Results 1 to 14 of 14

Thread: 5hp30 filling while on the bench

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Brooklyn, NY
    Posts
    294
    My Cars
    1995 840Ci, 2013 X5

    5hp30 filling while on the bench

    My 840 is all apart for a heart transplant. I drained the transmission fluid and replaced the filter. Is there any procedure for refilling a 5hp30 transmission while it is sitting out of the car? Can I just put back the same quantity of oil that came out? I'm planning to check the level per the normal procedure once everything is reinstalled, but I'd like to get it close now. Thanks.

    Brett

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Santa Barbara
    Posts
    3,462
    My Cars
    91 Dinan860 & 91 850 6sp
    Why? Do those not have trans coolers? Just fill it once it is back in or you will end up making a mess...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Oldham UK
    Posts
    3,185
    My Cars
    '00 330i Sprt '92 525i
    To get the level right, the engine needs to be running, the ATF at the right temperature and you need to cycle the gears. The car also has to be level. Even if you knew the angle of the pan to the ground, you could only fill it on the bench until ATF flowed back out of the fill hole. At that stage, the ATF is not at the correct level anyway. So you may as well just follow the correct procedure and do the job once.

    But if you have drained the TC, I would certainly want to get as much ATF as possible back into it before refitting. Most importantly, ensure the TC is fully seated into the trans when you mate it with the engine. If it is not, it is all too easy to damage the pump

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Brooklyn, NY
    Posts
    294
    My Cars
    1995 840Ci, 2013 X5
    Thanks, gents. Not much fluid came out of the cooler lines, so I was hoping to fill the beast while access was simple. I guess I'm getting messy and filling it on jackstands.

    Brett

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    London, UK
    Posts
    49
    My Cars
    Bmw 840
    Quote Originally Posted by ltbrett View Post
    Can I just put back the same quantity of oil that came out?

    Brett
    How do you know it had the correct quantity in the first place?
    1998 e31 840ci Sport, Individual. 2008 Aston Martin DB9. 2016 4.4 SDV8 Range Rover Vogue.
    1959 Triumph Bonneville, 1969 T120R Triumph Bonneville, 1975 T160 Triumph Trident, 1990 Harley Davidson Fat Bot Grey Ghost, 2009 Triumph Bonneville 50th Anniversary model. 2014 Suzuki Gladius.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Nottingham, UK
    Posts
    1,033
    My Cars
    E31, E36/7, E61
    I guess I'm getting messy and filling it on jackstands.

    Brett

    No getting messy required, unless you are working in a swamp.

    Best method I found was to use a converted "easy bleed" brake bleeder as my fluid pump, much easier than the manual hand pump I used first time. Some folks have fancy workshop pumps or electric pumps, but I will stick with my "easy trans pump".

    Here you go.
    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...0#post25354700
    Last edited by e31gixxxer; 12-03-2018 at 01:04 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Oldham UK
    Posts
    3,185
    My Cars
    '00 330i Sprt '92 525i
    Similar idea to above but my tool of choice is a garden pressure sprayer. Tank is graduated so you know how much you put in. And they have a lever in the handle to control / stop the flow. Of course, Murphy's law states that you only knock the drip tray out of the way with your elbow when the trans is full and ATF starts coming back out...

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Brooklyn, NY
    Posts
    294
    My Cars
    1995 840Ci, 2013 X5
    I've got a brake pressure bleeder and an electric pump (and a garden sprayer!) but I've never been able to neatly fill anything while upside down with a foot of clearance

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Nottingham, UK
    Posts
    1,033
    My Cars
    E31, E36/7, E61
    Similar idea to above but my tool of choice is a garden pressure sprayer. Tank is graduated so you know how much you put in. And they have a lever in the handle to control / stop the flow.

    Excellent idea, especially if no air line available.


    I've got a brake pressure bleeder and an electric pump (and a garden sprayer!) but I've never been able to neatly fill anything while upside down with a foot of clearance

    You do know that to obtain the correct level the engine needs to be running and the trans up to temperature. I.E. bench filling not an option.


    Two options occur to me...

    1-put the car on a lift.

    2-Eat less pies.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    West Chester, PA
    Posts
    154
    My Cars
    BMWs:74 3.0 CS, 97 840Ci
    itbrett,

    I just completed purging the old fluid and refilling my '97 840Ci. I suggest a lift if you have access to one (I have one). Once installed, fill the trans to overflowing (I have a small 12V electric fluid (including oil) pump on which I installed a 'push on' button switch). Took about 1-2 minutes to pump the 5+ qts into the transmission case. I had removed the left side hose from the ATF cooler in the radiator and put a 1/2" OD plastic hose over it to purge the fluid from the torque converter. Put that hose in a clear gallon plastic milk container and let the engine run until the container was nearly full, or fluid stopped being pumped out. Refilled the trans, repeated. Did this 3X until the purged fluid was bright red. Then, connected the cooler hose to the radiator with new 'O' rings, and refilled the trans. This time I ran through the gears several times with the engine running. Finally, with engine running, monitored the transmission case temp until it reached about 35 degrees C. Then, opened up the fill plug again and refilled the trans with fluid. Whole procedure probably took 30 minutes.

    I used Castrol Import multi-vehicle ATF (this procedure required 17 qts - bought from Adv. Auto for $25/gallon). Castrol specifies equivalency to the ESSO ATF speced by BMW. Also used Febi filter (owned by Bilstein, was OE supplier to BMW). Trans shifts well and performs slightly better than with the previous fluid (unknown), and filter (Filtran). Filter had been changed about 30K miles ago, trans fluid was fairly dark brown, but only s light coating of sludge in the pan or on the magnet.

    Gary
    Last edited by Gary Knox; 12-05-2018 at 08:55 AM.
    Gary Knox

    '97 BMW 840 Ci
    '03 MB SL55 AMG
    '07 Mini Cooper S hatchback
    '09 Aston Martin DB9 Volante
    '13 Audi A8
    '90 MB 560 SEC and '94 Porsche 928 GTS recently departed but long enjoyed
    50 or so others over the past 70 years of driving

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Nottingham, UK
    Posts
    1,033
    My Cars
    E31, E36/7, E61
    I used Castrol Import multi-vehicle ATF (this procedure required 17 qts - bought from Adv. Auto for $25/gallon). Castrol specifies equivalency to the ESSO ATF speced by BMW.



    Please note the following:
    There is a metal tag on the LHS, of the box, from which the correct fluid can be determined, and a sticker on the pan. The transmissions do not all use the same fluid.



  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Brooklyn, NY
    Posts
    294
    My Cars
    1995 840Ci, 2013 X5
    Ugh, the dreaded black label transmission fluid issue. I went with ZF's recommendation, Lifeguard 5, even though ZF used to say never to use Lifeguard 5 in that transmission. Gary--you're lucky the 97's don't have the same fluid issue. I like the idea of flushing through the cooler line. I'll try that.

    Brett

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Nottingham, UK
    Posts
    1,033
    My Cars
    E31, E36/7, E61
    Ugh, the dreaded black label transmission fluid issue. I went with ZF's recommendation, Lifeguard 5, even though ZF used to say never to use Lifeguard 5 in that transmission. Gary--you're lucky the 97's don't have the same fluid issue. I like the idea of flushing through the cooler line. I'll try that.

    Brett

    As I said please check the label. From the pics in my link you can see that my 97 is a green label LT71141 trans.

    Flushing the system as gary did is a good idea if you don't mind splitting the lines. I just change my fluid when shes up on stands for other jobs, can't be much old left in there now.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    West Chester, PA
    Posts
    154
    My Cars
    BMWs:74 3.0 CS, 97 840Ci
    Actually, the procedure I used does not flush 'through the cooler'. The line on the left comes from the Torque converter and pumps the fluid into the cooler. I disconnected both lines, let the one on the right drip out some fluid into a catch container, and some old ATF came out of the cooler itself as well.

    After the pan is back on the transmission and the first fill of new ATF is pumped in, then when the engine starts, the Torque converter pumps the ATF into the catch container, and the right side line does nothing (it is the return line for the cooled ATF into the transmission case). As a check to verify you have the right line for fluid exiting the converter, blow into the lines. Air will flow through the return line, but you can not blow air through the line that brings fluid to the cooler (and into the plastic catch container). Be sure to get new 'O' rings for these two lines.

    Gary
    Last edited by Gary Knox; 12-06-2018 at 09:00 AM.
    Gary Knox

    '97 BMW 840 Ci
    '03 MB SL55 AMG
    '07 Mini Cooper S hatchback
    '09 Aston Martin DB9 Volante
    '13 Audi A8
    '90 MB 560 SEC and '94 Porsche 928 GTS recently departed but long enjoyed
    50 or so others over the past 70 years of driving

Similar Threads

  1. 5HP30 Fill Issue
    By jcs1966 in forum 8 Series (E31)
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 09-17-2015, 07:30 PM
  2. Lost Fuel Cap, While Girlfriend Filling!
    By bmwpower007 in forum 1991 - 1999 (E36)
    Replies: 40
    Last Post: 12-26-2006, 10:25 PM
  3. Gas leaking while filling tank?
    By Godot5 in forum 1999 - 2006 (E46)
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-02-2006, 12:09 AM
  4. gas overflow while filling
    By Sar2006 in forum 1999 - 2006 (E46)
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 10-24-2006, 12:25 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •