International Harvester 55 / 56

Manual transmission fluid capacity & service interval

International Harvester 55 / 56 uses manual transmission fluid with a capacity range of 28 to 42 liters. Service intervals include checking every 200 hours and changing every 1600 hours. The data covers 5 configurations.

The configuration chart below lists fill volumes and service intervals for each engine and trim variant.

TypeSpecifications
856 XL, 856 XLA (1984-1985)
  • Use: Normal
  • Capacity 42 liter
  • Check 200 hours
  • Change 1600 hours
  • Code: 16/8
1056, 1056 XL (1982-1985)
  • Use: Normal
  • Capacity 28 liter
  • Check 200 hours
  • Change 1600 hours
  • Code: 16/8
956, 956 XL (1982-1985)
  • Use: Normal
  • Capacity 28 liter
  • Check 200 hours
  • Change 1600 hours
  • Code: 16/8
1055 (1978-1981)
  • Use: Normal
  • Capacity 42 liter
  • Check 200 hours
  • Change 1600 hours
  • Code: 12/4
955 (1978-1981)
  • Use: Normal
  • Capacity 42 liter
  • Check 200 hours
  • Change 1600 hours
  • Code: 12/4

Additional Notes

  • The International Harvester 55 / 56 series manual transmission fluid specifications cover two distinct capacity values across the listed configurations: 42 liters and 28 liters, both applying to normal use conditions.
  • A 42-liter fluid capacity appears in the 1055 (1978-1981) and 955 (1978-1981) transaxle configurations, as well as the 856 XL and 856 XLA (1984-1985) manual transmission, indicating a substantially larger fluid volume requirement shared across those units.
  • The 1056 and 1056 XL (1982-1985) transaxle carries a 28-liter capacity, which is one-third less than the 42-liter figure associated with the earlier 1055 configuration, reflecting a meaningful difference between the two generations of that transaxle.
  • The 956 and 956 XL (1982-1985) transaxle also specifies a 28-liter capacity, mirroring the reduction seen in the 1056 series when compared to the 955 predecessor at 42 liters.
  • All five configurations share an identical service interval structure: a fluid level check at 200 hours and a full fluid change at 1600 hours under normal use conditions.
  • The 200-hour check interval represents roughly one-eighth of the 1600-hour change interval, meaning fluid level monitoring occurs at a considerably higher frequency than full drain-and-fill service across all listed units.
  • The 856 XL and 856 XLA are noted specifically as a manual transmission rather than a transaxle, distinguishing the mechanical assembly type from the other four configurations in the dataset, all of which are identified as transaxles.
  • The transition from the 1055 to the 1056 and 1056 XL between the 1978-1981 and 1982-1985 model year ranges coincides with the shift from a 42-liter to a 28-liter fluid capacity, a pattern also present in the 955 to 956 series transition over the same period.

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