I have a 1993 3.0L 4x4 4Runner. I purchased it back in March. It ran but had some timing issues, a bad water pump, and a few other things, only related to the motor. Took it to my local Toyota dealership to have the work done on it because I couldn't do anything at my apartment at the time. Fast forward a month, my truck is finally done, but I get a call after the final test drive stating that my transmission blew and had to be towed back to the dealership. I got it towed home because they pretty much told me theres nothing they can do to fix it. It was still driving short distances but only until it reached operating temp. Once it reached temp, it would slip out of gear and would not move until cooled down. Today, after not moving it for maybe 3 months, I went to move it and it slipped out of gear after about 100 yards. Now I don't have any engagement in the transmission whatsoever and it does not move at all, even if it's cold, which wasn't an issue before. At first I assumed it was the torque converter but now I'm not sure. Is it looking like I need a rebuild? Anyone else have a similar problem before?

 

Have you checked the fluid?

 

Yes, had the same with a Honda. It would move cold but not hot. It was done. I don’t know the root cause, but we had a shop swap in a rebuilt and it lasted a year. Then my son and i swapped in a lower mileage “jdm” and it’s still going. Find a reputable trans shop if you cannot do the work yourself. Figure $2500.

 

Well, with your symptoms the most likely failure is the friction material on the discs that make up the clutch packs. Slipping discs tend to “burn” the atf, making it smell bad. So simply pulling the dipstick and smelling the fluid can tell a lot. The last thing would be to drain the fluid into a clean pan and see if there’s debris. At this point, you’re probably faced with rebuilding; or replacing with a used or reman unit.

it looks like the front and rear tires are a different size. This is bad on most 4wd/awd vehicles. You don’t want the front axle spinning at a different speed then the rear.

 

Fluid is fine. Doesn't smell or look burnt. It could have also been replaced right before I bought it so if there was a lot of metal shavings in it, I wouldn't know.

 

Is the O/D light blinking?

 

No dash lights of any kind, solid or blinking.

 

It's just the one tire. All 4 were the same size until someone took a knife to the front passenger. Spare tIre was smaller than the rest. The guy I bought it from put 4 different tires on it. 1 is an MT. 2 are AT. The last one is a street tire lol. I just haven't had the money to throw new tires on it if it's not gonna be drivable

Fluid was changed just before i bought it so it looks brand new. No shiny bits inside of it. I have not pulled the pan though, so I'll get to that asap. When I do the rebuild, should I go ahead and replace the torque converter as well since it'll all be torn apart anyway..?

 

The clean fluid gives me pause.
I’d do any/every test recommended in the FSM. Also get input from people here who have that trans.
Atm Rebuild kits are costly, and you need a FSM to guide you. Of all the things I encourage people to try and repair, the atm isn’t one of them.
But if a trans is rebuilt, and especially if clutch packs have worn away, a reman torque converter is typically done.
Does shifting into H4/L4 do anything?

 

the fresh fluid change before it was sold to you is suspicious to me. I wonder if maybe the previous owner knew there was a problem and tried to cover it up...

 

i bought it from a shop owner that was moving locations and didnt wanna take it with him. I knew when i bought it for $500 that I was gonna be in some deep ˟˟˟˟ with issues.

 

there is zero engagement with the transfer case as well. It was one of the first things I tested when i bought it