Bulletproof A340F Transmission?

B

BamaDrewski

New member
I have the original A340F transmission in my rig and getting close to that 300K mark. I added and external transmission cooler years ago and bypassed the radiator.

This transmission still shifts smooth as silk - no slipping, no banging, etc. I run Mobil1 Synthetic ATF in it and have since around 120K. I do a four quart "drain and refill" every year. I also put in an inline transmission oil filter several years ago as well and check it/clean it annually.

Anyone else getting this kind of durability out of this transmission? Just curious......
 
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BamaDrewski said:
I have the original A340F transmission in my rig and getting close to that 300K mark. I added and external transmission cooler years ago and bypassed the radiator.

This transmission still shifts smooth as silk - no slipping, no banging, etc. I run Mobil1 Synthetic ATF in it and have since around 120K. I do a four quart "drain and refill" every year. I also put in an inline transmission oil filter several years ago as well and check it/clean it annually.

Anyone else getting this kind of durability out of this transmission? Just curious......
Click to expand...

Would LOVE to see a writeup on this maintenance.. :)
 
diverscale said:
what were the symptoms for you to change the solenoids?
Click to expand...

IIRC, I was in the middle of a 1500 mile run and the torque converter started unlocking/locking constantly at highway speeds. Annoying as hell but not the end of the world. Wasn't sure exactly what was causing the TC to lock/unlock repeatedly – until it threw a tranny solenoid code for the TQ. Oh and I also noticed that there was a certain delay in down/up-shifting under certain conditions such as slowing down for a red light and then before coming to a stop, the light turns green and you begin to accelerate but there would be a slight delay before acceleration.

Figured since I was going to replace one solenoid, I would just replace all three while I was up in there at the high milage I was at.

Swapped all three out, cleaned the strainer, pan and magnets then flushed with 16qts Valvoline Maxlife and haven't had any issues since.


Pan and magnets before & after. Note the magnet material after about 350,000 miles. Not too shabby me thinks...



​
 
zazzomicron said:
Was this easy to do? Sometimes mine shudders while shifting and I'm wondering if this would help..
Click to expand...

It's not difficult in the traditional sense. It's just something that can be time consuming and you want to be meticulous when you are doing it.

Pretty sure there should be a write-up on it somewhere.
 
BamaDrewski said:
I have the original A340F transmission in my rig and getting close to that 300K mark. I added and external transmission cooler years ago and bypassed the radiator.

This transmission still shifts smooth as silk - no slipping, no banging, etc. I run Mobil1 Synthetic ATF in it and have since around 120K. I do a four quart "drain and refill" every year. I also put in an inline transmission oil filter several years ago as well and check it/clean it annually.

Anyone else getting this kind of durability out of this transmission? Just curious......
Click to expand...

I have an inline filter also, you clean it instead of replace it? I thought every 30k they should be replaced...
 
BamaDrewski said:
I have the original A340F transmission in my rig and getting close to that 300K mark. I added and external transmission cooler years ago and bypassed the radiator.

This transmission still shifts smooth as silk - no slipping, no banging, etc. I run Mobil1 Synthetic ATF in it and have since around 120K. I do a four quart "drain and refill" every year. I also put in an inline transmission oil filter several years ago as well and check it/clean it annually.

Anyone else getting this kind of durability out of this transmission? Just curious......
Click to expand...

Did you lift your vehicle and increase tire size at any point? I just lifted mine and upgraded to 33's and i'm wondering if that is going to suck any long term life out of them. Hard to imagine it not...
 
StreetCreeper said:
IIRC, I was in the middle of a 1500 mile run and the torque converter started unlocking/locking constantly at highway speeds. Annoying as hell but not the end of the world. Wasn't sure exactly what was causing the TC to lock/unlock repeatedly – until it threw a tranny solenoid code for the TQ. Oh and I also noticed that there was a certain delay in down/up-shifting under certain conditions such as slowing down for a red light and then before coming to a stop, the light turns green and you begin to accelerate but there would be a slight delay before acceleration.

Figured since I was going to replace one solenoid, I would just replace all three while I was up in there at the high milage I was at.

Swapped all three out, cleaned the strainer, pan and magnets then flushed with 16qts Valvoline Maxlife and haven't had any issues since.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Having the same symptoms with mine, except o/d finally completely failed to achieve and that I have a harsh shift going reverse. Solenoidss are already ordered, glad this is probably my fix.
 
I'll play devil's advocate and say no for mine at 125,000, but that is due to the previous owners towing a 20ft boat with OD on all the time for the first 60,000 miles. And this is something I expected in the future back in 2006 when I bought the 4runner.

Aisin makes some great transmissions. I'd probably rank them right behind Allison as far as durability goes.

The OP gets great service out of his due to all the Liqui Moly liquids it has been subjected to over the years.
 
diverscale said:
Thanks. Having the same symptoms with mine, except o/d finally completely failed to achieve and that I have a harsh shift going reverse. Solenoidss are already ordered, glad this is probably my fix.
Click to expand...

I swapped my solenoids out last night and it took a little under 2 hours. I had to keep going back inside my house (I was trying to play hookie from work so I had to take calls) so it took me longer than it should have. The steps are straight forward: drain trans and let it drip for an extra 10-15 mins while you prep, drop the pan bolts (10mm), drop the filter (12mm), unbolt and pull the solenoids (12mm and 8mm), unplug old solenoids, plug in new solenoids and bolt back in, bolt back in filter, clean pan gasket surface, bolt pan back up.

Tips - I found that a dab of orange gasket tube on each corner works great for holding the rubber gasket in place. Be careful with the torque on the bolts - this is aluminum and strips. A roll of paper towels and safety glasses is a good idea because the transmission will drip ATF the whole time you are working on it.
 
tx_shooter said:
I swapped my solenoids out last night and it took a little under 2 hours. I had to keep going back inside my house (I was trying to play hookie from work so I had to take calls) so it took me longer than it should have. The steps are straight forward: drain trans and let it drip for an extra 10-15 mins while you prep, drop the pan bolts (10mm), drop the filter (12mm), unbolt and pull the solenoids (12mm and 8mm), unplug old solenoids, plug in new solenoids and bolt back in, bolt back in filter, clean pan gasket surface, bolt pan back up.

Tips - I found that a dab of orange gasket tube on each corner works great for holding the rubber gasket in place. Be careful with the torque on the bolts - this is aluminum and strips. A roll of paper towels and safety glasses is a good idea because the transmission will drip ATF the whole time you are working on it.
Click to expand...

You can also lay the rubber gasket on the pan and start a few bolts through the pan and gasket. That will hold the gasket in place while your installing the pan.
 
Slap a supercharger on there, and then a smaller pulley, and some meth inj


Damn, i cant find my pic of my trans pan inside paint bubbling from the water that sat in it.
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
tx_shooter said:
I swapped my solenoids out last night and it took a little under 2 hours. I had to keep going back inside my house (I was trying to play hookie from work so I had to take calls) so it took me longer than it should have. The steps are straight forward: drain trans and let it drip for an extra 10-15 mins while you prep, drop the pan bolts (10mm), drop the filter (12mm), unbolt and pull the solenoids (12mm and 8mm), unplug old solenoids, plug in new solenoids and bolt back in, bolt back in filter, clean pan gasket surface, bolt pan back up.

Tips - I found that a dab of orange gasket tube on each corner works great for holding the rubber gasket in place. Be careful with the torque on the bolts - this is aluminum and strips. A roll of paper towels and safety glasses is a good idea because the transmission will drip ATF the whole time you are working on it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick write-up, will save me decrypting the shop manual, and I'll definitely take caution when screwing back those screws.
 
thegipper said:
You can also lay the rubber gasket on the pan and start a few bolts through the pan and gasket. That will hold the gasket in place while your installing the pan.
Click to expand...
Why not use FIPG / RTV like you are supposed to? That way, you can be leak free for another 20 years...

-Charlie
 
My thoughts on the reseal of the pan. Before removing the pan bolts (like 18 of them if I recall) first get a white grease pen and number all the bolts by writing the number next to the bolt on the pan, then get some cardboard and write down 18 numbers in the exact same pattern as the pan bolts. Then as you remove each bolt, poke the bolt through the cardboard next to the appropriate bolt number in the cardboard. This way you can put each bolt back into the exact same spot where you know it fits properly.

As for the gasket itself, yeah Toyota robots might do a great job of applying FIPG, but I'm not a robot and I'm usually stoned – so working with FIPG sealant didn't sound too appealing. I choose to go with a Felpro gasket that was some kind of hybrid material. Anyways, super easy to install and no leaks or issues after 75k. And definitely be exact on the torque values with those bolts.
 
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