RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys,

Got a W56 tranny in my 4Runner, bearings are starting to get noisy. I'm planning on finding a used one in good condition and swapping it out any maybe rebuilding my current one sometime. Anyone ever had experience with this? I see Marlin has rebuild kits and I'm sure that they are good, I also have a FSM to help me out. Is this a pretty difficult process? I would love to hear from someone who has done this before or seen it done, not just idle speculations.

Thank you

dcg9381

I've never rebuilt one. You'll need access to a press and potentially special tools. I never wanted to go through the learning curve with the potential to screw it up and have to pull it again.... Have it done right, drive it another 200k miles.

Last one (rebuild) I bought I bought from Marlin.

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

Bump, someone out there's got to have actually rebuilt a W56.

4Rocker

I just finished rebuilding my G52 about 2 weeks ago, which is fairly similar. If you are not positive that you can do this, I would not attempt it. The FSM is a very minimum you will want for tolerances and documentation. There are no 'optional' parts in these transmissions, so if you do decide to go ahead with it, keep VERY good track of where everything goes what orientation it was in. Also, you will need a good press and feeler gauges. When tolerancing EVERYTHING make sure that when you reassemble, things are on the tight side. To get the center bearings out and also to replace the synchros, you will have to press off gears and hubs. Be very careful doing this, as if the parts are not properly supported, you can chip teeth, and that results in getting a new (expensive) gear. If you follow the procedures from the FSM EXACTLY, you shouldnt have a problem. Checking all of the tolerances is critical to a good rebuild.

It is not easy, but by rebuilding my own trans after my input teeth decided to chip up from a loose E-ring probably saved my over a grand and it has so far held up great on a recent 850mi trip to IL and back.

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

4Rocker,

Thanks for your input. This sounds like something that I am not up for at this time. I simply don't have access to a suitable press.

Did you use the FSM for your rebuild, or did you have additional literature?

*Someday* I will do this! I would love to have some transmission experience.

Yoda

We rebuilt ours. Should have just bought one rebuilt by the time we replaced 2 gears

4Rocker

Glad my experience could be of help!

I used the pdf copy of an 85 4Runner FSM that has been floating around online and it covers the G52 and W56 transmissions. I also spent a LOT of time researching this online, as well as the differences between the G52 and G54 transmissions. Another issue to be wary of is what you might find wrong inside that case. Based on the high cost of factory new parts (over $400 for just the input shaft!) I found a used tranny that ended up having a bad input shaft as well but it provided me with a bunch of good internal parts (shift collars, forks, 5th gear, etc). I ended up finding the same input shaft online for about $80.

A good press and pressing blocks, etc are also very important because pressing the gears back on is how you achieve some of your tolerances. I am glad that you considered rebuilding the trans yourself, as it can be a fun (though sometimes challenging!) process. I would recommending getting a used transmission someday and trying to rebuild that one when vehicle downtime isnt a big deal. It is a good experience to have! If you can understand the procedures in the FSM well, then definately give it a try sometime!