Replacing 5 speed tranny I have ???'s

I am replacing my 5 speed tranny in my 1997 2.0 escort wagon. I have a couple of questions before I dive into this. What type of oil does the tranny get? I have the manual and it says something about "Mercon?" Is there something in the local Napa that I can use instead of the dealer fluid? Also are there any surprizes that I should know about?...LOL. Just looking for a heads up. Thank you in advance for your help!

Edward

I use mercron 5 on my escort 1999. To be certain, ask your dealer or get the info from autozone.com.