Transmission fluid 280z 1978

[dylancorrea1]

Is it possible to drain and refill transmission fluid, without lifting the car? I could take to a shop to get it lifted by the tires and have them change it, but I want to save money since I’m 18 and in college. I’ve heard you can refill using the reverse light method but I have no clue what they are talking about.

 

 

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[dylancorrea1]

Is it possible to drain and refill transmission fluid of a manual transmission 280z, without lifting the car? I could take to a shop to get it lifted by the tires and have them change it, but I want to save money since I’m 18 and in college. I’ve heard you can refill using the reverse light method but I have no clue what they are talking about.
 
 
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[SteveJ]

The only way to get to the drain plug is underneath. The easiest way to remove the fill plug is underneath. NEVER attempt to drain the transmission without first verifying you can open the fill plug. Yes, you could fill at the reverse switch, but that is a pain, and again, you have to be under the car to get to that.

[dylancorrea1]

The only way to get to the drain plug is underneath. The easiest way to remove the fill plug is underneath. NEVER attempt to drain the transmission without first verifying you can open the fill plug. Yes, you could fill at the reverse switch, but that is a pain, and again, you have to be under the car to get to that.

I’ll probably have to get a shop to do the change then sadly, thank you.


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[grannyknot]

Do you have a neighbour or a friend you could borough a hydraulic jack and some stands from? 

[dylancorrea1]

Do you have a neighbour or a friend you could borough a hydraulic jack and some stands from? 

I have jack-stands and a jack but the car has a rusty frame rail which I don’t worsen by putting weight on, so it must be lifted by the tires.


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[grannyknot]

10 hours ago, dylancorrea1 said:

I have jack-stands and a jack but the car has a rusty frame rail which I don’t worsen by putting weight on, so it must be lifted by the tires.


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Lift the car at the center of the front cross member, the one the engine sits on then put a stand on either side of the jack, that will give you lots of room to get in from the sides.

[cgsheen1]

12 hours ago, dylancorrea1 said:

I have jack-stands and a jack but the car has a rusty frame rail which I don’t worsen by putting weight on, so it must be lifted by the tires.


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Firstly, you never lift a Z using the frame rails under the floors - even if they were brand new. 

Secondly, Whenever possible use Granny's advice and lift the front using that big plate in the center of the front crossmember.

Thirdly, When using a floor jack (not a scissor jack, not a bottle jack), we lift the differential in the rear and then place jack stands. There are a few "hard points" in the rear to help.

Fourthly, The 280's added a lot more heft to the unibody and were strengthened in specific spots underneath (meaning: there are big beefy steel plates under there that the earlier Z's either didn't have - or were not as strong). You should learn those spots, they will help with lifting and supporting if you need to work underneath.

Fifthly, be absolutely certain of your jack stands if you're working to replace the transmission fluid. In most cases both the fill plug and drain plug have been over-tightened and many people have struggled to get them loose. That means you're putting a lot of torque into it, may having to use a "cheater" for leverage - you don't want the Z to come down on you while you're under there.

Sixthly, When you put the plugs back in, don't over-tighten them!  There is no pressure on the fluid inside. Use Teflon tape (or anti-seize) on the threads and only tighten them to snug. You just want them just tight enough so that they don't leak - and done.

Edited August 22, 2021 by cgsheen1

[Zed Head]

Don't forget the scissor jack on the rocker sill point for lifting.  Might as well try it to see if you'll be able to change a flat tire because that's all you'll have and that's how it's done.  You'll still want jack stands before you crawl under.

[dylancorrea1]

Don't forget the scissor jack on the rocker sill point for lifting.  Might as well try it to see if you'll be able to change a flat tire because that's all you'll have and that's how it's done.  You'll still want jack stands before you crawl under.

Ive changed the tires before all 4 at once, but I forgot where i lifted it from, but will do.


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[dylancorrea1]

Firstly, you never lift a Z using the frame rails under the floors - even if they were brand new. 
Secondly, Whenever possible use Granny's advice and lift the front using that big plate in the center of the front crossmember.
Thirdly, When using a floor jack (not a scissor jack, not a bottle jack), we lift the differential in the rear and then place jack stands. There are a few "hard points" in the rear to help.
Fourthly, The 280's added a lot more heft to the unibody and were strengthened in specific spots underneath (meaning: there are big beefy steel plates under there that the earlier Z's either didn't have - or were not as strong). You should learn those spots, they will help with lifting and supporting if you need to work underneath.
Fifthly, be absolutely certain of your jack stands if you're working to replace the transmission fluid. In most cases both the fill plug and drain plug have been over-tightened and many people have struggled to get them loose. That means you're putting a lot of torque into it, may having to use a "cheater" for leverage - you don't want the Z to come down on you while you're under there.
Sixthly, When you put the plugs back in, don't over-tighten them!  There is no pressure on the fluid inside. Use Teflon tape (or anti-seize) on the threads and only tighten them to snug. You just want them just tight enough so that they don't leak - and done.

Thank you so much, for the advice ill get right to look for these spots to lift the car and do a transmission fluid change, and probably a oil change while I’m at it.


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[Tweeds]

On 8/21/2021 at 7:29 PM, dylancorrea1 said:

 

Is it possible to drain and refill transmission fluid, without lifting the car? I could take to a shop to get it lifted by the tires and have them change it, but I want to save money since I’m 18 and in college. I’ve heard you can refill using the reverse light method but I have no clue what they are talking about.

 

 

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On top of everyone's useful information, once you've got the car on jack stands - give the car a nice hard shake on all four corners before you go under if you wanna be safe. Worst case, the car falls down with a crash, but that's better than dying or being in a wheelchair! On top of that, throw the wheels down under the car if you've got them off to be extra safe. 

And, to answer one of your questions, the switch for the reverse lights mount to the transmission, but I don't know why someone would put the transmission fluid in there since there's a fill plug. Maybe you could do that if the fill plug just won't come off...? At any rate, the fill plug is on the upper half of the transmission, if I remember correctly - though, I have a 4-speed 240 transmission so it could be different.