noob question but im only 15 and new to this.

 

With the engine running and warmed up to operating temperature, there is a dipstick near the firewall on the passenger side of the car. If you can find the oil dipstick, the trans one is right behind that. Pull that out and check the fluid level, and add as needed. It may be different on your 83, but thats where it is on my 88.

 

did not find it

 

Manual or auto trans? Auto will have a dipstick, manual will not.

Only way to check with a manual trans is to remove the fill plug and feel where the level is with your finger.

 

ya its a manual sorry probably a big part, alright ill try to find that and any clue to what fluid i should be using

 

The manual trans is a bit of a pain to check...there are two square pipe plugs on the right (passenger) side of the trans, the lower one is to drain the oil and the upper (nearly invisible) is for filling and checking the level. Use a wrench to take the upper plug out and with your finger or hooked wire measuring tool see that the level is at or near the hole. The oil should be ATF or GM Synchromesh oil. Thicker oils will not flow through the funnel to the fifth gear sub housing and result in tranny damage.

 

His is an 83 like mine... If he has a T5 (5-spd) then they used gear oil in those years, not ATF.

 

well my dad and i went to napa and they gave us an atm and we just took it for a drive and my dad said it shifted alot nicer but made that noise when i shifted it into reverse

 

What noise?

 

uhh like it might be gears grinding pretty sure its not hurting the car

 

I bought mine new in 83...ATF. I worked for GM in the 80s...ATF.