Hi All,

Thought I'd swallow my pride and finally post on here about this.

2008 SR5 V6 4x4 175k miles

Got myself into some deep sh!t a few months back and it resulted in my front left cv joint busting, plus I was no longer able to drive forward after (reverse still works).

I was (still am) an idiot and didn't know much about how the transfer case worked (or anything vehicle related for that matter) and I threw it into 4Lo and shifted aggressively from drive to reverse to get out of the mud I was stuck in. Eventually, when my vehicle was in Drive, it would make a loud whir/high-pitch grind - a sound that will always give me chills from now on. We were able to pull it out, and I could drive forward to get myself back on the road, but eventually it stopped engaging first gear and would no longer move forwards. This sound occurs when it is in Drive, but the brake is still applied. I do not recall if this would go away after the brake is released.

I'm asking for advice here. The 4Runner is on jack stands and I'm eventually going to be replacing the transmission and cv joints. Does this sound like a transmission issue to you? Obviously, this is quite a time- and money-consuming task here, so I want to be sure that it gets done correctly the first time.

Also, I think the actuator is stuck so it will not go back into 2Hi. I can hear it switch from 4Hi to 4Lo though.

My thought is this: 1st gear is toast - simple as that. How do I confirm? The mechanic initially stated that there was more metal shavings in the transmission fluid than he's ever seen...BUT when I finally got it back home and drained the fluid, it seemed fine. Not sure if that was a lie? Not sure if they drained it and replaced the fluid? Seems like an odd thing for them to do... If I replace the transmission, can I go with any A750F? Or would I have to get an A750F specifically for the 4th gen V6?

Anyway, I appreciate any help. Try to keep the hurtful comments to a minimum. I've learned a ton from all of this. To be honest, the 4Runner looks pretty good on that truck... Haha definitely doesn't belong there. That's where Wranglers belong.

Thanks!
Mat

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Don't have much advice to help you other than, are you sure it's not the differentials or transfer case instead of the transmission?

Have a friend help and see if the drive shafts are turning when it's in gear and not wanting to move.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give that a shot next time I take a crack at it and let you know what the result is.

The mechanic initially quoted me for the replacement of the transmission, transfer case, CV joints, and possibly the front diff at $6100. So I'm willing to replace things because either way it'd be cheaper than that.

With that being said, I really don't think the front diff is bad, but I have no idea about the transfer case. Also, changing out the transmission may just be good preventative maintenance anyway.. Maybe I could open it up and see if there's anything noticeably wrong with it? Not sure if that can be done with either the transmission or transfer case.

Now might be the time to change all the fluids - especially tranny fluid - since you are throwing old one away anyway. 177,000 miles without change is going to be black color - when should be red..

Did you ever replace the busted CV? If it's still busted, the vehicle will typically not move unless you lock the center diff or get it into 2wd (which you said doesn't work). You'll just hear grinding from the broken joint. (You might get a little movement if the broken joint catches a bit now and then).

Try engaging the center diff lock and see what happens. Also, fix the CV before you tear into anything else. That well might be all that's wrong based on your symptoms.

I just ordered the new CV joints the other day, so I plan to fix those up this weekend, hopefully. I'll refill the transmission with fluid and do the other checks that were recommended and see where that gets me.

Here's a bit of an update!

CV axles have both been installed and the transmission and front diff have been refilled. The grinding/whirring sound continued after this, but once the fluid made it's way through the transmission completely, the sound stopped for good. This was a huge weight off my shoulders. I drove it around the block for the first time in months and it feels great! I'm replacing the tie rods at the moment, so it's still at my bud's house.

Another issue with this though is that the center diff lock will not disengage, which does not allow for me to get it in 2wd. I assume it is because it hasn't been used in it's entire lifetime, so it's probably all gummed up. I found a couple articles regarding this issue, so I have pretty high hopes.

Thanks again for the help. Hoping to at least get it home by the end of the week. I don't want to drive too much with the center diff locked though, but I'm sure it's not the end of the world if I don't make real tight turns.

Just remove the front propeller and drive it home to avoid damaging it some more.