Is there a dip-stick for the Isuzu 5-Speed? (Page 1/1)
82-T/A [At Work] MAR 22, 06:32 PM
Trying to get a few parts together, and I wanted to know if there was ever a dip stick offered for the Fiero's 5-Speed Isuzu (the one used on the 4 cyl).

I remember many years ago, my 4-Speed had one, but it was a 4-Speed that had 4.10:1 gears and was swapped in my 85 GT from another car, so I don't know if that was normal.


Thanks!
Patrick MAR 22, 09:53 PM

Yes, the Isuzu has a dipstick... the VSS. Don't lose the gear down inside the tranny!
82-T/A [At Work] MAR 23, 05:59 AM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

Yes, the Isuzu has a dipstick... the VSS. Don't lose the gear down inside the tranny!



Haha... what I mean though is... is there anywhere where one can be added? I know that often times when you have a car that uses a transmission that comes from another car (e.g., this is made by Isuzu), some cars have a dip-stick, while others do not. Just curious if there's a dip-stick I can take from one car, like say, an Isuzu Impulse, and put it on the Fiero?


Thanks!
82-T/A [At Work] MAR 23, 07:16 AM
Ok, so... interesting. It looks like GM added a transmission dip-stick to the later years of this same transmission.

You can see it here in this version of the 5-Speed Isuzu here (where it says "TRANS FILL"):




Apparently, they also offered this transmission in other GM vehicles from the early 80s through the early 2000s, which included the J-Body.

The one here is from a ~1995-1997 Cavalier / Sunfire.


It appears as though they used the bolt hole location, originally meant for the hold-down for the VSS, as the dip-stick tube location. And then they apparently drilled two other spots for small screws to be used as the VSS hold-down.

Seems rather excessive for me to swap a transmission just because I want a dip stick... hahah... but since I'll be pulling the engine to rebuild it, I realize at least that this is a good replacement option, and... if there are better more appropriately geared versions of this transmission, it might be worth it for me to swap one of those in.

Anyone know what this transmission is technically called? Other than 5-Speed Isuzu?


Thanks!

[This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 03-23-2023).]

82-T/A [At Work] JUN 11, 12:59 PM
Ok, so... I wanted to respond to my own post because I kind of feel like an idiot. I don't know what year this started, or if this transmission is original... but apparently the transmission in my daughter's 1985 does in fact have a dipstick (it was very low when I checked it, FYI).

It's the little white dip-stick that's off to the left side. It's in pretty good shape, needs to be cleaned up a bit, and it's clearly missing a gasket because the top part of the dipstick is a little rusty (when you remove it), but otherwise this is a pretty nice find. We never noticed it until after my daughter removed the intake manifold. We're removing the exhaust manifold today (and everything around there).
ltlfrari JUN 12, 08:22 AM
This is a shot my my 85 Isuzu box (a long time ago during DOHC swap) and there's no dip stick and I don't recall ever seeing one either.

------------------
Anything I might say is probably worth what you paid for it, so treat it accordingly!

Dave

www.ltlfrari.com

82-T/A [At Work] JUN 12, 09:03 AM

quote
Originally posted by ltlfrari:

This is a shot my my 85 Isuzu box (a long time ago during DOHC swap) and there's no dip stick and I don't recall ever seeing one either.





Yeah, how wild is this? I swear I didn't see it there the last time I looked. After I got the intake out, it was easier to see all of what's going on, and then I noticed it.

Is this even stock then? My guess is maybe the transmission might have been replaced, but then... what vehicle did it come from? If there are other vehicles which had this, I'd love to be able to share this information with people. I see nothing about it in the service manual... but I'll need to check again.

When I last looked at this, it seemed like there was only one other place where this would come from... (from my link here: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/...HTML/146749.html#p3)


Totally different spot than where mine is coming from though. I'll have to take better pictures later tonight and post them.
82-T/A [At Work] JUN 12, 09:17 AM
Ok, I couldn't help myself... I just took a quick picture. It looks like it comes off the side of the transmission case. Sort of like it just plugs into the side of the transmission and then is supposed to be held in place by that little bracket (which appears to have separated from the tube). I guess the fluid level would fill up to and include the little elbow piece on the side, allowing you to check the fluid level.



I don't think too many people care, but maybe there is a part number for this and people can upgrade / add it if they wanted to.


As you can see, this car has a lot of leaks, part of the reason why I'm pulling the motor and transmission. It ran perfectly fine, but my guess is the transmission itself is also leaking, which would account for the fact that there's a ton of oil on the case around the driveshaft and below the dip-stick tube.