5-speed fluid filler plug

[T/A-6.6]

Where the heck is the transmission filler plug on an 89 Ford Escort w/ a 5-speed manual tranny? i just changed my clutch and didn't drain the tranny but all the twisting and banging around caused some leakage. I should've looked when I had the tranny out I guess but didn't think it'd be "hidden". The Haynes manual says "locate the filler plug and fill until it runs out." Boy it must have taken a Master Mechanic to figure that out. LOL....................... thanks for any help you can give.. Doug

[AzTumbleweed]

I don't know about your car but on the newer ones you pull the speedo cable out and add ATF to the hole where the cable goes in. There is a white plastic gear on the end of the cable. The tranny is in the operating range if the fluid level is somewhere on that gear when it is inserted into the tranny. While your at it you might as well drain it first and start over with new ATF.

[franski64]

My Escort is a 95 and the transmission fill is under the speedometer cable like the above post says. It was a real mother getting the aluminum base off the motor, my arms are still bruised.

[T/A-6.6]

Well I found mine. It's a square-hole plug in the front about halfway up or so. Problem is there's very little room between the plug and the transmission mount. A 3/8" ratchet won't even fit between the plug and the mount. What a wonderful engineering job that was. It took a ratchet, extension and a swivel but I got it. "Hey, there's an access plug right here someone may need to get to, let's put the tranmission mount right here." Anyway, I got it so I'm happy