Transmission replacement - options?

[TurkVU]

Got the call from the shop on Tuesday morning, they were taking it out for a test drive! Picked the old girl up Tuesday evening, gave her a welcome home bath yesterday and drove around a bit - all seems to be in solid working order, the transmission hasn't felt so firm in years.

Thanks all here for the helpful comments and advice!

 

[spartacus]

Glad all is well. Used A340F used transmissions are a good value.

 

[FD7683]

I've heard nothing but good things about junkyard transmissions for the 3rd gen.

 

[Cree]

I've heard nothing but good things about junkyard transmissions for the 3rd gen.

It's rare that they have issues outside of getting milkshaked.

 

[stangman39]

Replying to this older thread since I'm new here and am not allow to post my own new thread yet!

I’ve had my ‘00 (Sr5 2wd auto trans) since 2005 and it has 305k on it. It’s been great and is still my daily driver, it’s like an old buddy haha

I’ve had the trans flushed twice over the years. About a month ago the 3rd shift hesitated and slammed into gear. Had never done that before. After I noticed a low whine when it got into the 3rd shift (usually around 35-40mph in normal driving). Fluid looked fine. The hard shift didn’t occur again for about 2 weeks and that day it happen happened a few times.
Took it to a local import shop and they said can’t do much now unless I want to have the trans rebuilt for around $3500. They didn’t drop the pan or inspect much. They did say the throttle cable was loose and tightened up.
The whine has become a bit worse after the 3rd shift point.

I did some searching and it seems could be the planetary gears or torque converter? Is there a chance once of the shift solenoids is going bad and that could be replaced to save a full trans replacement or rebuild?
Any advice or just keep driving it till it become hard or unsafe to drive?

Thanks!

 

[gamefreakgc]

Replying to this older thread since I'm new here and am not allow to post my own new thread yet!

I’ve had my ‘00 (Sr5 2wd auto trans) since 2005 and it has 305k on it. It’s been great and is still my daily driver, it’s like an old buddy haha

I’ve had the trans flushed twice over the years. About a month ago the 3rd shift hesitated and slammed into gear. Had never done that before. After I noticed a low whine when it got into the 3rd shift (usually around 35-40mph in normal driving). Fluid looked fine. The hard shift didn’t occur again for about 2 weeks and that day it happen happened a few times.
Took it to a local import shop and they said can’t do much now unless I want to have the trans rebuilt for around $3500. They didn’t drop the pan or inspect much. They did say the throttle cable was loose and tightened up.
The whine has become a bit worse after the 3rd shift point.

I did some searching and it seems could be the planetary gears or torque converter? Is there a chance once of the shift solenoids is going bad and that could be replaced to save a full trans replacement or rebuild?
Any advice or just keep driving it till it become hard or unsafe to drive?

Thanks!

Keep driving it as there's little risk of it leaving you stranded. If it is indeed a transmission failure it'll just start to shift worse and worse until it doesn't shift at all. You will know when you get to that point.

I would not bother trying a torque converter replacement as if it were the TC you would have problem in every RPM range not just 3rd gear. My TC failed along with the transmission last year and the symptoms were not what you describe. Plus it's the exact same amount of work and labor to replace the torque converter as it is the entire transmission. If you are DIY'er, I was able to source a $600 transmission with 183K miles on it and install it myself along with fluids, filters and seals for just over $1200. That included buying a transmission jack which is necessary for the job.

To comment on the shift solenoid, they are a simple ON/OFF switch. If they fail and don't turn on it throws a code.

 

[stangman39]

Gamefreakgc, thanks!

I’m a bit of a DIYer so I can probably swap one myself or watch YouTube

 

[brillo_76]

Yes, lots of videos oyr there for changing transmissions. I already changed an engine and transmission in one. It's not horrible it just takes time. I am sure you can do it.

Just make sure when changing the TC and transmission. That TC is fully in before putting the bell housing bolts in. Verify that the flex plate can move independently from the TC.

Sent from my SM-A536V using Tapatalk

 

[mtbtim]

Gamefreakgc, thanks!

I’m a bit of a DIYer so I can probably swap one myself or watch YouTube

I suggest watching YouTube. We've already done the heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is follow along and get it done.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oZDSjlxl2Q4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O4GA3UhPC5Y" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T4YY3IfnzaQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[ninethings]

Bumping this rather than starting a new thread


After a bunch of research, posts, searching, and throwing hundreds at repairs that didn't remedy my issue I've come to the conclusion my overdrive planetary gear is going bad. Loud chatter when in overdrive between 30-40mph. No vibrations, just a light metal chattering sound that goes away as soon as the trans downshifts or I disengage OD. Fluid was flushed a year and a half ago and still appears clean and glitter free (though I haven't dropped the pan)


My question is: has anyone had experience with these reman'd transmissions?

Toyota A340F Transmission For Sale, Rebuild

Seems like a decent build, cheaper than the dealer remans and maybe a little more peace of mind than a junkyard pull. I'm aware I'd have to confirm compatibility with the 02' and its specifics, which I have not done (so maybe this is a moot post!)

So right now its basically between saving up for this reman'd unit or scouring for low mileage '01-'02 junkyard pulls.

Kind of wish I'd realized what the problem was sooner rather than dropping close to a grand on other things (loads of bushings, new CV's, lbj's, tie rods, ecgs bushing, etc) but theres some solace in knowing that stuff is sorted.


I know basically everyone swears by low-er mileage junkyard pulls, just want to see if anyone has gone this other route. The route between the junkyard and the dealership, if you will

 

[gamefreakgc]

Bumping this rather than starting a new thread


After a bunch of research, posts, searching, and throwing hundreds at repairs that didn't remedy my issue I've come to the conclusion my overdrive planetary gear is going bad. Loud chatter when in overdrive between 30-40mph. No vibrations, just a light metal chattering sound that goes away as soon as the trans downshifts or I disengage OD. Fluid was flushed a year and a half ago and still appears clean and glitter free (though I haven't dropped the pan)


My question is: has anyone had experience with these reman'd transmissions?


Toyota A340F Transmission For Sale, Rebuild

Seems like a decent build, cheaper than the dealer remans and maybe a little more peace of mind than a junkyard pull. I'm aware I'd have to confirm compatibility with the 02' and its specifics, which I have not done (so maybe this is a moot post!)

So right now its basically between saving up for this reman'd unit or scouring for low mileage '01-'02 junkyard pulls.

Kind of wish I'd realized what the problem was sooner rather than dropping close to a grand on other things (loads of bushings, new CV's, lbj's, tie rods, ecgs bushing, etc) but theres some solace in knowing that stuff is sorted.


I know basically everyone swears by low-er mileage junkyard pulls, just want to see if anyone has gone this other route. The route between the junkyard and the dealership, if you will

I looked at all sorts of transmission and options last year (although I have a 98 which has a slightly more reliable transmission). The part that always kept me from going with these sorts of shops is the warranty. I saw this company but did not choose them because of their warranty policy. It says 3 years warranty but if something goes wrong I'd still be on the hook for labor costs even though they say they cover it. From the warranty section:

"Book times are pro-rated and have a maximum labor rate of $50.00 per hr.
Work may only be completed by a certified shop."

Around here, a certified transmission shop charges $150.00 per hour so I'd be paying $100.00 per hour for a replacement or repair if I had to make a warranty claim, PLUS having to pay $2400 + shipping + tax. Just too spendy for my budget so I went with a $600 out to the door price for a junkyard unit. One year later and I'm pretty happy with that decision. I realize with every passing month that option is getting harder as there are fewer and fewer good units left.

 

[diverscale]

Bumping this rather than starting a new thread


After a bunch of research, posts, searching, and throwing hundreds at repairs that didn't remedy my issue I've come to the conclusion my overdrive planetary gear is going bad. Loud chatter when in overdrive between 30-40mph. No vibrations, just a light metal chattering sound that goes away as soon as the trans downshifts or I disengage OD. Fluid was flushed a year and a half ago and still appears clean and glitter free (though I haven't dropped the pan)


My question is: has anyone had experience with these reman'd transmissions?

Toyota A340F Transmission For Sale, Rebuild

Seems like a decent build, cheaper than the dealer remans and maybe a little more peace of mind than a junkyard pull. I'm aware I'd have to confirm compatibility with the 02' and its specifics, which I have not done (so maybe this is a moot post!)

So right now its basically between saving up for this reman'd unit or scouring for low mileage '01-'02 junkyard pulls.

Kind of wish I'd realized what the problem was sooner rather than dropping close to a grand on other things (loads of bushings, new CV's, lbj's, tie rods, ecgs bushing, etc) but theres some solace in knowing that stuff is sorted.


I know basically everyone swears by low-er mileage junkyard pulls, just want to see if anyone has gone this other route. The route between the junkyard and the dealership, if you will

If you think or find that your transmission needs replacing, I personally went with a used one back in 2016, high mileage from florida, cheap. I am touching wood, but the thing is flawless and the truck has been adding a lot and lot of miles since then.

I'd guess the used transmission for the 3rd gen are quite ''cheap'' (post covid cheap...), so if you are in to do the job, it could be a very economical and long term swap, with the mtbtim videos, you got a shop manual on steroid. Get a 250$ transmission jack from harbor freight that you can sell back for 100$ and you're ready.

 

[TraditionalTanner]

Hello friends. I have a 97 4runner 3.4l auto trans that has been in the family and has made wonderful family memories across the u.s. about a year ago my trans cooler unit failed and it backflushed trans fluid into my coolant and vice versa. It was an on the side of the road, thousands of miles away from the home repair. After about $600 worth of trans fluid, the tranny was flushed out and I installed a new radiator(trans cooler is permanently attached to the bottom of it). No issues, drove excellent. After arriving home after some time had a CEL light come on, ran it and it was throwing a code for a shift solenoid. Asked a good mechanic friend and he said if it wasnt causing any issues, just keep rolling. Work was busy and like a fool I continued on. Fast forward a year and I am heading down the interstate a few weeks back(solenoid light still on) and the tranny feels like its slipping. A little later into the trip I see a auto trans temp warning light come on with the strong smell of trans fluid. I want sure exactly how long that light was on in that few hour trip as I had a photo placed on the dash and it wasnt until I smelled the transmission fluid that I removed the photo as I had a gut feeling it had a light on
I immediately pulled over off the highway and met her cool down. I was 4 miles away from my destination. After a length of time permitted for cooling I proceeded down the highway until I arrived at my destination, allowing her to cool off again. On the trip home the a/t temp light never dis come back on but the strong smell of tranny fluid was prevalent with the slippage feel if I really stepped into it. I usually do my own repairs unless I am super busy with work and at the present moment I happen to be in the event I take it to a trusted mechanic. He is booked out like 2-3 months so I took it to a secondary mechanic(dont know a ton about him but hear good things). He said we can throw a new solenoid kit in($450), new ATF fluid and a new seal for $675. But he later got ahold of me and said the ATF fluid was black and smelled burnt. I will testify and say that the ATF fluid probably needed replacing prior to all this occurring. We were going to replace it anyways when we got home after our trip where the trans cooler unit failed but work picked up. My question is, do I go ahead and swap out the solenoids, hoping it will be a remedy or replace the entire trans with a used one pulled from a salvage yard?The mechanic the 4runner is at thinks the transmission MIGHT be bad based solely on the burnt smell of the ATF on the dipstick and the black coloration of the liquid. Please, any feedback would be much appreciated.

 

[spartacus]

Hello friends. I have a 97 4runner 3.4l auto trans that has been in the family and has made wonderful family memories across the u.s. about a year ago my trans cooler unit failed and it backflushed trans fluid into my coolant and vice versa. It was an on the side of the road, thousands of miles away from the home repair. After about $600 worth of trans fluid, the tranny was flushed out and I installed a new radiator(trans cooler is permanently attached to the bottom of it). No issues, drove excellent. After arriving home after some time had a CEL light come on, ran it and it was throwing a code for a shift solenoid. Asked a good mechanic friend and he said if it wasnt causing any issues, just keep rolling. Work was busy and like a fool I continued on. Fast forward a year and I am heading down the interstate a few weeks back(solenoid light still on) and the tranny feels like its slipping. A little later into the trip I see a auto trans temp warning light come on with the strong smell of trans fluid. I want sure exactly how long that light was on in that few hour trip as I had a photo placed on the dash and it wasnt until I smelled the transmission fluid that I removed the photo as I had a gut feeling it had a light on
I immediately pulled over off the highway and met her cool down. I was 4 miles away from my destination. After a length of time permitted for cooling I proceeded down the highway until I arrived at my destination, allowing her to cool off again. On the trip home the a/t temp light never dis come back on but the strong smell of tranny fluid was prevalent with the slippage feel if I really stepped into it. I usually do my own repairs unless I am super busy with work and at the present moment I happen to be in the event I take it to a trusted mechanic. He is booked out like 2-3 months so I took it to a secondary mechanic(dont know a ton about him but hear good things). He said we can throw a new solenoid kit in($450), new ATF fluid and a new seal for $675. But he later got ahold of me and said the ATF fluid was black and smelled burnt. I will testify and say that the ATF fluid probably needed replacing prior to all this occurring. We were going to replace it anyways when we got home after our trip where the trans cooler unit failed but work picked up. My question is, do I go ahead and swap out the solenoids, hoping it will be a remedy or replace the entire trans with a used one pulled from a salvage yard?The mechanic the 4runner is at thinks the transmission MIGHT be bad based solely on the burnt smell of the ATF on the dipstick and the black coloration of the liquid. Please, any feedback would be much appreciated.

Replace it with one from a salvage yard.

 

[Bad Luck]

Hello friends. I have a 97 4runner 3.4l auto trans that has been in the family and has made wonderful family memories across the u.s. about a year ago my trans cooler unit failed and it backflushed trans fluid into my coolant and vice versa. It was an on the side of the road, thousands of miles away from the home repair. After about $600 worth of trans fluid, the tranny was flushed out and I installed a new radiator(trans cooler is permanently attached to the bottom of it). No issues, drove excellent. After arriving home after some time had a CEL light come on, ran it and it was throwing a code for a shift solenoid. Asked a good mechanic friend and he said if it wasnt causing any issues, just keep rolling. Work was busy and like a fool I continued on. Fast forward a year and I am heading down the interstate a few weeks back(solenoid light still on) and the tranny feels like its slipping. A little later into the trip I see a auto trans temp warning light come on with the strong smell of trans fluid. I want sure exactly how long that light was on in that few hour trip as I had a photo placed on the dash and it wasnt until I smelled the transmission fluid that I removed the photo as I had a gut feeling it had a light on
I immediately pulled over off the highway and met her cool down. I was 4 miles away from my destination. After a length of time permitted for cooling I proceeded down the highway until I arrived at my destination, allowing her to cool off again. On the trip home the a/t temp light never dis come back on but the strong smell of tranny fluid was prevalent with the slippage feel if I really stepped into it. I usually do my own repairs unless I am super busy with work and at the present moment I happen to be in the event I take it to a trusted mechanic. He is booked out like 2-3 months so I took it to a secondary mechanic(dont know a ton about him but hear good things). He said we can throw a new solenoid kit in($450), new ATF fluid and a new seal for $675. But he later got ahold of me and said the ATF fluid was black and smelled burnt. I will testify and say that the ATF fluid probably needed replacing prior to all this occurring. We were going to replace it anyways when we got home after our trip where the trans cooler unit failed but work picked up. My question is, do I go ahead and swap out the solenoids, hoping it will be a remedy or replace the entire trans with a used one pulled from a salvage yard?The mechanic the 4runner is at thinks the transmission MIGHT be bad based solely on the burnt smell of the ATF on the dipstick and the black coloration of the liquid. Please, any feedback would be much appreciated.

Replace it. 1996-2000 4wd will interchange but transfer your transmission pan/dipstick over

 

[shadow247]

Replace it. 1996-2000 4wd will interchange but transfer your transmission pan/dipstick over

You can also make a 01-02 trans work.

Just have to swap the kickdown cable mechanism, and a few other parts. A friend of mine put a 1997 4x4 trans, in a 2001 for a 4x4 conversion.

 

[gamefreakgc]

Hello friends. I have a 97 4runner 3.4l auto trans that has been in the family and has made wonderful family memories across the u.s. about a year ago my trans cooler unit failed and it backflushed trans fluid into my coolant and vice versa. It was an on the side of the road, thousands of miles away from the home repair. After about $600 worth of trans fluid, the tranny was flushed out and I installed a new radiator(trans cooler is permanently attached to the bottom of it). No issues, drove excellent. After arriving home after some time had a CEL light come on, ran it and it was throwing a code for a shift solenoid. Asked a good mechanic friend and he said if it wasnt causing any issues, just keep rolling. Work was busy and like a fool I continued on. Fast forward a year and I am heading down the interstate a few weeks back(solenoid light still on) and the tranny feels like its slipping. A little later into the trip I see a auto trans temp warning light come on with the strong smell of trans fluid. I want sure exactly how long that light was on in that few hour trip as I had a photo placed on the dash and it wasnt until I smelled the transmission fluid that I removed the photo as I had a gut feeling it had a light on
I immediately pulled over off the highway and met her cool down. I was 4 miles away from my destination. After a length of time permitted for cooling I proceeded down the highway until I arrived at my destination, allowing her to cool off again. On the trip home the a/t temp light never dis come back on but the strong smell of tranny fluid was prevalent with the slippage feel if I really stepped into it. I usually do my own repairs unless I am super busy with work and at the present moment I happen to be in the event I take it to a trusted mechanic. He is booked out like 2-3 months so I took it to a secondary mechanic(dont know a ton about him but hear good things). He said we can throw a new solenoid kit in($450), new ATF fluid and a new seal for $675. But he later got ahold of me and said the ATF fluid was black and smelled burnt. I will testify and say that the ATF fluid probably needed replacing prior to all this occurring. We were going to replace it anyways when we got home after our trip where the trans cooler unit failed but work picked up. My question is, do I go ahead and swap out the solenoids, hoping it will be a remedy or replace the entire trans with a used one pulled from a salvage yard?The mechanic the 4runner is at thinks the transmission MIGHT be bad based solely on the burnt smell of the ATF on the dipstick and the black coloration of the liquid. Please, any feedback would be much appreciated.

Try just replacing the fluids first, it could be all it needs. At best this will just buy time as with the coolant mix AND burnt fluid the transmission is probably toast and needs replacing.

 

[Erjar]

Sorry to necro an old thread, but I can't make my own posts yet.
Got a 3rd gen 02 4Runner that was running and driving, but started throwing a CEL for shift solenoids. Dropped the pan to change solenoids and found an egregious amount of metal bits in it. Cleaned it out and swapped the solenoids knowing it was only a matter of time before it completely grenaded. That time came 2 months later, so now I'm looking for a boneyard trans. Everything around me that's got decently low miles is $1200 or higher plus shipping. My question is would the A340F from the 1st gen Sequoia be an option? They're plentiful and cheap here with low miles. I know the bellhousing pattern is different, and I read somewhere that you can swap it since everything past the bellhousing is the same. I've been trying to find some solid info on if it's possible to do this, and what all I would need. I'm just not having any luck finding a writeup on it. If anyone could give me some solid info or a link to a writeup I'd appreciate it!

 

[Bad Luck]

Sorry to necro an old thread, but I can't make my own posts yet.
Got a 3rd gen 02 4Runner that was running and driving, but started throwing a CEL for shift solenoids. Dropped the pan to change solenoids and found an egregious amount of metal bits in it. Cleaned it out and swapped the solenoids knowing it was only a matter of time before it completely grenaded. That time came 2 months later, so now I'm looking for a boneyard trans. Everything around me that's got decently low miles is $1200 or higher plus shipping. My question is would the A340F from the 1st gen Sequoia be an option? They're plentiful and cheap here with low miles. I know the bellhousing pattern is different, and I read somewhere that you can swap it since everything past the bellhousing is the same. I've been trying to find some solid info on if it's possible to do this, and what all I would need. I'm just not having any luck finding a writeup on it. If anyone could give me some solid info or a link to a writeup I'd appreciate it!

You'll need a different torque converter, pump, and bell housing. I wouldn't recommend using any of the parts from your current transmission to make it work. If you haven't already try checking car-part.com and call your local LKQ. Good luck!

 

[Erjar]

You'll need a different torque converter, pump, and bell housing. I wouldn't recommend using any of the parts from your current transmission to make it work. If you haven't already try checking car-part.com and call your local LKQ. Good luck!

That's kind of what I expected. I read that the Sequoia and Runner had different spline counts on the converter. Car-part is where I've been looking. Closest good one to me is $1600+shipping. With 105K on it. But was able to find a Sequoia one with similar miles for $650. That's what sparked the idea of swapping parts. Thanks for the answer, I appreciate it