tranny problems. bad torque converter?

[johnbyebye]

I'm looking forward to hearing how your used swap in goes. I'm in a similar boat and trying to nail down my game plan.

I found a local shop recommended by a couple people I know. Most of the other local shops wouldn't put a used one in stating "We can't warranty the work since it's used." I'm like, yeah I know, I'm the one who bought the used tranny. Lol. The guy I talked to at the shop seems like a good guy and he said he would inspect the transmission (without disassembling the whole thing) and that he wouldn't put it in if something looks shady. They'll also take care of the old tranny which I didn't want to deal with anyway. They can rebuild it and come out ahead so it works in their favor. They're charging me 700 to swap it in so about 1300 total once all is said and done. That's a heck of a lot better than 3000. If you can do it yourself then you'll save the shop costs. I didn't feel comfortable doing that job myself. Fingers crossed that all ends up well. I'll report back with the conclusion. Should be tomorrow or early next week. It's one of those things where you really hope you made the right choice. :tape: Lol.

 

[thegipper]

Damn...I'm so following this thread...got pink milkshake two weeks ago but my local mechanic opted to do a full tranny flush (50 qts) as he said there wasn't much contamination in there. 120 miles later (knock on wood), still running great but i'm sure i'll be revisiting this issue again. Good to know about not using rebuilts.

Make sure you monitor the fluid for the next few months. I flushed mine after a PMS with gallons and gallons of fluid yet a few months later, the tranny fluid still had coolant in it.

Just make sure you keep an eye on it. Any sign that there is coolant still in it, flush it again....

Then again.....

 

[frodiesel]

Or realize that after all that wasteful flushing you could replace it for a little bit more. And spare the hassle and worry of a future failure from h2o in the trans which breaks down vital clutch band material.

 

[thegipper]

I've spent maybe a hundred dollars on fluid and my tranny still works great. I'd say that is money well spent.

Now people paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars to have it flushed instead of doing it themselves would probably be better off just swapping it out especially if the tranny was already showing signs it was about to shit the bed..

 

[johnbyebye]

I'm looking forward to hearing how your used swap in goes. I'm in a similar boat and trying to nail down my game plan.

I haven't forgotten about this. The wrecking yard delivered the tranny late so my 4runner is still in the shop. Waiting...

 

[Henrymorgan]

95 4runner

I've got a 95 4Runner that seems to be stuck in 4wd low. Would a bad #4 solenoid cause this

 

[thegipper]

I've got a 95 4Runner that seems to be stuck in 4wd low. Would a bad #4 solenoid cause this

This is the 3rd gen section, I would ask in the 2nd gen forum.

I doubt a bad solenoid in the tranny would cause the transfer case to be stuck in 4 low though.

 

[814runner]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I just had my trans go out yesterday. P0770 code for maybe a month, as soon as the code came up I had it checked and immediately did a drain and fill with the trans fluid. The car was running and shifting just fine with no issues. about a week after the drain and fill on a very cold morning heard some crazy whining coming from the transmission - though it was the torque converter. shifted slowly into gear maybe once or twice. the noise went away and once again drove just fine.

Fast forward to yesterday, driving up a mountain road on my way to a meeting when all of a sudden the tach jumps to redline and the transmission temp light comes on. Pullover. let it idle for maybe ten minutes then just shut it off for another ten and checked fluids. Smelled burnt to shit. decided to limp it 3 miles to the place where I needed to be for my meeting. I ended up getting to a family members house that lived nearby and that's where she sits currently. trying to decide what to do with her.

 

[LittleCaesar]

I would look for a used transmission, with only 109k on the 4runner I would think it would have lots of life left in it.

But if uncertainty creeps in as having it as a DD, then fix and sell it, and find something newer.

 

[thegipper]

^This

Find a low mileage used tranny and swap it in. It's a fair amount of work but I was able to swap mine over the course of a week which included removing the good tranny from my 99 donor vehicle. This was all done on my back in my garage with the help of a buddy for a few hours at times.

If you're not up to the task, have a shop do it.

Lot's of life should be left in your 4R with only 109k miles on it.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I just had my trans go out yesterday. P0770 code for maybe a month, as soon as the code came up I had it checked and immediately did a drain and fill with the trans fluid. The car was running and shifting just fine with no issues. about a week after the drain and fill on a very cold morning heard some crazy whining coming from the transmission - though it was the torque converter. shifted slowly into gear maybe once or twice. the noise went away and once again drove just fine.

Fast forward to yesterday, driving up a mountain road on my way to a meeting when all of a sudden the tach jumps to redline and the transmission temp light comes on. Pullover. let it idle for maybe ten minutes then just shut it off for another ten and checked fluids. Smelled burnt to shit. decided to limp it 3 miles to the place where I needed to be for my meeting. I ended up getting to a family members house that lived nearby and that's where she sits currently. trying to decide what to do with her.

109k is unfortunately low for a transmission failure. A used unit should suit you well. 99-00 would be a perfect swap, but any year from 96-02 will work as well.

 

[thegipper]

A 01/02 tranny won't work in his 00. The 96-00 tranny's have a kick down cable and the 01/02 do not.

The valve body on the 96-98 is different than the 99-00 but will still work fine. I put a 99 tranny in my 97 and everything works fine without modification.

 

[Wrencher93]

Ok so I realize this thread has been quiet for a couple months but I have recently had a mild whine coming from my 2001 SR5 and based on all the reading I have done and what recent maintenance has been done on the vehicle, I am beginning to suspect that the noise could be the beginning of the end for my transmission or at least parts of it. I have 304k on the vehicle and the previous owner had some transmission work done somewhere around 260k. ...all that being said, here's my question: what exactly is the difference between a "rebuilt" tranny and a "remanufactured" one? I know there was talk about how a rebuilt unit wouldn't last long/do very well and to stay away from them. I assume by "rebuilt" you mean "opened up and had broken parts reolaced" and by "remanufactured" they are implying "completely taken apart, cleaned up, and rebuilt with brand new internals"? Some insight on this would be very helpful because my transmission going out would mean taking a hard look at letting the runner go if I can't find a replacement option I have faith in. Can't afford to drop $3000 unless I am rock solid about the tranny lasting as long as I'll have it.

 

[thegipper]

To me, rebuilt is you giving your transmission to a shop and they rebuild it (replace all worn parts etc).

A re-manufactured tranny is just a tranny that was rebuilt but it is not the one that is giving you trouble.

The general consensus on here is that rebuilt/reman's are usually not a good idea unless you buy a reman from Toyota. Many of the aftermarket tranny's do not hold up.

If I was going to buy reman tranny, it would have to be one from Toyota.

In your situation, I would swap in a used tranny. These transmission are very strong and very reliable in general. If you can find a good used one, with relatively low miles, I would go that route.

You can usually find a good used tranny with relatively low miles for under 800 bucks. If you are somewhat handy with tools, you can swap it yourself in a weekend with a helper. A tranny jack will be needed which you can rent/borrow or just buy.

 

[SilverRidgeRunner1]

Hey everybody,
So i have a 2002 4runner 4×4 ltd, 165,xxx miles, A340f transmission, mostly stock, and im starting to have trouble with my transmission and i believe my torque converter is to blame. Symptoms are loss of power and acceleration at low speeds, trembling when the tc (torque converter) tries to lock up, and cel with a p0770 code- shift solenoid E failure (lock up solenoid) which i just replaced about a month ago. So my question is should i just get my tc replaced and transmission flushed ($1,000), or should i get my tranny rebuilt($3,000). Has anybody here had there tc replaced independent of your tranny? What was your experience? Did it work? How much did it cost? Any info, experiences, or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thank you.
~ Raymond

I had my trans rebuilt and it has never been better but if I was to do it all over again I would replace it with a lower mile trans... I dropped $3500 on the rebuild...

 

[erikw9]

I ended up going with the remanufactured route since i wasn't able to find a good used option and was limited on time. Besides the price it's worked out great. I had it done at a place with a good reputation than a couple of my family members had dealt with and had good success.

 

[NYState4Runner]

Reviving old thread! I am replacing the torque converter in my 2000 limited 4x4 with e locker; what torque converter should be purchased; 20 spline or 26 spline? ))

 

[Bad Luck]

Reviving old thread! I am replacing the torque converter in my 2000 limited 4x4 with e locker; what torque converter should be purchased; 20 spline or 26 spline? ))

20 spline for 3.4L or 26 spline for 2.7L

 

[NYState4Runner]

20 spline for 3.4L or 26 spline for 2.7L

Thank You Sir!! That was the hardest thing to find out, so much conflicting info...