Checking out W56
 

Im going to check out a W56 trans today to replace my current one. What should I be looking at as far as shaft play and other things? also it doesn't have a shifter so how would I go about making sure it cycle through all the gears?
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I personally wound't buy a used trans unless I was able to drive test it first. If I planned to rebuild it then sure I'd take the chance.

'Bout all you can do is judge the fore and aft endplay in the input shaft bearing and its sideways slop. There should be very little.

It might be possible to change that bearing out without complete disassembly of the tranny. I'm not sure.

You could put your shifter on it and turn it by hand through the various gears, but that's not likely to tell much unless there is major internal damage.

Change out the seal inside the throw-out bearing collar, and the seal in the rear, between the tranny and transfer case for sure.

I've had good luck with used trannys, but I make sure to buy them from running trucks that were wrecked; Or from trucks that got engine swaps that precluded continued use of the original type tranny.

Funny that some guys think that their used trannys that have no warrantee are gold, and other times you can get one cheap. Depends on your karma, I guess.

Good luck with your new one!! Keep us informed!!

To wax nostalgic for a moment; I bought my first gen 4Runner for $500 with a bad tranny and my wife and I put a used tranny and transfer case in it that I bought for $200.

We stabbed that tranny into it on Christmas day 2013. It's still going strong.... So are we.