Hello,

I am planning to get a new/rebuilt tranny for my 1985 4runner turbo. Can you help me with some of my questions?

1. How can I make sure if the tranny I have is R151F? I just want to make sure that there will be no installation issues.

2. I know Marlin sells it for 1195 . Although I hear they are the best and I do want to buy from them, I really don't like their core policy (you really dont know if you are spending 1200 or 1850!!!) Are there any other places where I can get this tranny?

3. I am in central ohio. Can you recommend someone who can install the tranny? How much should I expect for the labor?

4. (sorry for not posting a new thread). I also need to install new ring and pinion. I already bought the gears and the kits. Can you recommend someone who can install them at a reasonable price near Columbus OH?

Thanks!!

 

See Marlin's tranny ID page for tips on spotting one, or get it out of a turbo truck or 4Runner ('86 or '87). And it'll have the gear driven t-case behind it, which you'll also want to get as you'll need the 23 spline input shaft on it to fit the 23-spline output of the tranny.

I got a used one off of the Pirate4x4 parts forum about a year and half ago, or try http://www.car-part.com/. I dropped it off at Marlin's to rebuild and upgrade. Check your local tranny shops to see what they changer for install, or just ask what a new clutch will run, since you'll probably want to do that and while they have the old tranny out, put the new one in.

 

Can anyone identify if this is a transfer case from a R151F transmission? Its from my 1985 4runner (turbo) truck and I am trying to find out if I have the W transmission or the R.

 

Was the tranny swapped along with the '87 engine or not? If so and/or if there is an R151F tranny on the engine, then you have a 23 spline t-case (or a 21 spline that was converted). The '85 would have come with a W56A transmission and a 21 spline RF1A t-case.

 

There is this, if you want to do a little cost containment.

 

Thats exactly what I am trying to find out, since I am not sure. I just talked to marlin crawler, and they said if I have the W 56, I can buy this and still use my old t-case: Total Spline™ 2.28:1 Turbo Input

http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/tra...ickup_dual.htm

 

Look at the tranny ID page on Marlin's site:
- http://www.marlincrawler.com/htm/tra...ansmission.htm

W56:


R151F:

 

Running one currently. Works fine. You need a press to swap it out (input bearing). Hey, you need a press anyway, doncha?

 

I wrote a really long post and I don't know where it disappeared. So I am going to test this one and write the whole thing again

 

Ok I guess I will have to type the whole thing again. I was away earlier as I was busy moving from Ohio to California.

Based on people's suggestion here and after talking to Marlin Crawler, I had decided to buy an R151F tranny and get it installed by them. They had earlier told me over the phone that they will also install it, and I planned to take a deroute to Fresno and drop my 4runner on my way to northern california (hercules), but when I started driving to california and called them again, they said they do not install and can just sell the rebuilt tranny! That was a bummer! I waited all these months and did not swap it in ohio (where I had mechanics I know) and now I am confused where to go.

I am in a completely new place (hercules, el sobrante, richmond area) and I am little disappointed by some of the mechanics' attitude here who almost mean " You cannot do this job yourself so you HAVE to come to us and we will charge $2800 for it". (One of these had "discount" in their shop's name) Most of them refuse to use other peoples parts or tranny or cannot give a quote unless they tear it apart (which can take 800 dollars) which means I have to pay the money they ask for later and I don't know how much it will cost upfront. Some people ridicule me at my simple questions which sometimes makes me challenge myself to do the job myself. Also, now I am positive that I have W56 in my turbo engine truck and not R151F. So now, I have a new set of questions.

1. Is it OK to have W56 in a truck with a turbo engine? Marlin said it will be OK but it is better to have R151F. Can you elaborate? What do you guys think?

2. If I buy a rebuilt tranny from Marlin and install it myself, how difficult is to swap a tranny and what special tools will I need? Is this a two person job? I don't know anyone here and only my wife can help me. I know I will need that 23 spline gear. What else? Do I need a press?

2. Rebuilding the W56: I guess this would be much more difficult if I do it myself, but is there a write up somewhere like the one for R151F one of you posted so that I can read and see if I can do it? What special tools will I need? A little history about the tranny: It used to make noise in all gears except 4th, then it stopped going in 4th, one fine day it was going easily in 4th and then it got stuck in 4th, and now the truck is immobile. I will have to get it towed if I take it to a shop.I did manage to get it in my garage. Is it worth rebuilding the W56 tranny?

3. Folks living in the bay area: Do you know a mechanic who is reasonable and trustworthy? Will you be able to help if I offer some money?

Sorry for the long post, cant wait to get this fixed. I just got the ring and pinion work done in ohio and hopefully if I get the tranny fixed it will be a nice truck

ak

 

Rebuilding the W56 is extremely close to rebuilding the R151. The factory service manual is exceptionally good, and will guide you well. My article was intended as a companion to the FSM.

You will be fine with a W56 behind the turbo. Swapping trannies is also something I've done, but required relocation of the shifter (in my case, because of the 5VZ swap, it is under the radio!) and crafting a snakey shift lever to compensate. Kind of a pain to do, especially when your existing trannie is just fine to use and it already fits everything perfectly.

My R151 was practically junk when I bought it and now it shifts very well, and will continue to do so for >150K miles if not more. It probably had 200K on it already. Your W56 is worthy of a rebuild. I had not ever rebuilt a transmission when I did mine, but with the hints I learned from friends (documented in the article), some persistence, and the very good factory service manual, I was successful. It is not as hard as it seems. The FSM details special tools; see if the ones I made or adapted look like what you need for the W56.

If I can do it, you can too.

 

Thanks Bill, that is encouraging. Since the truck is stuck in 4th gear, should I do anything before I tear the tranny apart? Any special instruction for this?

 

Just take it apart per the FSM. Don't try it without the FSM. I can't tell you how many people ignored this and thought they could cheap their way through it on my article, then got mad because I didn't reiterate everything in the FSM in my article. One guy got positively mental about it.

I'm sure he's on meds now, though. In a rubber room or something.