Hi, i have a '93 truck, 22RE, 4-cyl, 2WD, with about 270,000 miles on it. I got a new clutch within the past two years, and about 9 months ago got new shift lever bushings (or were they called sleeves?)-- the things the lever sits in-- as it was popping out of first gear.
Well, all of a sudden, shifting to third gives a horrible resistance and grinding sound--it won't go at all!-- and fourth is just air-- like being in neutral. Had to drive home in 2nd gear, some of that on the freeway--scary! My usual mechanic says, by the symptoms (hasn't looked at it yet), it's time for a new/rebuilt tranny. They can get me one already rebuilt, though somewhere in the deal they get some money back for giving them my old tranny (core charge). Still, they say it will be $2899 to me-- that's for a transmission, new clutch, slave and master cylinders, etc.
Obviously cheaper than a new truck. And i take good care of the old girl... other than the engine, which, knock on wood, is still real solid and should last a couple hundred thousand more miles, this is the last thing for a while that will need replacing. (Right!) STILL! Does this sound like a reasonable quote to you all? Are there tests i could suggest they do to make sure all those things are really needed?
I'll be eating BunnyRoni and garden parsley for years as i pay interest on an endless credit card debt.
Thanks for any ideas.
~Laura

 

That's about 50/50 parts and labor. Can you swap it yourself, do you have alternate transportation.. Do you want to invest 1.5-3k in a 27 year old vehicle or snag a beater of marketplace/CL..

What does it feel like shifting it when static, engine off?

​​​​How big, if any, where the bits that came out with the old lube?

 

Thanks for your reply.
I will have to check it out tomorrow-- the engine-off shifting. I have to admit that it's a bit traumatizing to have the thing jerk and grind like that when shifting, so i've been shy of shifting it at all. And i certainly don't want to force anything that will cause it to lose 1st, 2nd, and reverse! (My plan for getting the thing back to town is to drive it on my rural roads in 2nd gear, then call my roadside towing service for the last freeway section. I called Geico and they said that will be okay!)
My regular mechanic's shop hasn't checked the gear oil or anything. The entire quote is based on "sounds like you need a new transmission and the works." It may well be, but of course i WILL ask them to check the gear oil for shavings first. Isn't that a true sign of tranny death?
Pretty sure i would be better off staying with this beater for $1500-$3000 than taking my chances on an unknown can of worms, buying a new-to-me beater. Besides, heck, it's a Toyota truck... ran into a friend with one from '86 or so, original engine, almost 500,000 miles on it! She loves it, too.

 

Here in NC that estimate is a big time rip off.

I have a 92 2wd 22RE five speed, and I can buy a reman transmission for $824 plus $250 core charge. Core charge will be refunded once they get the old one back. Clutch kit round about $90. About $970 in parts and that includes taxes.

You definitely need to shop around.

 

That's a rip-off especially being that your truck isn't even a 4WD. Like snippits said, its around $900 for a rebuilt W56. Maybe you should buy the parts and get a mobile mechanic to come by and install it.

 

That seems kind of high for a $1,000 rebuilt tranny and $200 Aisin clutch kit + misc parts, assuming they will use an Aisin kit. Also, how many miles on the timing chain? You will very likely need to change that before you get another 200K miles on the engine, which can be expensive for a mechanic to do it. I would shop around a bit more an at least get some quotes to compare.

It doesn't sound like you are interested in doing the work yourself? Otherwise, if you have a back-up car, I would pull the engine to do both the clutch and timing chain at the same time, and re-attach new transmission.

A long time ago (late 90's), before I knew anything about my truck, I was told by my then trusty mechanic that my tranny was out and it's not worth to fix it. He offered to buy it from me cuz he could re-sale it to someone. I said no, I will have it fixed. He charged me $900 to likely (now that I look back) to change the shifter bushings and nothing was wrong with my tranny. Flash forward to after I learned about my truck, he was trying to scam me out of a great reliable truck that will last my lifetime.

 

Do you need a Marlin crawler rebuilt transmission, probably not but it's the kind of service and workmanship you should expect because it's a pretty large chunk of cash.

This leaves $1400 for labor and consumables like seals and fluids. There are a few guys around with access to a time estimator, but I'm comfortable ball parking eight hours or more. Depending on your local market that's $100-150/HR easily (shops are expensive to upkeep and most of them would rather knock out a couple of brake jobs and alignment than do anything this major, but I digress), now you've got 2-600$ left for incidentals like fluids, trashed hardware, seals and misc bits.

You can save a little using less expensive parts, I didn't look but I expect a Jasper rebuilt is 10% less which syncs with millball's ~=8-900.

If you find a shop with a lower hourly rate that's another $200 or so, but it's not your usual shop who you presumably already have a trust in.

You can save a bunch and aquire a whole bunch of new toys, er tools, and an experience by just swapping it yourself. Maybe 5-600 in kit if you have to buy everything from wrench's to jacks and stands. There really isn't anything to exotic required with the exception of a transmission jack and that bit is optional although highly recommended because wrestling a transmission into place while on your back dodging loose dirt is no fun.

 

When I bought my last one, it needed a trans. No first gear. I think I paid $250 for a used one someone had for sale and installed in with a buddy in the driveway. DEFINITELY look around. That's way too much to pay.

 

Of course he was! Everybody wants the old Toyota trucks!
Thank you for the tip about the timing chain. I will ask about that.
No, i have nowhere near the skills to do the work myself. I just have to find the right person to do it for me for a reasonable amount of money!

 

Thanks, Snippits. That's the feeling i get-- it's too high!

 

Hi Co_94_PU,
I don't have the skills or the space to do it in. Thanks for your interest and replies. I did go out and check the shifting while engine not running. For the gears that work, the shift lever ball moves about 3" up or down from neutral. For third and fourth gears, it moves about half that distance and just stops.
I think i did a good thing... i called the one actual transmission shop in town. He told me he wouldn't give an estimate without seeing it, but said he was pretty sure it would be less than what my usual mechanic quoted for two reasons: 1, he IS the tranny guy so he doesn't take an extra cut off for sending anything out to the tranny place; 2, he knows transmissions inside and out and won't give me anything i don't need.
Chances are good that once the transmission guy has looked it over, i will let him do the job, since the truck will already be there and he seems to be the expert.
I'm trying to learn enough to be a smart consumer of mechanical services, but i will never be able or willing to do such big work as this on my own.

 

rattlecanpaint, i need buddies like you guys!

 

You are without a doubt underestimating your skill level or over estimating what skill this kind of job requires.

Have you changed a light bulb, can you change thirty or fourty of them(bolts..)? Can you insert a pencil into a pencil sharpener (aligning the trans input shaft to the carrier) with out breaking it? Can you change a tire (Jack up your truck block the wheels)? ... The only sketchy part of this is moving the transmission around and securing it to a trans Jack.

It never hurts to reach out to the local community, you can look up your local Toyota or 4x4 club and maybe ask if anyone here is local. I've done a few helper jobs for locals that will pay for my fuel because "Loving it, Toyota!"

 

Rip-off Like said ^^^
I paid $1380 total to get my transmission rebuilt in Dallas, Dec 2016. 22R-E 4WD.