Once again, I will try to answer my own question. Looking again at the cross bar, it seems to be more of a brace than a load bearing item. I now think I will loosen off the 4 bolts that hold it on and if the bar/brace comes loose, without signs of a load on it, I'll take it off. When I finish changing the fluid, I will post another set of steps, with all the equipment and the process that I take, to add to those already provided by others, and tips also provided from another list of sources, to assist the next guy doing this.

 

a new post will probably be a good idea.
tacking onto an old post rarely gets good results

your setup sounds pretty odd

 

It's a DIESEL and in Australia (upside down?), lol

 

Definitely not a diesel, but perhaps upside down.... I'd love to know if this "brace" only occurs on the 2.1 litre engine, and hear from others who may have the same set-up.

 

I have kept this post under the same thread name as I think it is a follow-p. I have changed the Xmission fluid! The process was simple and the result is really good and a bit surprising (even though Dell had previously stated that the result was good for him).
I have some photos and I hope they can assist someone else.

 

Nulon Xmission fluid

#3 Drain pan, long nosed pliers & socket & ratchet for drain plug.

#1 Weed Sprayer bottles

#2 2 bottles, electrical conduit & stick, turkey baster & funnel, plus electrical conduit & stick
Oops, I always seem to have problems with photos. Sorry. Try again:

 

Okay, I think I have sorted the photos. First shows the Transmission Fluid I have used (Meets IDEMITSU K17). The next shot shows the oil drain pan I used to catch old fluid, plus the long nosed pliers that I used to pull out the refill plug (thanks Dell). The next shot is of 2 Weed Sprayer units - the left one is new one I bought from a cheap hardware store for less than $10 AUD, and it has a side scale measuring litres, as well as a trigger gun that can be locked open - the right one is an old one I had lying around that I used for measuring the amount of old fluid drained each time. The final shot also shows the bottles, but shows the turkey baster funnel & other funnel to add to it. It also shows a length of electrical conduit with an ID of about 20mm, which will hold the round head of the filler plug quite snugly, and a stick or dwell that you can slide down the conduit to push the plug into its hole.
I will post further photos showing the process I took, which has resulted from input from a number of other contributors.

 

Auto Transmission Fluid Change - Process

Firstly, I started the car’s engine and ran it through the gear range a number of times to circulate and warm up the fluid, then drove it up onto portable ramps. I removed the cross brace under my transmission drain plug (apparently only on my model?) and placed the oil drain pan under the drain plug. I then removed my battery cover to provide greater access, and removed the rubber filler plug from the transmission using long nosed pliers, then removed the drain plug using a ratchet and 15/16” socket. The fluid ran out for around 5 minutes (or so) and (as others have said) it was black and smelly. I replaced the drain plug finger tight.

Next I poured the dirty fluid into a plastic bottle (an old weed sprayer unit that has a scale on its side calibrated in litres. There was just under 3 litres. I now decanted 3 litres of new, clean fluid into another new weed sprayer bottle (bought for under $10 AUD) and pumped up air pressure using the built-in pump - about 12 pumps. I placed that bottle on the battery and inserted the turkey baster funnel snugly into the filler hole and another small funnel into that, then put the tap fitting of the bottle’s hose into the top funnel and turned on the tap. The fluid transfer took maybe 8 minutes or so, and required another few pumps as fluid was displaced. The filler plug was reinserted into the filler hole, using a 12” length of electrical conduit with an ID of about 20mm. The round head of the plug inserted into the conduit snugly and firmly and enable an easy fitting from the top. A slightly longer piece of wood (or dowel) was inserted in the other end of the conduit and pressed down to push the plug firmly into place. Simple and easy. I then ran the engine for around 15 seconds, going through the range of gears again a couple of times.

The drain/measure/fill cycle was repeated another 3 times, using 3 litres of new fluid each time and drained fluid cleanliness became apparent as it went on. As the car was run each time, it also became obvious that the gears were getting quieter and smoother as the process progressed.

At the end of the filling/flushing process, the drain plug was re-tightened, the filler plug double checked for firm placement, the cross brace refitted, and the battery cover refitted. Not a drop was spilled in the whole operation. The car seems to run much quieter now and is an even greater pleasure to drive.

The simplicity of this exercise was achieved due to input from a few others, utilising their previous experiences and I thank them.


pressurised bottle with new fluid being transferred into funnel - about 12 - 14 pumps of the air pumps will transfer most of the fluid, then a few more pumps to complete.

Bottle with fluid from 1st drain - almost 3 litres

Draining oil pan into one bottle with litre measure on side

Drain plug (15/16")

Electrical conduit with filler plug inserted.


Rate of transfer through trigger gun, allowing all air to be expelled from filler

 

Only suggestion I would have is the first drain was a little short of the 3 1/2 quarts you are SUPPOSED to get. The argument at this first drain has mostly come to the conclusion that the transmission was slightly low on fluid. Most who have experienced this have replaced with 3 1/2 (if less first drain). Mine fortunately was right at the 3 1/2 although subsequent drains were different (& I replaced EXACTLY what drained each time with the exception of the last fill explained in my thread).

Hence my admonition to always measure each drain. The alternate of course is removing the level check plug to assure proper level. In my post there is a definitive, again definitive description and picture of which is the correct plug to remove and not screw up the reverse band.

 

Thanks for the feedback, Dell, but my 3 litres content stayed the same for each drain, and 3 litres is more than 3 quarts, so I reckon I was close to yours. On the last fill I added a small amount (as you did) just to be sure. I hope it stays good.

 

I thought 3 liters was less than 3 1/2 (3.5) quarts?

The odd bit In doing mine was the first drain was dead on 3 1/2 quarts but the later ones were more. I attribute this to the "14 second" method. I think it pushes a bit more of the old out ahead of the new added. Could be something else but that's what I told myself and I'm sticking to it, lol.

 

Well my transmission woes continue. So far I have changed the ATF with the incorrect spec (doesn't meet Idemitsu K17 - Castrol Transmax Multivehicle, should have been Castrol Transmax Import Multivehicle) which caused a complete loss of drive when downshifting from 5th to either 4th or 3rd while climbing a hill. I was able to drive home but subsequently I reversed out of my driveway and there was no drive at all when I selected "Drive". ATF which met the above standard (Nulon Full Synthetic Multi Vehicle) was used to replace the Castrol product, both times I measured what came out and replaced it with the same volume of fluid. Once the correct fluid was in (Nulon Full Synthetic Multi Vehicle), the valve body was removed and stripped down before being cleaned in solvent and reassembled and reinstalled. Initially a level check was not performed but the vehicle was able to be driven. A level check was performed and about 1 litre was removed. Shifting wasn't smooth but it was a vast improvement over having no drive. Having realised that the level check was incorrectly conducted (engine turned off when up to temperature), 1.8 litres were replaced and the check was conducted again with the engine running and the fluid temp elevated (not measured). Taking it for a drive this time went well for a short time before the transmission refused to select 3rd gear and instead found neutral. Once the vehicle slowed sufficiently 2nd was engaged and drive returned. I was able to drive home in 1st and 2nd but 3rd refuses to engage. How after adding fluid to the correct level can I go from rough changing to no drive when 3rd should be selected? What should I be checking? While the valve body was out the solenoids were electrically checked returning readings within range. Any suggestions gratefully accepted.

 

Speed sensors? Cracked drum?
Because of using the wrong fluid and driving it you likely caused internal damage. Just replacing the incorrect fluid with the correct fluid will not fix damage done from the incorrect replacement.

 

I finally have my car back and running. The gear selecting can occasionally be a little rough but I am told the system will learn how to compensate for that and things will improve. The transmission was removed and stripped down completely and rebuilt with: new filter, GSR kit (no idea what this is), piston kit, 2 different thickness friction plates, 2 different thickness steel plates, new shift solenoids and a pressure control solenoid, a piston kit upgrade (again I have no idea how this differs to a piston kit), and the convertor was repaired. To buy another car the same wouldn't have cost a lot more, mine has relatively low mileage (kilometres here) and I know what has been maintained on it and what is yet to be completed.

No-one I talk to can tell me what went wrong to cause this failure. The repairer put it down to a cracked or porous piston having failed causing the friction material to be worn badly. No-one believes that running the incorrect fluid in an automatic transmisison could cause any failure, only rough shifting. The repairer said in an emergency you could put engine oil in a transmission to get the vehicle to a repairer, obvioulsy you wouldn't run it for any longer than absolutely neccessary in that state.

I am yet to speak with the repairer directly since getting my car back, friends collected and delivered it home as I had to send it quite a distance to someone who was prepared to do the work. I have no idea what fluid actually went into my transmission after being rebuilt, I sent 20L of Nulon Full Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid ( it's an Australian product that has the Idemitsu K17 spec) along with the car to them but they had mentioned using Lubrimax Multivehicle CVT in it. I'll give them a call tomorrow, they have given me a 2 year waranty provided I have it serviced by them after 1 month and again after 12 months.

I'm glad to have it back on the road, I do like the way it drives but I hope my woes with this car are over. I still need to replace the upstream Bank 2 O2 sensor, I have spark plugs and the related seals to replace also as part of a general 100 000km service. The engine oil and filter are due for replacement and the two rear centrecaps for the wheels have again parted company with the car. Always something.

 

Wow, that's been a saga! I know what they told you about the fluid, but based on the Ford tech related story of putting Marcon 5 in a Jag after transmission work against advice, and car didn't make it out of the lot on a test drive, I lean towards it being the contributor. I am not a transmission expert but the admonitions from Techs and Jag themselves leads me to not experiment.

 

I am with you, especially for something that looks like it has a couple thousand different parts to it.

 

I just got off the phone with the repairer and they tell me they put in Castrol Transmax Multivehicle, that is what their 2 year warranty is riding on along with their own labour and the extensive list of components. This is the same fluid I used at the start of this whole debacle. So far it has only driven 200-300km after rebuild and with this life blood running through its veins and galleries but it certainly hasn't failed, far from it. I guess time will tell, but we have a starting point of a fresh transmission with this Castrol Transmax Multivehicle ATF all put together by automatic specialists. If it fails now maybe someone will have a good hard look at what fluids are being used and what other than bad luck has caused any potential future issues. Maybe Castrol is correct and this fluid is ok to use in this transmission.

I'm just looking forward to driving this car again and hopefully without further drama. I like the way it drives and its styling. I like the comments I get from others who aren't bothered by pedigree and badges just their own likes, dislikes and opinions.

 

Glad to see you're up and running again. Hope you didn't have to sell your kids to pay for the repair. I am still running quite well on the Nulon transmission stuff, and hope to continue....

 

The price of repairing the transmission was almost the same as buying another car, but what are you really buying? Someone else's problems perhaps. Time will tell if it was money well spent.