89 4Runner Transmission noise in 3rd and 5th.
 

1989 4Runner, 22RE, 5-spd, etc.

241k miles on original transmission, mostly highway from commute between Washington state and southern California.

Goes into all gears fine, no real percievable slop or grinding (except into 3rd, but it's not audible grinding, it just "feels" like it's grinding through the shift knob for a microsecond during the gear change).

Accelerating / maintaining speed in 3rd and 5th results in a cachophony from under the vehicle. Sounds like marbles in a metal coffee can being swirled around (not shaken). The noise in 5th doesn't completely drown out the radio, but it makes for difficult conversation over 75mph. The noise in 3rd is hard to hear unless you floor it in the "power band". Under decel with the clutch pedal out, the noise is inaudible. In gear with the clutch pedal depressed while moving, the noise is also inaudible.

1st, 2nd, 4th and reverse are all normal in function and noise level.

I'm aware that it's probably the transmission, and have a pretty good feeling that it's bearing noise rather than gear noise... but I really don't know the difference between the two, and that determines my financial timeline for this rebuild.

I'm hoping to get away with just replacing the bearings, as last time I heard bad gears they made a whining sound (I think...).

This vehicle is not my daily driver, so I haven't really been driving it much. I put a full tank in it 3 weeks ago and I'm hovering around 3/4 of a tank now, so I'm not in a time crunch to get this thing taken care of.

Is what I described above indicative of bearing noise, or the actual gears themselves going bad? From my search, I've gathered that 4th isn't side-loaded, hence the lack of noise while it is engaged, however the majority of the other posts I've read have indicated that the noise occurs in all forward gears (save 4th), and that there's usually some form of popping out of gear mentioned as well.

Thanks.

its the bearings for shure. although since the bearings are going out it could mean that the gears might need replaced also!

Blast. I was hoping to get out of this w/o replacing gears.

Thanks for the response and validation of my initial hunch!

no problem. ive seen this a few times when dealing with the 5spd. the bearings usualy go out in 3rd and 5th first becouse those are the gears that get most use 5th for cruising and 3rd for those dang hills lol.

I guess tagging along on this, I've been quoted $700 - 1500 for a rebuild by Leon's in Reseda (SoCal). They're a reputable shop and they offer a 1yr warranty, but I'm a cheapskate. I'm mechanically inclined but have fallen out of practice since I've been driving cars with warranties and free service for 50k miles. I won't be pulling this and doing it myself, in other words...

Does anyone know of a decent *CHEAP* rebuild shop in SoCal (Los Angeles)?

In my searching I've found a place in Montclair (Cal Mini Trucks) that deals just in parts, and a place San Bernardino that's too far of a drive.

Should I make a new thread about this?

Have you thought about swamping the transmission out for a lower mileage transmission? I see them all the time on Craigslist for a few hundred or so.

Just a thought.

I hear ya on that, but I just don't trust someone elses used gearbox. I know on my '86 I taught every neighborhood kid how to drive a stick in it, used it to plow snow and haul a bed-full of dirt during winter months. When I sold it in '97, it had 180k and felt great, but I knew it was thoroughly abused and might not last another 10k - 20k miles. Plus, I've had trouble with finding shops around here that will put in a used trans that they didn't sell me. Thanks though for the suggestion!

After first reading your thread I realized that I'm having a similar problem with my tranny. I stopped by my mechanic this morning to get a quote, I'm just over here in Whittier, so I'll let you know what he says on the tranny rebuild.

Though I might see if I can find a W58 to swap in place of the W56 if the rebuild gets over a grand... we'll see.

Yeah please do let us all know what it quotes out at. I live close enough to Whittier that it would be worth it to limp the 'runner out that way if he's at or under say $600 to do a light overhaul (replace bearings & synchro's).

I'm still waiting on my mechanic... i think i made a mistake when i told him i wasn't in a rush.
anyways, I did some looking as well, I came across someone selling rebuilt trannys for $475
does this seem suspicious to anyone?

Also, anyone know anything about swapping between a w56 and g58?
I do a lot of freeway driving and the g58 has a slightly wider range, plus if if i do a rebuild myself i'd by a second tranny to avoid down time....
sorry.. didn't mean to hijack the thread

No worries on the thread hijack.

So a rebuilt trans for $425? It does sound to me a bit suspect. I've had quotes so far from $600 - $1500 to go from a light refresh (bearings, seals and synchros) to a complete rebuild. For $425 I could buy the rebuilt and have a shop do the install... Try searching for the company name either on here, Pirate 4x4, Google etc and see what you come up with.

I called up with the guy in the ad, apparently he has his own shop, been in business for 18 years or so. He said they can either rebuild my tranny or swap it for a rebuilt one. Either way, he said $475.
He seemed really nice, that honest sound in his voice, not overly charismatic...
anyways, when I can scrape the cash together I'll have him take care of my truck.
He's down in Garden Grove I believe. PM me for more info....
I'm currently out of town, so it might take me a couple days.

I have the same problem with my 89 4-runner with 203K. Most of my driving is at 60mph. Can I extend the life of my transmission if I stay on 4th gear and not use 5th? Thanks.

there's many threads covering this very common issue. i know because i'm having the same problem right now and have read a bunch!

it appears there's no easy answer to speculating how long a bearing will last.

yes, decreasing your use of 3rd and 5th by using 4th more can help by removing the load from the input shaft with the noisy bearings.

but, if your bearings are noisy because of a fluid leak, your tranny may not last longer no matter what gear you're in.

some people have tried using the lucas brand gear oil, some the redline product, to try to prolong the life of the existing trans before failure. will different fluid help more than topping up a leak daily? who knows.

there's still a lot of used trannys out there, you may just want to pop in a salvage unit and hope for the best. otherwise, you'll be rebuilding soon, just like me.

i have stopped using 5th gear. but i'm also ok with waiting for it to fail completely before putting in a used trans. i'm no longer driving it daily, so hopefully that will be a long time.

good luck.