I probably forgot to mention all though this thread but it doesn't shift before warming up a bit so it won't do over 30 for the first mile but once its warm there's no problem. Ive flushed it first thing changed the filter and refilled it but still no shifting when cold. Very annoying in cold weather. When we were in Mystic I had to do a couple laps around old Mystic village before jumping on 95🤣

 

Today's progress.



new rear main seal, gasket and transmission output shaft seal. While we are there......

The rear main seal fell apart after taking it out. I guess it was time.

 

Has to achieve terminal velocity before merging onto 95 🤣😁

 

The Rolla s old and new ( used) transmission combined. I replaced the drive shaft bushing about a year ago so I swapped tail housings and put in a new seal there too. The bell housing looked a little different on the transmission I got from the junkyard and it had a different bolt pattern on the torque converter so that's swapped also. Plus the oil pan from the previous transmission is on the new one. According to both I D tags they are both 03- 55 toyota transmissions. Hopefully it all works out. Oh and its keeping good company with Black Beard.

 

But not quite 88 MPH for time travel. Just leave the windows closed on a warm day and open a door and sniff.

 

initial testing seems good. It shifts now.

 

We had a few issues though. I broke the nut off that holds the lever for shift linkage to the transmission so I welded it. I'm gonna weld new threads later so we can unbolt it because the reverse light switch is no good on this one and that will need come off.

This transmission had a smaller speedometer drive gear so I thought it would spin the cable faster than the last one. 60 is actually 53.

Other than that though it is really nice to just jump in and go faster than 30 before having to warm it up for a few minutes!

Edit 5 /20/25
we fixed speedometer. somehow swapping to the drive gear from the other transmission even though it's bigger fit and meshed right in. I think the length of the gear puts it on a different spot on the governer gear setting the gear lash.

 

For some reason the place we found the Brown Hornet doesn't have any new images on Google maps. Hmmmmm maybe somebody is a car fan.....

 

We took the Brown Hornet to the plac that does a cruise night that my son and I were coming back from when he spotted the car for sale on the way there and back. Daily Grind in Southwick MA.

 

Is that a blown citation in the mix??

 

I think the car your looking at is an 80 Malibu. The orange car through the picthese windshield. It had a big blower on it.

 

We took the Rolla to the beach yesterday. This is the first time running it on the highway since the transmission swap. It does seem to cruise a little bit better than the old transmission. Around 60 to 63 is it's happy place.



found this cool old style gas station to fill up at down there.

looks right at home there.

 

Out and about with the old Rolla:

Whickham Park East Hartford


I'm sure some othe 4runner people recognize this location ......




The Brown Hornet is at the beginning and we're driving by at 21:01
and a fun shot

 

Ha! I watched that video this morning but didn’t notice the ol’ BH there. Looks like a hot afternoon. We were down in Mystic being the only first gen 4r in the Groton Long Point parade again.

 

The first car show for the Brown Hornet. Falls Village Car Show today. It was about 120 miles round trip through some nice routes through the western part of the state. The car did great 👍 👌

we saw a first gen 4runner. I think it's lifted....

 

On the way back from the western part of the state we took a little detour to Peoples State Forrest for a lunch break. It looked like Toyotathon there, we parked between an 06 4runner and a new LandCruiser. They were shocked to see the old Rolla.

 

What the heck are we looking at here? Turbo diseasle?

 

I don't know what it was but Gretta was there 🤣

It may be VW engine.

 

more cruising with the Brown Hornet and Herbie last weekend.

 

We added some bling to the engine 🤣 since swapping the carburetor I have been going through vacuum caps like crazy for the old vacuum switches. Things made today are such junk. Rather than replace them with something else.I made them into new vacuum port block pieces by cutting them and adding a little bit of epoxy and some fake diamonds. I didn't realize till I took out two that they weren't actually open to the intake.They're vacuum switches that worked on the temperature. And of course, like true, past owner stuff.One of them had threads that were all boogered up.So I had to clean the threads on both the intake and the vacuum switch.