when it's full. Take the fill plug out. Fill the tranny from inside the car until it's coming out the fill plug on the side. Stop filling, put the fill plug back in. Exactly as Mazda wanted you to, and the car is level for sure when you do this.

How about a DIY explaining how to get to the shifter hole?

Try SEARCH. Here is one example of the results: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=53914&highlight=console

does anyone know the sizes of the drain/fill plugs of the tranny and diff? Just want to know what size to use to get them undone. Thanks :)

Crazy idea, but you could actually read this thread to get those sizes.

I used a 22mm socket...

Did mine two weeks ago. Noticed oil spots on drive. Started to notice the gears were not meshing good. I had all bolts on tight with new crush washers. Dropped the oil again, because bottom bolt was leaking. I put the original washer back on this go around. No leaks yet. Not sure why it was leaking.

I found the best way to fill it was with a long clear tube. I just popped the hood and ran it down beside the oil filter. From underneath, grab it and put it into the top hole. From the engine bay, fill the oil. On the differential, just loop it over the coilovers down to the fill hole. You can fill it above the tire.

This last time I put 1.8 in the trany. Last time it I filled it up till it ran out the top hole. Too much fluid may have caused it to leak. Getting the car level is very important.

Quick question for you guys. I've been procrastinating on this project for awhile. Now that it's winter, I feel like I'm shifting in molasses at times ... so I really want to get this done. What do you guys think the minimum ambient temperature should be to drain the fluids properly (it gets COLD here ... -20to-30C or -4to-22F)? Should I drive around a bit to warm up the fluid before draining? Thanks!

Definitely! Get the fluid good and warm before draining it or it could take 4ever to drain and too much may be left in the cases. I hope you have a warm place to do the work.

Like Go48 said the fluid runs a lot quicker when it is room temp or so. When that cold it almost looks like warm molasses. :lol:

For those that go the route of filling from the shifter hole. The manual states the shifter is a grease point. Add grease to it around the cup at the bottom and around the plastic surround piece that goes around the shifter at the pivot point. This will smooth the shifts especially noticeable with a short shifter. :cool:

Just did it yesterday; whoever tightened those bolts on at the factory must've put them on really tight as my right hand was not in the best of conditions at the end.

Just did it yesterday; whoever tightened those bolts on at the factory must've put them on really tight as my right hand was not in the best of conditions at the end.


I know exactly what you mean.

A good technique is to make sure it is secure on the plug and hit on the end of the wrench with your hand or a rubber hammer. It is better to do quick pressure on a bolt than consistent to break a bolt loose. Has to do with the stress on the bolt.

The manual states the shifter is a grease point. Add grease to it around the cup at the bottom and around the plastic surround piece that goes around the shifter at the pivot point. This will smooth the shifts especially noticeable with a short shifter. :cool:

Whats a good grease to put in that area?

Whats a good grease to put in that area?

White lithium is what I used and works well so far, it doesn't state a particular kind in the shop manual.

Molybdaenium (MoS) should also work.

Thanks to all who posted great advice. I changed both trans and diff with Red Line this afternoon and it wasn't much of a job at all. Thanks for the idea of using ramps on a slanted driveway, this is a very easy way to get your car in the air and level.

Trying to picture this... You mean putting ramps under the rear wheels with the front of the car facing up the driveway, so as to level the car?

I have rhino ramps but I would be a little worried of the weight of the car causing the ramps to slip down the driveway. Would chocks under the front wheels be enough to hold the car in place? Would rubber mats under the ramps help at all?

How many people have used this method to change diff fluid and lived? (Also, are the transmission drain/fill plugs reachable by doing this?)

I will be doing this tonight, and i am concerned that the ramps might slip on the driveway.. i am going to just use ramps for the front and jack stands on the rear.. i got RP max gear 75w-90 for both...

I will be doing this tonight, and i am concerned that the ramps might slip on the driveway.. i am going to just use ramps for the front and jack stands on the rear.. i got RP max gear 75w-90 for both...

Sounds like you are trying to do this on a slanted drive? Jack / stands on a slant = :tank:

Sounds like you are trying to do this on a slanted drive? Jack / stands on a slant = :tank:

nah... i meant, i was thinking of doing jus tthe ramps on the slanted drive, but i am afraid if it slips... i am going to use the ramp and jack stands on the garage floor.

My car took about 2.1 quarts in the tranny? Is this normal? I had the car level.

did this last weekend (diff and tranny) with redline.

found a pump that fit into the top of the redline bottle.

trans took all the 2 quarts i had- maybe 1.9 quarts. car was level.

nice amount of metal dust on the magnetic plugs.

reused crush washers, no leaking.

2004 model year, built aug 03, 31K now.

I started tonight, no problem jacking the car on four jack stands, no problem removing the gear oil, but when I was to put in the first bottle of RP Max gear, the f****ing pump I bought at a carrefour for 2 euros didn't work, except for a few drops sometines. With much effort I put in the first bottle, closed (not too tight) the filler screw and unjacked the car. Today I've bought at Noauto a giant metal siringue for oil transfers with 0.5 liters (0.52 quarts) capacity, I hope I don't have space problems down there tonight because it's really big.

To be continued (and I'll put a photo of the very retro-looking giant siringue.)

I finished it, no photos of the siringue yet but it worked perfectly, it doesn't really take 0.5 liters because it takes some air every time so I had to do the rechargue-inject cicle more times than I expected (maybe 6 or 7 instead or 3/4.)

I noted a slightly improvement on the gear change, not the great improvement some of you talk about, only a very slight thing (it's less manly now hehehe) BUT my change from third to four on high revs was pretty crappy before (you had to do it just perfectly or it would grind a little) and now that problem is definitively gone (I took the car for a hard-test-drive), so I'm very happy for the change.

Give it some time juanjux it gets better. ;)

Finally got to doing this today. Planned to put Redline MT-90 in trans, 75W90 in diff (the one with friction modifiers for LSD). Got one of those on/off tube thingies at Pep Boys. Put the car on ramps (my driveway slants just right so that if one end of the car is on ramps, the car will be level. With the rear "up" I have good access to the diff, with the front up, I have enough room to wiggle in to get at the trans.

However, I could not for the life of me position the bottle + tube contraption so that oil would pour into the diff. Boo... The tube was quite short (about 10 inches?), and all the suspention and exhaust components are in the way. I will have to get a longer tube and repeat the experiment. Fortunately I tested "flow" before I opened the drain plug.. Otherwise I would have been quite f**ked.. Anyway,

The trans was a little easier. There is not much room under the car in this position, but by cutting the tub even shorter (about 5 inches), and using a poland spring bottle (it is a tad thinner than normal soda bottles), I got a contraption that would actually stay wedged between the transmission and floor of the car. So all I had to do was fill the bottle, crawl under the car, insert the tube, then crawl back out and wait 5 minutes. Rinse, repeat (figuratively speaking, of course.

I also bought a siphon pump (useless for oil, way too thick, even if heated up), and a syringe (also useless, the thing was so poorly made it took way too much force to move it... I could do it, but if I pictured trying to do this on my back, trying to get the liquid to go into the tiny fill hole.. no thank you).

Impressions? The shifting is great! Before it felt notchy and sticky, and now it's smoooooth. I would like to draw a very graphic metaphor involving Astroglide, but I am afraid that might get me banned :-D

As always, thanks to the members of the forum for the great tips. Couldn't have done it without you. I think this job would have been alot easier with the car up on decent stands / a lift, but I don't even have a level driveway, much less access to a shop.

Pour the tranny fluid in through shifter....much easier!

Pour the tranny fluid in through shifter....much easier!

Enough to make you smile. :D:

Pour the tranny fluid in through shifter....much easier!

Lol that's a nice one. Certainly less effort than crawling around under the car refilling little bottles. Anyone got an easy way to do the diff?

Over the rear tire. I'm assuming when pouring through the shifter you're still leaving the "fill" plug open so that you don't overfill. Just wanted that to be clear for all.

The pictures for this post were also lost, so here they are again.

---

With the car raised up, I used an inexpensive pump (first picture) to install the oil in the transmission (second picture). The same pump can then used to move the old oil into the empty bottles (third picture) for recycling.

The pump can be purchased at most auto parts stores. My local NAPA Auto Parts store has two types of these pumps in the $5-$6 range. You will find them in the Gear Oil section.

Got some RP gear oil from NAPA yesterday... asked if they had a pump that could be used..... "Nope, its just a pain in the ass to do." Ugh. I got some 1/2OD clear tubing from Home depot and a funnel to fit, sure not fast but its working.

First time I have changed the diff fluid, that magnet was caked, @ 15K miles. I have changed the tranny before so it wasnt so bad. Only changing it again cause I was hard on the tranny this winter getting up my hill.

if all else fails in attemping to replace the tranny and rear diff...take your fluids to any jiffy lube and they can do it for you...i work there and i do it all the time..peace of cake..fyi they take the old fluids also no disposal fee

Just did this yesterday with Mobil 1 (SAE 75W-90 GL-5).

Transmission took 2L - maybe because i used some the new oil to run through it... clean and reused original crush washers, no leaking. Differential took 1.5L did the same. Result, like everyone else... much smoother ;-)

Just to add a data point on RP oil, my experience has been pretty negative. I was on factory oil for two winters and one summer, including a half dozen track events. This spring, I did two track events, then changed the trans and diff oil over to RP Max Gear 75W90. Shifting felt exactly the same on the street, but at the first track event, after about 10 minutes of running hard, it started grinding everytime I went into fourth. Yesterday, I ran another track event and got the same grinding. I suspect the RP oil gets very thin at high temperatures. I'm going to buy something else (Mobil, probably) and change again this weekend.

Just to add a data point on RP oil, my experience has been pretty negative. I was on factory oil for two winters and one summer, including a half dozen track events. This spring, I did two track events, then changed the trans and diff oil over to RP Max Gear 75W90. Shifting felt exactly the same on the street, but at the first track event, after about 10 minutes of running hard, it started grinding everytime I went into fourth. Yesterday, I ran another track event and got the same grinding. I suspect the RP oil gets very thin at high temperatures. I'm going to buy something else (Mobil, probably) and change again this weekend.

Wow... that's exactly what's happening to me, in fifth and second. I was thinking it could be the oil but now I've my doubts. I'll make an oil change next week and see...

... asked if they had a pump that could be used..... "Nope, its just a pain in the ass to do."

I also got my supplies at NAPA, including a marine pump for about $15. It is designed for syphoning fuel out of the tank, but it pumps gear oil just fine as long as it is not the middle of winter. If you live in an area where people own boats, they should have a marine section.

Just Finished my oil treatment too? Things go alot quicker if you have a friend help too? Shift is very smooth again.....sweet! thansk to all for the information to get this done! Not paying Mazda $180 for it!

where do you find a socket this size? i went to advanced auto parts and they didn't have any bigger than a 22mm?

where do you find a socket this size? i went to advanced auto parts and they didn't have any bigger than a 22mm?

Try Sears. Their web site shows a half inch drive 5-piece set 22 mm to 26 mm, list $30. 12 point.

Bet Snap-On has these sizes, but if you can afford Snap-On you can afford to pay a master mechanic to do it for you. ;)

Ken

Try Sears. Their web site shows a half inch drive 5-piece set 22 mm to 26 mm, list $30. 12 point.

Bet Snap-On has these sizes, but if you can afford Snap-On you can afford to pay a master mechanic to do it for you. ;)

Ken

Snap-On sells very high quality stuff

but I got mine at Pepboys.

Got mine from sears. The set of 5 12-point sockets that ken-rx8 metioned... Worked just fine for me.

Can anyone tell me which direction to unbolt both the differential and transmission bolts? If you are on your back and looking at the differential chamber, am I cranking clockwise/counterclockwise to unbolt it? I tried to use just my muscle and that didn't budge it from either direction. Only thing to consider is getting an impact wrench and wacking it with a rubber mallet. But, before making things worse, which direction to loosen this? Photos with directional arrows would be nice :)

Righty tighty, lefty loosey.

Hmm, this looks quite easy. Only thing to be unsure about is where to dispose of the used oil, and the correct torque (only have a cheap torque-wrench).

Hmm, this looks quite easy. Only thing to be unsure about is where to dispose of the used oil, and the correct torque (only have a cheap torque-wrench).
In the US, most auto parts stores will accept used motor oil for recycling. Not sure about Norway. Also, check with local auto repair shops that change oil. They may accept your used oil.

Torque specs from the shop manual:
27-48 Nm (2.8-4.9 kgf/m, 20-35 ft-lbs)

Best to replace the washers as appropriate when you reinstall the drain and fill plugs.

Thanks Renesis!! :)

Should I be concerned about taking a mallet to the wrench and pound the crap out of it? :)

it shouldnt be that tight. make sure you are unscrewing the right one. a friend of mine was unscrewing something else before i noticed!

and - righty tighty, lefty loosey as noted above.

That's why I like ratchets.. You can test it in the normal orientation to make sure you're tightening or loosening as appropriate, then once you put it over the bolt it doesn't matter if you are upside down on your back or whatever..

Mine were on a lot tighter than the torque spec.. I guess the same gorilla that worked on the oil filter got to these too..

I bought the washers from the dealer.

When I bought mine, they had to be ordered, but came within two days.

I've heard of people resuing them also, but is it really worth taking a chance doing that? Not for me. The cost of the lube, my labor, and potential damage caused by leaks is just not worth risking a couple of buck.

Don't rush to do it this weekend if you cannot get all the right parts and don't have the right tools ;).

rx8cited


So when you went to the Mazda dealer, what did you ask for (noob question), were you like " i need some crush washers for my tranny" or??? cus im a little confused, are the crush washer sizes different?:banghead:

I've heard them referred to as crush washers or gaskets. You need the ones for the drain plugs on the diff and trans (the fill plug ones you can reuse most of the time). IIRC there were part numbers posted earlier in this thread also...

^ http://finishlineperformance.com/store/home.php?cat=273

^ http://finishlineperformance.com/store/home.php?cat=273


Sweet post bro thanks... heh, and one more kinda noobish question, 05' AT's didnt come with a limited slip diff did they? so no need to get those plugs?:uhh:

Going to be changing the tranny and rear diff fluids on my 04 possibly this weekend. I ordered the oils online, then went to the local Mazda/Volvo dealer for the washers. They gave me 4 identical aluminum washers. They said they are used for Volvos but they use them for Mazdas as well and they are a little cheaper. Would these be OK to use? Like I said, all 4 of them are identical aluminum washers, silver in color, that look to be about the thickness of the rear diff washers in JDLs DIY pictures. I only ask because in the original DIY it says that there should be 2 copper washers and 2 silver. And the the tranny ones are a little thicker in size. Any help on this?

Going to be changing the tranny and rear diff fluids on my 04 possibly this weekend. I ordered the oils online, then went to the local Mazda/Volvo dealer for the washers. They gave me 4 identical aluminum washers. They said they are used for Volvos but they use them for Mazdas as well and they are a little cheaper. Would these be OK to use? Like I said, all 4 of them are identical aluminum washers, silver in color, that look to be about the thickness of the rear diff washers in JDLs DIY pictures. I only ask because in the original DIY it says that there should be 2 copper washers and 2 silver. And the the tranny ones are a little thicker in size. Any help on this?

as long as you torque them to the specs described in the DIY, you'll be fine. I'm using 4 identical regular washers as well, and planning to do the same again for my trans/diff oil change tomorrow night :)

a tad off topic but how much RP ATF and RP 5W-30 would i need to do a complete flush for both the tranny and engine oil
?

a tad off topic but how much RP ATF and RP 5W-30 would i need to do a complete flush for both the tranny and engine oil
?

Well I don't believe a "complete" flush is every really done when changing your fluids due to all the crevaces that the oils can sit in. 100% of the fluids never really drain out due to this. I'm not sure for the engine, but I know for the MT (which may be the same for the AT, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong lol) but the amount needed is about 1.8 quarts. Regardless, you're probably going to need more than 1 quart so you're gonna have to buy 2 bottles. So if all else fails, just fill until it dribbles.

Well I don't believe a "complete" flush is every really done when changing your fluids due to all the crevaces that the oils can sit in. 100% of the fluids never really drain out due to this. I'm not sure for the engine, but I know for the MT (which may be the same for the AT, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong lol) but the amount needed is about 1.8 quarts. Regardless, you're probably going to need more than 1 quart so you're gonna have to buy 2 bottles. So if all else fails, just fill until it dribbles.


so only 2 quarts of RP oil and 2 quarts of RP ATF? seems like id need alot more...

so only 2 quarts of RP oil and 2 quarts of RP ATF? seems like id need alot more...

I think the engine itself is about 3.7 quarts of oil. So you will need about 4 bottles or 1 gallon. Here's a thread for an oil change DIY on the 8 http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=12455.html

But as far as the tranny goes, you shouldn't need more than 2 quarts, probably not even as I said before.

aight well will do, ill hit yall up after im done...

Sweet !

Is it really nessacary to get new washers ??

Is it really nessacary to get new washers ??

yes very much so

Yes, it definitely is. They're called crush washers. When you torque the plugs, it crushes the washer and forms a tight seal. Using the same ones won't get you a proper seal and may cause leaks because the washer has already been crushed to most of its potential. They should only be a few bucks each at your Mazda dealer. And they should usually have them in stock because they perform this kind of maintenance on cars probably daily.

Thanks for the info, will do this in a few days ..

I'll update on how easy it is ..

I just did the Redline change in tranny and rearend and.... OMGWTFBBQ !!

What a difference !! Wish I had done this way before now.

This should be mandatory for every 8 owner.

Help! My 2 gear dowshifting synchros only allow me to downshift from 3rd if i match rev the rpms... My question i have MT-90 in the tranny now... should i switch to 75w-90NS.


The link for redline is below:

http://www.redlineoil.com/products_gearlubricants.asp?productID=47&subCategoryID=17&categoryID=7

Did this today, fluids smelled like crap, car runs smooth as hell now

i'm gonna try this this weekend.:eyetwitch

Oh yeah, pumping the dam oil was a pain in the ractum. I had it on a set of ramps, but lying down pumping was a bitcch

I did t he fluid change a few weeks ago and had the car up on 4 jack stands and leveled with a spirit leveler.
My wife used a palmolive body wash which comes in a pump containe and I used the pump. The pump fit nicely over the redline bottle and it takes me 2-3 minutes to fill.
This oil change was so easy with the right equipment.

Just an FYI, I used Royal Purple 75W90 in the transmission and I was not very satisfied. It worked fine in hot weather but in cold weather (under 40F) the transmission felt like it had molasses in it.

anyone thought of using a turkey baster (new one of course) to fill the fluids?

anyone thought of using a turkey baster (new one of course) to fill the fluids?

Yeah, I think that was mentioned before in this thread. I didn't use it myself but I imagine that it would work pretty well.

The best I've seen is a pump top that screws on to a 2-liter bottle with a tube coming out the end. Kinda like a hand soap dispenser. Worked really well. Just a lot of pumping...

The best I've seen is a pump top that screws on to a 2-liter bottle with a tube coming out the end. Kinda like a hand soap dispenser. Worked really well. Just a lot of pumping...


Yup, hard to pump while lying down

Walmart has the pump needed for this job in the outboard motor lower unit oil area.I
f you have the car on ramps there is no problems pumping in the oil, If you do you is a wimp!!!!
Put the F$#%$#^$#^#%^#%^ing washers back on the plugs and tighten the shit up!@!!!!
This ain't the Space shuttle folks, if you tighten the damn plug it should not leak.

I noticed some folks are posting about what oil to use for AT. This rx-8 (06+) uses a similar type Aisin tranny as the Mazda6 6spd AT.
The tranny oil is Type-IV. As such it is critical to not use Mercon-V or anything else for this AT.
You can get this fluid from Toyota (Type-IV) or Mobil 1 JWS3309.
For more info see http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=24510

Thanks to everyone who put there threads online I did my 2 fluid changes within 1hour. the only problem I had was I used a milk jug and not a soda bottle for the 2oils. So the pump I used said any gallon including milk containers but I didn't so I had to pump and hold the pump together in the jug but all in all it work just fine. no mess. Thanks again for everything, you guys rock. RX-8 Club is the best.

Yeah, its NOT that hard. Just like a regular oil change with the filter.

Changed out my 6MT and read diff fluid today. Very straight forward and easy. Used the ramps on the inclined driveway idea.

Around page 7 someone mentioned they used a 22mm socket for everything. On my '06 RX-8, I needed a 24mm socket (15/16ths).

Did my Trans (Manual 6 Speed) and Diff at 4000KM (2400Miles) a few days ago with Redline MT90 and 75W90 Gear Oil for Diff.

I can't get over the difference, bloody beautiful!, the changes are so smooth, no knotchiness, no 2nd gear lockout (when Cold).

And this is something I did not believe from others the car is quieter, smoother, funtastic!

Highly recommend this one!

Series II RX-8's

Transmission takes a 24mm (15/16th) socket, fill and drain plugs.
Differential Takes same 24mm for Drain, and a 23mm Ring spanner for FILL, as you cant fit a socket and wrench on the fill plug. (not enough room)

Ash

went to the dealer to get my service done.. I also got them to change the diff and transmittion oil while they were at it...

I supplied 2 x Redline MT90 and 2 x redline 75w90 diff oil..
The stuipid idiots manage to put 1 x MT90 and 1 x 75w90 into the diff and
1 x MT90 and 1 x 75w90 into the transmittion how stupid is that....how can you mix the 2 different oils up?? read the bloody label

Is this going to be a problem? im getting the fluids drained and replaced in 3 days time...

went to the dealer to get my service done.. I also got them to change the diff and transmittion oil while they were at it...

I supplied 2 x Redline MT90 and 2 x redline 75w90 diff oil..
The stuipid idiots manage to put 1 x MT90 and 1 x 75w90 into the diff and
1 x MT90 and 1 x 75w90 into the transmittion how stupid is that....how can you mix the 2 different oils up?? read the bloody label

Is this going to be a problem? im getting the fluids drained and replaced in 3 days time...

OMG mate, What bloody idiots...

Sounds like your dealership also employs Lawn-mower Mechanic to work on Mazda's...

How and the hell does anyone get that wrong?
Does the guy have a IQ Bigger than his/her shoe size or not?

YES, Get it out...

There may not be an issue, but I recall reading that 75W90 in the transmission is too slippery and you could have synchro changing problems, like not engaging correctly or crunching...
But, because they have been diluted I don't think you will have a problem in the mean time......

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

3 Days time will be OK, I would think..

Hope his Helps...
ASH

went to the dealer to get my service done.. I also got them to change the diff and transmittion oil while they were at it...

I supplied 2 x Redline MT90 and 2 x redline 75w90 diff oil..
The stuipid idiots manage to put 1 x MT90 and 1 x 75w90 into the diff and
1 x MT90 and 1 x 75w90 into the transmittion how stupid is that....how can you mix the 2 different oils up?? read the bloody label

Is this going to be a problem? im getting the fluids drained and replaced in 3 days time...

I just noticed you are from Adelaide, like me, I live at Seaford..

Who was the Dealer, Paradise, Australian, let me guess City Mazda?

Where did you buy your Redline from?

Hi mate...

I thought that Paradise motors would have been a sure bet because i heard so many bad stories about the other dealers and not them ...

BUT I have been getting my car serviced at Paradise Motors and they stuffed up... they didnt even give me the spare rotary oil and the service department tried to cover the mistake up by lying to me... So disappointing... :banghead:

I got my oil from www.performancelub.com.. they are in QLD and the guy's name is Harold... ordered the oil and spark plugs from him and they arrived pretty quickly.. he's pretty good...

Wow, Paradise...they are usually the best, and lying? Reg and David Neale owners are Christians!, they would not lie!

I nearly bought my 8 there in November 08, but the guy was only half interested and wanted me to sign the deal with my offer first, then the old, the boss won't agree, you have to give us more to work with..they lost out, I went to Australian, did not want to, but got the best deal.

The Salesman is a Mazda NUT!!, he sells more Mazda's than anyone else in Adelaide and one of the best in Australia, he's been work there for 15 years and never had a Holiday!

its a shame then that the owners of the dealership don't work in the service department ...congrats on the car.. looks great...

So I just changed my transmission and differential fluid today with Royal Purple Max Gear 75w-90. I was always a little skeptical about performance increase claims just from fluid change, but the car now drives smoother, quieter with what seems to be faster acceleration. The shifting doesn't really feel any different (always been smooth for me anyways) but again the whole car just feels faster and overall better.............less mechanical resistance perhaps?!?!

I replaced my tranny and rear diff fluids today. The DIY says 1.8 quarts for the tranny, but I put a full 2 quarts in. I am wondering if this is ok?

I found the best way to fill it was with a long clear tube. I just popped the hood and ran it down beside the oil filter. From underneath, grab it and put it into the top hole. From the engine bay, fill the oil. On the differential, just loop it over the coilovers down to the fill hole. You can fill it above the tire.
Pretty decent idea.

About to hit 30k on original fluids. I'll be doing this soon and post up my thoughts.

I replaced my tranny and rear diff fluids today. The DIY says 1.8 quarts for the tranny, but I put a full 2 quarts in. I am wondering if this is ok?


As long as you were able to get the majority of it out during the draining 2 quarts fit fine.

I personally like filling by taking the shifter out and dumping into the transmission. Then regreasing the shifter cup. ;)

.....regreasing the shifter cup. ;)

Okay now you got me interested. :)

I recently replaced my trans fluid and was hoping that shifting gears won't be as crunchy. To my surprise it still feels crunchy even when I replaced the trans fluid. Will regreasing the shifter cup fix that?

About to hit 30k on original fluids. I'll be doing this soon and post up my thoughts.Just completed the fluid change out yesterday. Drove a good amount today. Shifts are defiantly smoother. Nothing insane, but about what I expected. Totally worth the $40 in fluids between the trans and diff. If for nothing else, piece of mind that I now have a higher quality full synthetic fluid protection.

So I just changed my transmission and differential fluid today with Royal Purple Max Gear 75w-90.
Poor choice. You shouldn't use any GL-5 fluids in the transmission. It'll eat away at the transmission. The early users of Max Gear in the transmission found out the hard way and fortunately have warned the rest of us.

Stick with Redline or Amsoil GL-4 products.

I bought Amsoil and am going to put it in within the next month or so.

Okay now you got me interested. :)

I recently replaced my trans fluid and was hoping that shifting gears won't be as crunchy. To my surprise it still feels crunchy even when I replaced the trans fluid. Will regreasing the shifter cup fix that?

It may help a little bit if the cup is sticking.

In the shop manual it is shown as a grease point.

The fluid may take a little time to get the full effect.

Yes, it definitely is. They're called crush washers. When you torque the plugs, it crushes the washer and forms a tight seal. Using the same ones won't get you a proper seal and may cause leaks because the washer has already been crushed to most of its potential. They should only be a few bucks each at your Mazda dealer. And they should usually have them in stock because they perform this kind of maintenance on cars probably daily.

I went to order the crush washers from a Mazda Dealership, and they quoted me a total of $22 for 4 of them (2-at $7.00 and 2-at $4). I thought that was ridiculous, so I discussed with Summit Racing and Auto Zone. I gave them crush washer part # 9956-41-800, and also mentioned I thought they were 18mm (inner diameter). Neither place could match the part number up with generic items.

Has anyone had success sourcing these washers from any place other than a Mazda Dealership?

(such a frustrating problem to have)

I went to order the crush washers from a Mazda Dealership, and they quoted me a total of $22 for 4 of them (2-at $7.00 and 2-at $4). I thought that was ridiculous, so I discussed with Summit Racing and Auto Zone. I gave them crush washer part # 9956-41-800, and also mentioned I thought they were 18mm (inner diameter). Neither place could match the part number up with generic items.

Has anyone had success sourcing these washers from any place other than a Mazda Dealership?

(such a frustrating problem to have)

this place has 'em: http://www.finishlineperformance.com/store/home.php

Finishline rocks...

OnlineMazdaparts.com is also a great place! (over $100 gets free shipping most of the time... some parts excluded)

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=searchCatalogOEM&siteid=214264

...do a search for the part number::::

Which are both dealerships...

i went to order the crush washers from a mazda dealership, and they quoted me a total of $22 for 4 of them (2-at $7.00 and 2-at $4). I thought that was ridiculous, so i discussed with summit racing and auto zone. I gave them crush washer part # 9956-41-800, and also mentioned i thought they were 18mm (inner diameter). Neither place could match the part number up with generic items.

Has anyone had success sourcing these washers from any place other than a mazda dealership?

(such a frustrating problem to have)
put the f$#%$#^$#^#%^#%^ing washers back on the plugs and tighten the shit up!@!!!!
This ain't the space shuttle folks, if you tighten the damn plug it should not leak.
qft.

Poor choice. You shouldn't use any GL-5 fluids in the transmission. It'll eat away at the transmission. The early users of Max Gear in the transmission found out the hard way and fortunately have warned the rest of us.

Congratulations, Captain Generality has spoken ... I get so f'ing tired addressing this lame BS