Help! I've messed up my transmission... (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Oct 29, 2008
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Location
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Hello all, this is my first post here. I recently bought a '96 fzj80.

I'm not a complete novice as far as mechanical things go, but I'm not the best, obviously, since, like a bonehead, I've messed up my tranny and can't figure it out.

Anyway, this is long. Sorry.

I went to change the transmission fluid out, so I drained it, took off the pan, and the filter. Well, I saw that there seemed to be alot of fluid on top of the valve body, so I took it off to drain that old fluid too. That was my first mistake.

So, a check ball connected to a plastic clip looking thing with an internal spring came out, a spring with a smaller stiffer spring inside of it came out, and the middle accumulator (I think is what it is) came out. They all fell out when I took the valve body off.

Idiot! Only now do I realize this.

So, I held the valve body up, put everything back where I think it went (and I followed the pictures from this link: Manual to auto swap - YotaTech Forums) and screwed it back in. Put the filter on, put some new gasket maker on the pan, and put it back on.

Now, time for the 2nd mistake.

If Dexron 2 is what came in it, ATF+4 Valvoline synthetic should be better, right? Hey, I've never had an automatic tranny before, and I always ran synthetics of thicker weight in my manual trannies, except for one. So please take it easy on me. Yes, I'm an idiot.

So, I get that all done, fire it up, put it in gear, and......nothing. I give it gas and it jerks. It felt like it was slipping, trying to engage, but having a really hard time doing so.

So, this probably was a third mistake. I bleed out the old fluid myself by disconnecting the hose going to the tranny fluid cooler in front of the radiator. Put in some standard issue Castrol Dexron 3.

Still did the same thing.

Today, I got the bright idea from the previous website I linked to, that maybe it was the line pressure. Maybe, when I took the valve body off, I tweaked the throttle position cable? So, I took off the throttle position cable from the engine side, pulled it out to WOT and clamped it. It drove AWESOME. Slightly clunked into reverse when cold, but once at operating temp, it shifted extremely crisp, and downshifted at my slightest whim. Somewhat aggresive, but very nice.

Fourth mistake, apparently.

Anyway, thinking I was victorious, I pulied into the garage and turned it off. I cleaned up, and 10 minutes later, I went to drive it again. Victorious? HA!

Now, when I put it into reverse, it goes nowhere, does nothing. Rev it, no engagement. It doesn't even try to engage. I can't roll it backward in neutral either. Seems like I should be able to. Also, there is this hissing-or-buzzing-like sound coming from the bottom or sides of the tranny when in park, reverse, and drive; it goes away in neutral. When it's in drive, and I let off the brake pedal, it will roll forward on it's own, as normal. I haven't really driven it though, as I can't back it out of my garage.

Shifting into low range doesn't do anything for it either. I don't know if it even should, I was just trying everything I could think of.

So yes, I'm an idiot and I shouldn't have even touched it. Please don't grill me too hard. I was just trying to do some PM, and have everything on a baseline for my duration of ownership.

The few times I've gotten to drive this thing have been a blast! I love it!!!

Can anybody help? I think I'll post this on Yotatech too.
 
I can't help with the technical solution, but cam sympathize. I have done bonehead stuff doing simple PM. I learned a lot from it though.

I would not drive it till this is resolved. You can put the Tcase in Nuetral if you need to push it.

Good luck and just consider this part of your education. When you are all done you will be much smarter on transmissions.
 
Re:

Hey, thanks for the moral support man. I know I'll get it fixed eventually, just how long it takes and how much it costs is what I don't know. Haha!
 
Good luck. i know I have done some pretty stupid stuff and some time got fortunate and sometime paid the price.

hope you get it resolved with minimal cost.
 
Check you PM's

I think you need to pull that pan and valve body back off and CONFIRM that you have everything installed correctly.
Although I have never had this transmission apart I have had others and there are often lots of little bits to lose or misplace in the reassembly process.

Get yourself a transmission manual for your truck. It details the removal process of all these little bits.

Examples from the 103 page manual.
Chris
trans1.JPG
trans2.JPG
trans3.JPG
 
Re:

Dude, thank you! I'm a fairly busy person, so I have to do this in my spare time and the weekend, but I'll be posting back when I figure this problem out. Again, thank you for the manual pages!
 
If you find yourself taking stuff back off here's a helpful hint. Use Vasoline to keep items in place that gravity is forcing down (in the opposite direction you need it to stay.)
 
Re:

Will do. Hopefully that helps holding the accumulator in place. I was wishing I had about four hands when I put it all back together the first time!
 

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