Today I began gathering fluids for the new 8-yr-old Dodge Dakota, 3.9L V6 ATx. Bye Bye, $$$!
Gear oil: owner's manual specs 75w90 GL-5 for the Mopar 8.25" differential(not limited slip), capacity ~2.2 qts. Still has factory gear lube in it. Bought 3 qts Mystik 80-w90 GL-5 at Atwoods in Tyler. With our hot summers & mild winters, I figure the 80 will be close enough to 75.
Plan to use suction gun & refill. (May add an ounce or two of Lube Control, unless Molakule tells me I shouldn't
)
Trans fluid, ATF+4; specs for +4 are rigid enough that I suspect one licensed brand is about as good as another. Bought 10 qts of Super Tech ATF+4(it's on "the list"); 6 qts at one WM, 4 at another. Each store had exactly 6 qts on the shelf.
Plan to do a siphon & refill on the auto trans, turkey baster on the power steering- which also specs ATF+4.
Brake Fluid- bought 2 12-oz bottles of DOT 3. Previous owner said shop was supposed to have flushed all brake fluid back in Feb this year. Maybe so, but it looks pretty dark. Or maybe they skipped that part. Turkey baster.
Motor oil-
Long time BITOGer that I am, got lotsa oil in 5/10w30: Havoline SM(the old round-shouldered bottles, lotsa moly in it), Formula Shell, 6 qts of PZ Plat 10w30, two changes+ worth of TropArtic 5w30, a few more. With crankcase + filter capacity on the 3.9L V6 at 4 or 4.5 qts, depending where you read it(most say a flat 4 qts, includng the factory service manual) I won't need to buy motor oil for a few years. Have at least 5 filters on deck, various brands. No plan to stretch intervals, will use LC in oil. Think I still have a bottle of Auto-RX too, gotta look. May pay my local service station labor to change oil the first time, just so I can walk under the truck while it's on the lift & look things over. Or maybe not!
Anti-freeze- here, the decision may be made for me. Manual specs HOAT, but it's been changed out a few years ago, no telling what's in it now. Haven't bought anything yet, but for G-05 around here(other than $tealer$hip$, I suppose) the only game seems to be Zerex. Wouldn't be a problem, but no one carries it locally- and the local O'Reillys doesn't seem to want to order it either(does Autozone carry it- there's one ~25 mi away). Will probably wind up doing a home "flush" on it- drain & refill at least 3 times with water. 3.9 has iron block & heads, will use tap water for the first fill or two. And then just go back with good old Peak Green, mixed w/distilled water, and a few ounces of RMI-25.
That's the plan for now. Dropping the trans pan & diff rear cover will have to wait for another time, just too much to get done around here now.
Gear oil: owner's manual specs 75w90 GL-5 for the Mopar 8.25" differential(not limited slip), capacity ~2.2 qts. Still has factory gear lube in it. Bought 3 qts Mystik 80-w90 GL-5 at Atwoods in Tyler. With our hot summers & mild winters, I figure the 80 will be close enough to 75.
Trans fluid, ATF+4; specs for +4 are rigid enough that I suspect one licensed brand is about as good as another. Bought 10 qts of Super Tech ATF+4(it's on "the list"); 6 qts at one WM, 4 at another. Each store had exactly 6 qts on the shelf.
Brake Fluid- bought 2 12-oz bottles of DOT 3. Previous owner said shop was supposed to have flushed all brake fluid back in Feb this year. Maybe so, but it looks pretty dark. Or maybe they skipped that part. Turkey baster.
Motor oil-
Anti-freeze- here, the decision may be made for me. Manual specs HOAT, but it's been changed out a few years ago, no telling what's in it now. Haven't bought anything yet, but for G-05 around here(other than $tealer$hip$, I suppose) the only game seems to be Zerex. Wouldn't be a problem, but no one carries it locally- and the local O'Reillys doesn't seem to want to order it either(does Autozone carry it- there's one ~25 mi away). Will probably wind up doing a home "flush" on it- drain & refill at least 3 times with water. 3.9 has iron block & heads, will use tap water for the first fill or two. And then just go back with good old Peak Green, mixed w/distilled water, and a few ounces of RMI-25.
That's the plan for now. Dropping the trans pan & diff rear cover will have to wait for another time, just too much to get done around here now.
