Transmission Failure Help

[gmcmanus663]

Well yesterday morning while driving my temporary 1998 4runner 2wd on the highway, around 65 mph I started to get an odd rattling noise that sounded like it was coming from the transmission. The truck seemed to drive fine. I was dropping a friend off at an airport 70 miles from my school, and on my way back at low speeds it felt like it was slipping, but once on the highway and for the rest of the journey it was okay as I made it back okay.

Fast forward to later than night I was in the lot looking around under the truck for anything obvious, leaks or something that could be causing the sound I was getting. Everything looked normal. I started the truck and the noise was still pretty bad. I quickly got under the truck while it was running to check around and the noise seemed like it was coming from the front of the transmission. While under there though it got significantly quieter, and almost went away. Because the truck drove normally on the second part of my journey earlier that morning I decided to take it around the block to narrow down what was happening (what my symptoms, if any at this point besides the noise were)

The drive started fine, shifted normally and the noise was gone. Got it up to speed, about 40 and 4th gear. When I made a U-turn to head back things changed. It started slipping pretty badly, so I did my best to be extremely gentle and just put the hazards on and go slow for the half a mile ride back to the parking lot. Unfortunately it gave up and quick to the point where it would barely go 5 mph and pretty much just revved and grabbed a little bit. I called a friend to pull me back.

So I'm no expert but it seems like this transmission is toast. The truck has 281k and had the pink milkshake when I got it over 10k ago, but when I fixed it initially and up to this point it shifted great with no issues whatsoever. What I am trying to figure out is if maybe the problem is just a torque converter or the entire trans itself. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the trans itself. That being said I know I can source a junkyard trans for around $135 from the local LKQ junkyard with a DOA warranty. However I have never pulled a trans, and not on a 3rd gen.

Has anyone pulled a trans out of a 3rd gen that could give me some advice/ steps on how to. This being a 2wd I would imagine is a bit easier but either way. Is it as simple as undoing all the electrical connections, cooler lines, shift linkage, driveshaft and bell housing bolts. I'm sure I'm missing stuff here so any advice is greatly appreciated. I know I could take it to a shop and have them fix my trans or put a rebuilt trans in but I simply don't have that kind of money being in college 900 miles from home.

Again any help is greatly appreciated

 

[johnbyebye]

I bought a used trans with 130k on it and had a shop swap it in for me. I did not have the tools, time, or venue to do it myself. I wasn't about to do it in the rainy season on a gravel driveway with jackstands. $1200 total once all was said and done. A rebuild in my area was $3000 but I've heard these trannys don't do well with rebuilds.

Swapping one isn't necessarily hard but it helps to have an extra set of hands for maneuvering things around.

 

[gmcmanus663]

I bought a used trans with 130k on it and had a shop swap it in for me. I did not have the tools, time, or venue to do it myself. I wasn't about to do it in the rainy season on a gravel driveway with jackstands. $1200 total once all was said and done. A rebuild in my area was $3000 but I've heard these trannys don't do well with rebuilds.

Swapping one isn't necessarily hard but it helps to have an extra set of hands for maneuvering things around.

Do you mind me asking what the breakdown of your costs were, like what your trans cost itself was and how much the shop charged you for the install?

 

[johnbyebye]

Do you mind me asking what the breakdown of your costs were, like what your trans cost itself was and how much the shop charged you for the install?

650 for the transmission and 700 for the install. Apparently I can't add today. That's 1350, not 1200. Lol.

 

[gmcmanus663]

650 for the transmission and 700 for the install. Apparently I can't add today. That's 1350, not 1200. Lol.

Either way I appreciate it, thanks a lot.

Has anyone done this job themselves?

 

[mtbtim]

Either way I appreciate it, thanks a lot.

Has anyone done this job themselves?

[MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I will be pulling the transfer case and transmission on his rig in a few days. We will video it but we probably won't have the video ready for at least a couple weeks so I don't know if that will help you out much if you need to get your rig running as soon as possible.

 

[thegipper]

First and foremost, your tranny has probably shit the bed but I do have a couple questions for you.

Have you checked the fluid? What does it look like?

You said you had a PMS about 10k miles ago, I'm assuming you flushed it? If so, how many times?

Have you kept an eye on the fluid since the PMS?

Thanks

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[gmcmanus663]

[MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I will be pulling the transfer case and transmission on his rig in a few days. We will video it but we probably won't have the video ready for at least a couple weeks so I don't know if that will help you out much if you need to get your rig running as soon as possible.

Hey I've seen your videos and they're super awesome and helpful. And yeah I am trying to get it fixed as soon as possible since I'm in school in Daytona Beach, FL and live in Baltimore, MD. Ideally I need to get this thing fixed before mid March to drive it back home. My only problem is work-space right now as it is stranded in a gravel parking lot right now. I may be able to get it to a friends house to work on it but I need to have a gameplan and know what I'm doing before I take it anywhere to work on it.

 

[gmcmanus663]

First and foremost, your tranny has probably shit the bed but I do have a couple questions for you.

Have you checked the fluid? What does it look like?

You said you had a PMS about 10k miles ago, I'm assuming you flushed it? If so, how many times?

Have you kept an eye on the fluid since the PMS?

Thanks

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Fluid is at the appropriate level and I wouldn't say its the cleanest, but it still has a red tint to it. My brother is a tech at Lexus and we flushed it several times using their professional machine after the PMS fix. And yes I have kept my eye on the fluid and everything has seemed normal with it since then. I think the mileage and also any damage that may have occurred before the PO sold it is when the PMS happened is the culprit here.

 

[thegipper]

Yeah that mileage plus a PMS usually ends bad.

Good luck with the swap, it shouldn't be too bad.

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[gmcmanus663]

Yeah that mileage plus a PMS usually ends bad.

Good luck with the swap, it shouldn't be too bad.

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Thanks, I sure hope so. It being 2wd should help. I'm still searching for any sort of write-up on its removal. I'm also going to get in contact with my brother because he has access to TIS being at Lexus.

 

[dhphamqc]

Download the the full service manual. Shows you what to do. I just took my 2wd tranny out and swapped in a 4wd tranny. Its not too bad. Is easier if you have tranny jack.

 

[gmcmanus663]

Bumping this thread with another question. I found a guy who restores and builds third gens near me that has plenty of third gen parts. I called him up about a 2wd trans and he said doesn't have any out of a 4runner, but he does have a 2wd trans from a sequoia. I know they are the same "code" transmission (A340E) so I assume that the insides and all are the same. Correct me if I am wrong.

My question is this, would it be possible to use a sequoia 2wd trans with my 4runner? I know the bell housings are most certainly different, but could they be swapped? I don't know if our trucks have bolt on bell housings. This has been my only good lead on a transmission with low miles (120k) and a great price.

Any help is appreciated, Thanks

 

[phattyduck]

In this case, it won't work. You have cable-actuated line pressure on the '98 trans and the Sequoia will have electrically operated line pressure. If that wasn't a problem, you have to swap bell housings and a few other parts off the front of the trans (torque converter, pump, and some other stuff).

-Charlie

 

[gmcmanus663]

In this case, it won't work. You have cable-actuated line pressure on the '98 trans and the Sequoia will have electrically operated line pressure. If that wasn't a problem, you have to swap bell housings and a few other parts off the front of the trans (torque converter, pump, and some other stuff).

-Charlie

Ahh okay thanks. I just found a trans out of a 97 2wd that I am going to pick up. I think it makes sense to put a new torque converter in while we're in there. Does anyone have any recommendations for where to/ what brand to buy?