A Few Pre-Service Concerns

[adkinsadam1]

Hi all.

I am about to take my 4runner in for a few services and modifications but before I do I had a couple questions.

1. My manual transmission grinds a little going into 2nd always. It doesn't matter how I shift. It just has a little grind. And overall going into all the gears is not so smooth. What could this be? What kind of maintenance should I be looking to do for the manual trans? Gear oil is the only thing I can think.

2. This is the 150,000 mile service and we are trying to cut things out and only do what is most important at this point to try to reduce cost. I figured oil + fluids + filters. On a heavily used truck, are there any things at this point which experience has told any of you to have serviced other than what I have listed? I am looking to get my truck running as efficiently as possible.

3. I am getting an e-locker retrofit with RTI. They are using a used differential and I was just wondering if that is the common course of action with this kind of thing. All the posts I've read and videos I've watched they have ordered new lockers to install. Is getting a used one pretty common procedure? Is it at all risky?

Thank for the time!

 

[JayRolla]

Hi all.

I am about to take my 4runner in for a few services and modifications but before I do I had a couple questions.

1. My manual transmission grinds a little going into 2nd always. It doesn't matter how I shift. It just has a little grind. And overall going into all the gears is not so smooth. What could this be? What kind of maintenance should I be looking to do for the manual trans? Gear oil is the only thing I can think.

2. This is the 150,000 mile service and we are trying to cut things out and only do what is most important at this point to try to reduce cost. I figured oil + fluids + filters. On a heavily used truck, are there any things at this point which experience has told any of you to have serviced other than what I have listed? I am looking to get my truck running as efficiently as possible.

3. I am getting an e-locker retrofit with RTI. They are using a used differential and I was just wondering if that is the common course of action with this kind of thing. All the posts I've read and videos I've watched they have ordered new lockers to install. Is getting a used one pretty common procedure? Is it at all risky?

Thank for the time!

1. Usually constant grind into a gear is signs of wear in that gears synchros. Everytime it grinds little metal shavings going to the oil which after time will cause all gears to get a little rough. Sometimes changing oil will clear it up a little but most likely looking at a transmission overhaul if you want it back to where it was.

2. If timing belt hasnt been done in a while I would look into a full OEM timing belt kit with belts, waterpump, idler pullys and gaskets. Also radiator swap and transmission cooler to avoid the pink milkshake.

3. Used elocker is done a lot, if its in good shape it should work no problem. Just make sure its gears match the front gears and if not you need to regear.

 

[adkinsadam1]

New gear oil won't do the trick? And glad to hear about the locker.

 

[JayRolla]

New gear oil won't do the trick? And glad to hear about the locker.

I can clean it up and maybe not so notchy, but from what you say it grinds in 2nd at any rpm which usually means the synchro is gone.

 

[I_bRAD]

Make sure you use GL-4 oil in the tranny. Owner's manual says GL-5 is OK too but from my experience and others on here not so much.

 

[TheDurk]

How old are your plugs? I change mine every 30k. Certainly a normal and necessary thing to do at a major service point.

Be sure and check condition of your PCV valve (I just get cheap NAPA valves and change it with the plugs) and condition of pads and shoes. Be sure rear drums and e-brake are working.

 

[adkinsadam1]

What kind of things should I consider in order to try and regain lost horsepower over the years? Any particularly good maintenance items there?

Also, is there anything I should do differently in preparation for the e-locker retrofit?

Thanks for the opinions!

 

[pluton]

Just a note that you might want a real transmission shop to examine your shifting issue.
I had similar issue on my previous vehicle, a '91 4WD 5-spd truck.
Shifting into gear when stopped was getting harder and harder slowly over a period of years. Shifting in general was getting harder as time went by. I figured, based mainly on interweb wisdom, that the synchros were fading away.
I located a real transmission shop near me, and they discovered that the input shaft had been slightly damaged during the PO's cheap clutch job, causing problems with the clutch engaging/disengaging.