Complete fluid job questions.

Sorry bout the newb questions, but just bought my first Taco (first truck!) @ 100k, and would like to do a complete fluid job, besides engine oil, since I don't know how the prev owner treated it. Maybe he did nothing for 100k... an unpleasant prospect.

I've been reading through the threads for a few hours, and have collected enough info to feel cocky enough to do something wrong. I'm not really versed with all the parts of a 4x4 truck yet, but can basically change oils myself. (Open fill, open drain, cap drain, fill, let sit, fill more, cap fill.)

A few things:

1. It seems to me the 4 big fluid changes that have to do w/ the drivetrain would be: Rear diff, front diff, transfer case, and transmission. (Tranny fluid and t-case fluids are different, right?)

2. As far as I can tell (there's already a sticky on rear and front diff fluid swap), basically 1st gen 4x4's take 75w90 for all four parts. People seem to basically have good experiences w/ Mobil-1. Is this accurate?

3. So if I head out and buy 10qts of 75w90, I should be good to go for the total fluid swap job?

Thanks for being patient w/ the questions. Any info would be really appreciated.

 

What transmission do you have?

 

Sorry I didn't include!

2003 Tacoma. 4x4 v6 manual.

 

The diffs (front & rear), transfer case, and manual transmission all take the same fluids

$30 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75W-90 gear oil.

And yes...Mobile 1 is good stuff. I put it in my 96 tacoma manual tranny. You can also do some research of other synthetics...just make sure you get the proper type (and I can't remember the details on that).

Good luck!

 

ur suppose to remember all these details!

 

I'm old...and alzheimers is kicking in! It's been 10 years since I owned my old 96 tacoma and probably 13 years since I changed the fluids in it. I miss that truck.

 

i didnt know it was special stuff, i was just going to buy mobil-1 synthetic

$30 75w-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75w-90 gear oil.

oh yeah vqtran9, i think u may need 11-12 qts.

 

Hey, I just did a change of all the fluids myself like last week. In the owners manual, it says 80W-90 goes in the rear diff and 75W-90 goes everywhere else. But people have used the 75W-90 all around and havent expierenced any problems so eitherway, your probably good. There was a blurb from Jiffylube and Toyota that said not to use synthetic gear oil as it could damage things. Jiffy lube stripped my drain plug for the front diff and Toyota tried to tell me that I needed a LSD additive in my non LSD rear axle. Take what you will from that but Im runnin full syntetic, as several other Gen 1 Tacoma owners are.

All in all, its an easy job so long as you have the right tools and a big oil pan. If you make a mess, cat litter does a good enough job absorbing the crap but Im sure you already know that. Again, just be sure to use the right tools as to not strip anything. And dont put the plugs back on too tight or youll be kicking yourself a few years down the road.


Oh! and another thing.. Good luck putting the Skid plate back on using all the bolts. Maybe mines just bent (didnt look like it) but that was a bitch to do. I still have 2 bolts left over that refuse to line up with the hole.

Finally, once your all done, you may want to think about moving the rear diff breather to a higher location, that way, if you ever dip your rear axle in the water, you dont flood it (or else youll have to flush your rear diff- like me)Check out the link below for more info.. Its cheap to do.

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/15223-diy-differential-breather-extension.html

Or you can raise all the breathers to your boxes (transfercase, transmission [yes theyre different] and front/rear diff. The link for that is below. (Yay for Scuba Mods! I still need to do the front 3 boxes)

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/of...f-tranny-transfer-case-e-locker-breather.html

Good luck I know youll enjoy your Tacoma! While your at it, I suggest doing the Deckplate mod which is another cheap, yet VERY effective way to make you <3 your tacoma even more. Read up on it a bit XD

http://www.trdoffroad.com/articles/deckplate/index.php

alright. Im done.

 

Not much left to say!

 

Wow! That writeup deserves a sticky.



Thanks so much for the info. That's all incredibly helpful. Now all I need is to figure out the metric sizes of the plugs. I read somewhere that the rear diff is 24mm. They're way bigger than what I have currently in my toolbox, so it's gonna require another trip to the hardware store.

Any quick suggestions?