1994 3.0 Reverse Light Switch

[bcoffin23]

I replaced the reverse light switch on my '94 3.0 manual today since it kept shorting and blowing my gauges fuse.

Upon removal, however, about a quart of tranny fluid spilled out all over myself and the sidewalk. I let it all drain and cleaned it up.

Why did this happen? I thought that the switch was above the fluid line.

I bought my 4Runner in April of this year. Did the previous owner WAY overfill or did I screw something up?

 

[flyinhawaiian01]

Were you parked facing up an incline, like a really steep incline? If not, someone overfilled it! Most likely done when they were facing downhill, or they filled it from the shifter hole (which I think is much easier than layin' on your back filling the side plug).

Just looking at my W58 trans here on the floor of my shop (its from my 85 supra, almost identical trans to the W56), the fill plug is just in front of where the reverse switch is at. In fact, its almost half an inch above the drain plug, so if it were filled correctly, it should not have come pouring out at all.

No big thing though, maybe your trans wanted a refill anyways? Drain it completely and refill it with new fluid, no better time to do it than now since you already lost a bunch of fluid anyways.

And, just an fyi, although I'm sure you probably know this already, the fill plug is also the fill line for the trans. Pump oil in until it weeps back out of the fill plug.

 

[bcoffin23]

Were you parked facing up an incline, like a really steep incline? If not, someone overfilled it! Most likely done when they were facing downhill, or they filled it from the shifter hole (which I think is much easier than layin' on your back filling the side plug).



Just looking at my W58 trans here on the floor of my shop (its from my 85 supra, almost identical trans to the W56), the fill plug is just in front of where the reverse switch is at. In fact, its almost half an inch above the drain plug, so if it were filled correctly, it should not have come pouring out at all.



No big thing though, maybe your trans wanted a refill anyways? Drain it completely and refill it with new fluid, no better time to do it than now since you already lost a bunch of fluid anyways.



And, just an fyi, although I'm sure you probably know this already, the fill plug is also the fill line for the trans. Pump oil in until it weeps back out of the fill plug.

The street I was on had maybe. 1-1.5% grade, so I don't think that accounted for the spillage.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to get back under there today and identify where the fill plug is.

Should I continue to drain the fluid until it is at the fill plug? Can I just open the fill plug and let the oil drain until it stops?


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[flyinhawaiian01]

First things first, check to make sure you can get the side fill bolt out! I just dealt with this on my W58 trans and had to heat the shit out of it with a torch to get it to break loose! Its also possible that the previous owner filled from the top because he couldn't get the fill plug out! Seems to be more common as these trucks get older too.

Next, pull the bottom drain plug and drain into your catch pan. Its gear oil, so it will take a while to really get it to all drain out, probably about a half hour (yeah, I'm pretty anal about getting the most oil out of the case!).

Pop drain plug back in, make sure you use a new gasket if the existing one looks even remotely bad or scuffed up! This is NOT the plug you want to remove if you used a damaged gasket! They're cheap and easy to find at the parts store.

Now you can fill the side fill hole with gear oil. Any decent GL5 oil around 75-100 weight will work fine, so long as it does NOT have friction modifier in it (I personally use Royal Purple's SyncrhoMax, but its really overkill for my truck)! Again, do NOT use an oil with friction modifier (such as Royal Purple's standard 75W-90 "max gear")! The modifier in the oil will make the synchros in the transmission not work correctly and you'll have a hell of a time getting it into gear! Don't ask me how I know this, just take my advice and don't do it!!!

Fill the trans until it drips slightly out of the hole, that is the proper level, so long as you're on relatively flat ground.

Put plug back in, and just for good measure, use a little anti-seize on the threads. I know that this bolt gets oiled with the gear oil, but it still freezes up, so might as well not take the chance and put some anti-seize on there anyways!

That's pretty much it for a W-series transmission! If I missed anything, I'm sure someone will correct me!

 

[bcoffin23]

First things first, check to make sure you can get the side fill bolt out! I just dealt with this on my W58 trans and had to heat the shit out of it with a torch to get it to break loose! Its also possible that the previous owner filled from the top because he couldn't get the fill plug out! Seems to be more common as these trucks get older too.



Next, pull the bottom drain plug and drain into your catch pan. Its gear oil, so it will take a while to really get it to all drain out, probably about a half hour (yeah, I'm pretty anal about getting the most oil out of the case!).



Pop drain plug back in, make sure you use a new gasket if the existing one looks even remotely bad or scuffed up! This is NOT the plug you want to remove if you used a damaged gasket! They're cheap and easy to find at the parts store.



Now you can fill the side fill hole with gear oil. Any decent GL5 oil around 75-100 weight will work fine, so long as it does NOT have friction modifier in it (I personally use Royal Purple's SyncrhoMax, but its really overkill for my truck)! Again, do NOT use an oil with friction modifier (such as Royal Purple's standard 75W-90 "max gear")! The modifier in the oil will make the synchros in the transmission not work correctly and you'll have a hell of a time getting it into gear! Don't ask me how I know this, just take my advice and don't do it!!!



Fill the trans until it drips slightly out of the hole, that is the proper level, so long as you're on relatively flat ground.



Put plug back in, and just for good measure, use a little anti-seize on the threads. I know that this bolt gets oiled with the gear oil, but it still freezes up, so might as well not take the chance and put some anti-seize on there anyways!



That's pretty much it for a W-series transmission! If I missed anything, I'm sure someone will correct me!

Awesome, thanks for the update. So if the fill plug is stuck in there should I use a breaker bar to get it out or fill from somewhere else?

The last thing I want to do it snap a bolt off in the trans.


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[flyinhawaiian01]

I just noticed you have a 3.0! Is that a W-series transmission or an R-series transmission?

My above post is for a W-series transmission, I don't think the R-series transmission is the same procedure! Need to verify which one you have before you do this job!

 

[bcoffin23]

I just noticed you have a 3.0! Is that a W-series transmission or an R-series transmission?



My above post is for a W-series transmission, I don't think the R-series transmission is the same procedure! Need to verify which one you have before you do this job!

I believe it's the W56 trans. Where can I confirm?


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[flyinhawaiian01]

Unless you're positive that nothing was swapped out, the tag on your firewall should verify what trans you have. Here's a link to determine what came with that 4runner:

Toyota Vehicle Identification Number

As for breaking that bolt open, use a 6 point socket ONLY, use a good, long breaker bar, snap it open. If it doesn't move at all, use some heat on it, being careful not to melt the reverse switch wire/connector. Heat around the base of the bolt for a minute or so, then try again with the breaker bar. Mine took 2 minutes of heating that bolt, it was starting to smoke a bit, but the bolt literally broke loose with the weight of the breaker bar after that.

Aside from the reverse switch, there's nothing in the transmission near that area that is not metal, no seals, no rubber gaskets, nothing, so its relatively safe to heat up that area well if necessary.

 

[bcoffin23]

While driving today the shifting felt fine if not smoother than before the extra oil came out when I removed the reverse light switch.


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