Changing Fluids: Oil, Transmission, Differentials, Transfer Case, Coolant

[chunko]

Work in Progress.

The Following posts cover changing the fluids in the titan. In order they are:

1. Engine Oil
2. Transmission
3. Rear Differential
4. Front Differential
5. Coolant
6. Transfer Case

One important note: All maintenance was performed by a 6'4 300lb+ man without a jack. If you need to jack your truck to perform this work, consider reducing your intake of beer and cheeseburgers.

[chunko]

Reserved. Changing The Oil.

[chunko]

Transmission Drain and Fill.

There are two methods to changing out automatic transmission fluid. One method is a flush, the other is a drain and fill. For those of you who like to keep it simple--you can perform a drain a fill at every other oil change and keep your transmission in good shape with minimal hassle.

Getting Started - Tools:
You will need a

• a metric socket set,
• a funnel with hose (needs to be a fairly small hose),
• a bucket with measurement markings to drain your fluid.
• a few towels, just in case.
• Gasket for drain plug, part number 11026-A60005 (personally, I reuse the same washer. But Nissan recommends swapping it out?)

Need a bucket? Here's a link to it on amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Need a funnel with hose? Here's a link to it on amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Getting Started - Fluid:
You will need 4 quarts of compatible transmission fluid. There are endless debates on which fluid is best--just make sure you buy fluid that is listed as a replacement for Nissan Matic J.


The Job:

There are only three steps to this process:

1. Drain the transmission fluid by removing the transmission drain plug.
2. Measure the amount of fluid removed.
3. Pour that amount back into the transmission via the transmission dip stick tube.

However, if you're looking at this write-up, you are probably looking for a bit more detail.

1. You need to crawl under your truck and locate the transmission drain plug. You should crawl under from behind the front passenger tire. Position your bucket under the plug. Remove the plug with Metric Socket Size 19mm. Once it's done draining, replace the plug. But Chunko, WTF does the Transmission drain plug look like. It looks like this:




2. Next, you need to measure the amount of fluid you drained. Depending on the unicorn tears to fairy fart ratio in your transmission, there could be different amounts of fluid drained out. Generally it should be in the 3-4 quart range. The easiest way to avoid under/over filling is to replace exactly what was removed. This is most easily done by using a drain bucket with measurements in step one.


3. Locate the transmission dip stick. Remove the bolt holding it in place. Remove the Dipstick. Insert funnel into dipstick hole. Fill with the amount of fluid measured in step two (should be 3-4 quarts). Replace Dipstick. Measure with dipstick to ensure the level is in the recommended range. Bolt the dipstick back into place. But Chunko, WTF does the transmission dipstick look like? It looks like this:




You are done. Repeat every 2-3 oil changes and your transmission should run like a champ. It's a good idea to recheck your fluid levels a few miles after performing the fluid change.


Thanks to user Scot0410 for his original work on this. I've borrowed bits from your write-up.

[chunko]

Rear Differential Fluid

User Athena's Guardian already did a great write-up on this. All credit to him for these instructions. IMHO, the rear differential is the *easiest* maintenance you can perform on the titan. There is no need to pay 4x cost to have mechanic do it.

********************

All right guys, I know this is a pretty basic maintenance job, but I'm hoping that many new members (not unlike yours truly) will benefit from seeing exactly how to do this and build some confidence in taking care of their baby.

Getting Started: Tools

1. 3/8" Ratchet (a longer handle and flex head can come in handy)
2. 4 1/4 pints of 75W-140 synthetic gear oil (get 3 one quart bottles, the extra won't hurt)
3. Drain Pan
4. Shop Towels or a large piece of heavy cardboard

You really shouldn't need a jack or jack stands, even if you're only at stock height. You can simply crawl under the rear bumper. It may be a different story for you lowered guys. Please note each picture is named to correspond with a step.


The Job:

1. Locate Fill Plug
2. Remove Fill Plug
3. Locate Drain Plug, place drain pan under diff.
4. Remove Drain Plug.
5. Wait for oil to drain and replace drain plug.
6. Fill with 75W140 Gear Oil.
7. Replace Fill Plug.
8. Drink a Beer.

For those of you looking for a bit more detail...:

Step 1. Locate the Filler Plug

When looking at your rear differential cover, it will be on your right hand side (i.e., toward the passenger side).




Step 2. Remove the Filler Plug

For this, simply use your 3/8" ratchet to loosen and remove the filler plug. There is no need for a socket of any kind. The 3/8" drive will fit perfectly. A long-handled ratchet could be helpful and give you some extra leverage if you find the filler plug is particularly tight. Notice the order here--always remove the filler plug first, then the drain plug. You don't want to find out you've got a frozen filler plug after you've drained the diff.


Step 3. Locate the Drain Plug

The drain plug will be located on the underside of the differential case and will look just like the filler plug.


Step 4. Remove the Drain Plug

At this point, make sure you've placed the drain pan and some shop towels or a decent-sized piece of cardboard directly under the drain plug. The process for removing the drain plug is exactly the same as it was for the filler plug. Use the 3/8" ratchet to remove the plug. And be prepared, if you haven't done this before and you've got some miles on your Titan, gear oil is definitely not the greatest smelling stuff in the world.


Step 5. Drain the Gear Oil

Now that you have the drain plug removed, let the gear oil drain until is basically dripping. While the oil is draining, take a couple of shop towels and clean the drain plug itself. You will notice the top of the plug is magnetic. This is to attract the tiny metal shavings that will develop over time from the friction between the differential gears. A small amount of these metal shavings is normal, so don't panic; however, if the top of your drain plug looks like it has dreadlocks and could be touring with Bob Marley, you may have an issue!

Once the steady flow of oil has stopped and it's barely dripping, reinsert the clean drain plug and tighten it up. You can use a torque wrench if you have one handy. The correct torque specification is 32 ft-lbs. Honestly, I simply make sure it's solid and tight by hand.


Step 6. Fill the Differential Case

Now that you have your old oil drained and the drain plug tightened back up (you did put the plug back in, right?!), it's time to give her some fresh gear oil. It is entirely up to you which brand you use, but make sure the viscosity is 75W-140 and that it's synthetic. Personally, I use Royal Purple in my truck, but again, everyone has their favorite. Just remember: quality counts.

The rear differential requires 4 1/4 pints. Most of the bottles in an auto parts store are 1 quart. One quart equals 2 pints, so it's worth it to just go ahead and pony up for 3 bottles.

Now you simply cut the tip of the bottle, insert it into the filler opening, and pour in the new gear oil. You could also use a pump if you have one available. Another tip is to take a piece of clear fuel hose and put one end into the filler opening and the other on the tip of the bottle, and then simply squeeze.

The differential is full when the gear oil reaches the bottom of the filler opening. The simplest way to know you've got it filled is when the oil starts slowly running out of the opening. Take a look at the photo and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. You could also use your pinky finger to check the fluid level.


Step 7. Replace the Fill Plug.
Once you've got the differential case topped off, simply reinsert the filler plug and tighten it up. The correct torque specification is 32 ft-lbs, just as it was for the drain plug. But again, if you get it nice and snug, you should be good to go.


Step 8. Sit Back and Drink a Beer
Congratulations, you've now got another skill added to your repertoire! It's a good feeling being able to do this stuff ourselves, and definitely keeps some coin in our pockets as well. I really hope this "how-to" helped you out.

[chunko]

Reserved - Front Differential.

The front differential is very similar to the rear differential with three exceptions:

1) There is a skid plate in your way that needs to be removed.
2) There is less room to work, so a fluid transfer pump is recommended.
3) Nissan has spec'd the gear oil differently.

[chunko]

Reserved. Coolant Drain and Fill.

[chunko]

Transfer Case:

All of my instructions are geared toward the total beginner (like myself). So let's start here. You only have a transfer case if you have a 4WD truck. These instructions are not applicable to 2wd Titan owners.

Getting Started

Tools etc.:

• A 10mm Hex (Allen) Wrench or Socket. (Note: this a large size hex, and may not be in your toolbox).
• A Drain Pan
• 2.5 Quarts Nissan Matic-D compatible Fluid. (I personally used Mobil 1 Synthetic Transmission Fluid). Note: The specs for the transfer case call for Matic-D compatible, which is different than your Transmission. You should not use the same fluid here that you use for your transmission.
• Fluid Transfer Pump.

The Job:

1. Locate Transfer Case.
2. Position Drain Pan to Rear of Transfer Case.
3. Remove Fill Bolt with 10mm Hex.
4. Remove Drain Bolt with 10mm Hex, wipe the goo off the bolt.
5. When fluid stops draining, Replace Drain Bolt with 10mm Hex.
6. Attach Fluid Transfer Pump to bottle of Matic-D compatible Transmission Fluid.
7. Pump fluid until it runs out of the fill hole (~2.3 Quarts)
8. Replace the Fill bolt with 10mm Hex.

Pictures, Details, and links for the more obscure tools coming soon.

[ostaF]

Scribin'... It's going to be awesome to have this all in 1 thread.

[goodolsen]

Originally Posted by ostaF

Scribin'... It's going to be awesome to have this all in 1 thread.

+1...I already know how to change my oil, but the others will be nice.

[tarheelmatthew1]

Subscribing

Sent from my ADR6400L using AutoGuide.Com Free App

[big hoss]

hell yea man

[Nathancruz702]

count me in on a scribe.

[chunko]

First write-up is done: Trans Drain & Fill.

[MrJonMan]

I read on another thread that you need to replace the transmission drain plug gasket when doing this. Not the case?

[chunko]

Originally Posted by MrJonMan

I read on another thread that you need to replace the transmission drain plug gasket when doing this. Not the case?

Is this the washer on the plug? I'm not sure what you're referring to.

If you drop the pan then you have to replace the pan gasket....