Okay folks need an honest opinion.

D

dl1911

New member
Here is what I got. 98 4runner 190k miles. Suffered pink milk shake. Caught relatively early. Replaced radiator and flushed transmission 3 times with new fluid. Tranny has been shifting fine until the other day. Threw P0753 code and went into safe mode. I pulled tranny pan and checked seloniod No. 1. Ohm reading was 12.7. Pulled the seloniod and checked with 12 volts and it is clicking fine.
My dilema is this:
Should I buy a new seloniod for $150.00 and refill tranny. Hope for the best
Or:
Buy a salvage yard transmission with 150k for $350.00 and just replace it?
What Im wondering is the percentages of trannies that have survived after pink milk shake.
Honest opinions please. I dont need any smart comments as my patience is at its end.
Thank you all in advance.
 
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dl1911 said:
Here is what I got. 98 4runner 190k miles. Suffered pink milk shake. Caught relatively early. Replaced radiator and flushed transmission 3 times with new fluid. Tranny has been shifting fine until the other day. Threw P0753 code and went into safe mode. I pulled tranny pan and checked seloniod No. 1. Ohm reading was 12.7. Pulled the seloniod and checked with 12 volts and it is clicking fine.
My dilema is this:
Should I buy a new seloniod for $150.00 and refill tranny. Hope for the best
Or:
Buy a salvage yard transmission with 150k for $350.00 and just replace it?
What Im wondering is the percentages of trannies that have survived after pink milk shake.
Honest opinions please. I dont need any smart comments as my patience is at its end.
Thank you all in advance.
Click to expand...


I would keep looking for a lower mileage tranny.
 
From what I've seen with other members with the pink milkshake issue, most of them can be stretched a bit longer with just the flush but it's only a matter of time before it completely fails. Used tranny is what I would do, if you have the means to install one. If not, you have to factor in labor.
 
Sorry about your frustration. If you did a full tranny flush after not having regular flushes every 30K you probably dislodged some gunk that has been keeping your tranny together over the past 190K. If that's the case everything I've read about these tranny's it's only a matter of time before it eventually fails.

If you can park your rig for a while and use a different car I would consider getting a remanufactured (not rebuilt) one from a trusted source such as IPT rather than the salvage yard. Way too many unknowns for me in a salvage yard tranny.

  • Replace solenoid is a band aid at best and will carry you for a while
  • Salvage yard tranny - crapshoot as to the care or lack of care taken
  • Remanufactured (not rebuilt) one - these are like brand new transmissions with a 2-3 year warranty

Someone who had the milkshake and still has the same tranny needs to chime in here for you. For me I would park my rig and get a remanufactured transmission.
 
The problem with a salvage yard part, is that it's history is completely unknown. A transmission found there, could have also suffered the pink milk shake.

I'd be inclined to go with a quality rebuilt trans.
 
Keep em coming guys I appreciate it.

I am a huge Toyota fan and love all my trucks. If I do change trannies I will do myself as I have done swaps before.

I would love to buy a reman tranny but funds dont permit.
 
Rusted frames are all around you

NE Ohio is ground zero for frame rust - find low mileage one on craigslist that won't pass inspection, buy it for cheap and swap the tranny. Maybe you'll find some other parts on it you'd want/need before you part it out or sell it to the salvage yard.
 
With the history of milkshake, I wouldn't put any more money into your existing trans unless it's a full rebuild at a shop you trust. If you're in a hurry to get back on the road, I'd grab the cheapest used trans you can find, throw it on, and then you'll have bought time to figure out what the permanent fix is.

Scanning car-part.com for your area, $350 for that miles is pretty good.
 
Well folks it looks like Im going to just cut my losses and go with a salvage tranny. Found one about 70 miles away with 136k on it for $300 with a 90 day warranty.

Thank you all for the opinions. It is greatly appreciated.
 
dl1911 said:
Well folks it looks like Im going to just cut my losses and go with a salvage tranny. Found one about 70 miles away with 136k on it for $300 with a 90 day warranty.

Thank you all for the opinions. It is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

Get the torque converter to go with it! Don't use your old torque converter with a different transmission. I'd also snag the transfer case while you're at it. Try to keep as much as you can from the same vehicle.
 
Last edited:
Rock_Rat said:
Someone who had the milkshake and still has the same tranny needs to chime in here for you. For me I would park my rig and get a remanufactured transmission.
Click to expand...

I had the milkshake about two months ago. The 4Runner is my Sunday driver for the moment so it doesn't get a lot of miles. I noticed it acting funny on the way to a friend's house (about 2 miles away) and noticed a little bit of coolant on the ground when I got there. The coolant level didn't look too bad and was still clear and red, so I turned around and took it home. By the time I got there it had mixed into the milkshake, so at most maybe 1.5 miles driven in that condition. I had it towed in, new radiator and a trans flush. I've gone through a tank of gas since, so 300 miles give or take, and it feels great and is shifting smoothly. That's my experience so far.

Unfortunately, if yours has acted up since flushing it you're probably not in the same boat. [emoji20]
 
Just finished swapping a used tranny in my 2k this past weekend. Glad I did it. Did it with the help of my wife. Not fun, but gratifying. Bought the truck last year with the pink milkshake. Paid 1400 dollars for it, drove it for a year. To this day I only have about 2500 in it.
 
dl1911 said:
Well folks it looks like Im going to just cut my losses and go with a salvage tranny. Found one about 70 miles away with 136k on it for $300 with a 90 day warranty.

Thank you all for the opinions. It is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

I'm in centeral Ohio...just wondering where you found your used trans at? Not having any issues, but it's good to know of places. Thank you.

Let us know how your install goes and the follow-up. Hope it works out well for you!

- Russel
 
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