Lastat

02 4 Runner with 68k, the dealership wants $3200 for a factory rebuilt trany. The Transmission shop has it apart with the OD gears in a pile of shavings($700 for the OD gears) and is estimating a grand total of $2200-2600 for the rebuild. i found a 02 Runner trany w/ 25k on it, so with some mechanical knowledge can an average Joe install this trany. Or should I stick withe the rebuild?? Any help with trany info or grammer is accepted with thanks!!

rimpainter.com

Can you explain to us why an 02 4Runner's toasted tranny is not under the powertrain warranty please?

Lastat

68,000 is over the 60,000 mile warranty

rimpainter.com

Well including that in your original post would have been helpful....

That's a bunch of crap for the tranny to go out at 68K. Unless you were towing something heavy in OD for long distances, or abusing the tranny in some way, then I would have Toyota corporate on the phone in a heartbeat.

Anyway, we don't know your mechanical ability, so how can we say whether or not you can put a tranny in yourself? So how mechanically inclined are you? What type of tools do you have?

Lastat

As long as its not a specialty transmission tool i should have it, and I have rebuilt the font end of a chevy truck from the frame after my wife cruched it into a light pole(core support, radiator, water pump, master cylinder, front brakes and rotors)

Maybe I should break it down to what is the track record of anyone out there that has installed a transmission from a junk yard?

rimpainter.com

So did anything abnormal contribute to this, or did it just crap out on you?

If you can rebuild a Chevy front end, you can replace a trans. You should be able to find a good used one out there. I would be hesitant on the rebuild idea.

hillbilly

The toughest part is getting the tranny lined up with the crank properly so you don't smash/crush the seal, which you won't find out is smashed/crushed til you fire it up. A tranny jack would be a big help. If you can't get a tranny jack, you're going to need a couple buddies to get the job done.

Do you trust the shop that disected you old tranny?? If so, get a price from them to simply install the used one. By the sounds of it, you're going to incurr some cost just getting your Runner back home, which could instead be put towards installation of the used tranny.

Edit: I agree with Christian. I'd shy away from a rebuild. 25K on a used tranny is nothing.

Lastat

Thanks for the imput, by the way I searched and searched for a transmission place I thought would give me a fair shake, but that feeling is slipping away.


I have 20" wheels, but the the trany guy said they wouldn't cause this damage.


Thanks again for the comments...

Albuquerque Jim

Used tranny is my vote. I could do it in about 6 hours lying in my driveway with a rented tranny jack. That's out and in.

4-RUNNIN' FREAK

I have an '02 as well. I am wondering if you have any idea what might have caused it. Is it a 4WD? I ask because they told me not to change the tire and rimsbecause it can screw up the tranny being that it works harder and works harder. I don't know if it is true, or if I recall it right. But it's something like that. Like having different tires pressures and driving in 4WD.
Thank you if you can just give me an idea.

midiwall

Did you have any symptoms before it went? Lotso slippage maybe?

rimpainter.com

Something about this just isn't right. I wanna know the full story.

midiwall

Yeup... I'm smelling that as well.

MTL_4runner

I'll third the fish story.

mt_goat

Maybe he was towing a 5th wheel or something

Lastat

The only fish I found are in the transmission business, the first symptom I had was going up a hill it down shifted and when it shifted back into OD if shifted really hard(really hard). Then it shifted a hard into overdrive a few more times so I turned it off. Took it to the dealer and they said the OD was shot, but I could drive it without OD on and be OK (thats a huge lie). I don't have that in writing!! Long story short not covered under warranty, getting a 2002 Trans. w/21,000 miles for $1100 shipped.

rimpainter.com

I am curious why you did not push the dealer a bit on this. O/D going out under normal conditions is really, really rare on this tranny. Do you have any evidence supporting proper care of the transmission (such as flushes or drain and fills)? If you have that sort of thing, I think you have a really good case for some dealer assistance in the replacement (if not full coverage). You might have to bicker a bit, but I think it is possible.

Are you the original owner?

Lastat

I am the original owner but the thing that screwed me was the non-factory wheels. None of the transmission shops I spoke with said the 20" wheels I have would cause this damage, because the tallness of the tire is close to the factory.

rimpainter.com

So are you going to R&R the "new" tranny yourself?

Lastat

The transmission shop wanted $875 for labor + parts to rebuild it. Well Iam an idiot and this has been a painful learning curve. Well for them to troubleshoot and remove and tear apart to tell me what parts I needed= $2869.00
How much to get the runner back and put the trany in the back of my truck= $ 875.00
How much to put a trany in that I bring you= $989.00+ fluid
Cost of trany 2002 w/21,000 miles= $ 1100 shipped
Cost of not just doing it yourself= $2100.00+tax
One more person screwed by a transmission shop= Priceless!!