TRANSMISSION OIL? (how oftern do i change it)

[detroit313]

whats up guys,any input would be helpful!
i just got this '88 accord lx-i for $200.... 95k miles clean as can be in and out.
couldnt pass up the deal since my '98 jeep grand cherokee gets 16 MPG and my '71 pontiac convertible gets 8 mpg!! with gas here in Detroit around $3.50 a gallon i cant be gassing up for $100+ a week.....(the accord gets close to 35 mpg so far,like 420-450 miles per a full tank)
anyways,car runs like new and i want to keep it that way. i never had a japanese car and all this stuff is intriguing to me so far. the manual transmission takes regular motor oil? how/when should i change it? is it one of those 3-5k mile things? i dont want to be neglecting my daily driver! any help would be great!!
one more thing,how big is the gas tank on a '88 lx-i anyways........

[shepherd79]

Yes, honda trannies take regular 10w40 motor oil. Since there are no exhaust gases or oil can get into the oil. the oil will stay clean for 30K-60K. i can't remember how long, but i think it is 30K.

[Jareds 89 LX-i]

Welcome!! :welcome: You'll find your Accord will serve you faithfully for a loooooong time to come, especially with only 95k miles!! That's super low for a Honda. Hey mine just turned 366,000 miles last week, still on the original motor and manual tranny and everything, runs like brand new... literally! Anyways, about your question... yes you are correct, the manual tranny does indeed take regular 10w-30 motor oil. However, Honda MTF works VERY well too. A little pricey (about $3-4 a bottle, but the tranny doesn't take that much), but it's great stuff, and really smoothes out the shifts. That's all I've used in mine for the last 100k or so, and I usually change it every 30k. Could probably go longer, but I'm a maintence freak so I always just change it, and it's usually just as clean when I drain it out as when I put it in. Mine still shifts flawlessly :D

Oh yea, it's easy to change, though from my experience the fluid fill bolt has a tendency to get stuck sometimes. There is a drain bolt at the bottom (3/8" square hole for a ratchet), BUT, before you drain the old fluid out, break loose the fill bolt at the top. If you take the intake tube off the airbox and look down, it's on the top of the tranny towards the rear, kinda above the axle. Kind of a weird looking bolt, it's a 32mm, but only has a 17mm head.... looks like a big disc with a bolt head on it. Make sure that breaks loose first, otherwise your SOL when it comes time to refill it. I've stripped mine a couple times trying to get it off... I finally ended up just welding a 17mm socket to the bolt and left it on there. Now I just use a 1/2" breaker bar to break it loose. I guess putting some anti-seize on the threads before putting it back in would be a good idea

[detroit313]

i appreciate the info! im gonna go ahead and change it tomorrow. just to be safe.............

[newaccorddriver]

its interesting how it uses 10w40 oil... can i use ATF fluid as well, or just it use motor oil. also, i have a bottle of lucas stuff, can i use some of that in it as well even though its for automatics?

[Moodybluesr]

its interesting how it uses 10w40 oil... can i use ATF fluid as well, or just it use motor oil. also, i have a bottle of lucas stuff, can i use some of that in it as well even though its for automatics?

Do not use ATF. If you want to use Lucas Stabilizer you should use the stuff designed for motor oil.