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05 GT - Overfilled 5-speed transmission?

2053 Views 7 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Garyalpusa
Does anyone know how much fluid the manual transmission in an '05 GT would hold if it were filled all the way up to the fill hole?

The reason I ask is because I'm changing transmission fluid right now. A quick google search told me that when full the fluid level should be ~1/2" below the fill hole and the transmission should take around 3.25 quarts... ok, no problem. Edit to note: the car is just about level - I jacked the front and rear up evenly. A bubble level on the frame rail shows that the rear end is just a hair higher than the front but not by much.

Well I put right around 3 quarts, maybe a bit more, and measured the fluid at just about a half inch below the fill hole. I figured there must be a bit of oil left in the transmission somewhere so it's not taking the full 3.25. Still no problem.

Then I poured my old oil from the oil pan into a 1-gallon jug... and the 1-gallon jug is full. It seems like 4 quarts of transmission fluid came out of my transmission.

I'm curious wtf is up with that. Will the transmission take 4 quarts if it's filled all the way up to the fill hole? Maybe the previous owner replaced the fluid at some point and they (or a shop) filled the trans all the way up to the fill hole? Any ideas?
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Fill it 3/8 inch below the hole and you will be good.
Alright, sounds good. I filled it to a hair over 1/2" below the fill hole so I'd say it's pretty close to 3/8" under the hole.

Even when I know the transmission calls for 3 quarts something about having 4 quarts come out and only putting ~3 quarts back in just feels a bit... wrong... :shigrin
It was probably overfilled by the previous owner.
just curious, how the heck do you know it is 1/2" below the hole when you can't see the level because it is below the hole?

do you stick something in there to check the level?
At first I tried using a coat hanger with a 90 degree bend at the end as a dipstick, but that didn't work too well (just couldn't see the fluid well enough, or it was thin enough that the fluid just dripped off before I got to look at it).

In the end I just cut a ~1cm wide strip off a cardboard box from the parts I ordered, put a 90 degree bend in that, and use that as a dipstick. Worked quite well as long as I pulled it out and checked the fluid level quickly since the oil had a tendency to absorb into the cardboard and look fuller than it actually was.
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thanks, that's kinda what I was thinking, I guess there is no secret technique for that
Had a talk with Hanlon motorsports awhile back about the 3650. He said to fill it till it comes out the fill plug. About 4 qts. Do everyrhing you can to keep the fluid cool. Especially for a track car.

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