2002 transmission options help- newbie (1 Viewer)

[ChattanoogaJSB]

Hello everyone - my first post -

My best friend has a 2001 land cruiser 4x4 (heading says 2002 trying to change that) About six weeks ago he was driving alone in Elijay GA on the road and it felt like if stumbled for a moment and lost power transfer. His description. Would shift visibly into all gears but wouldn’t take an gear.

He had it towed to Chattanooga to a shop where it sat for 4 weeks or so and all they did was verify the linkages were intact. Bummer to say the least. This is a second car/toy to him so he used the tundra in the mean time.

I went to inspect and found that the flex plate was still turning the converter smoothly but it makes a metallic sound inside at the front. I have long suspected a bad converter. Shifter moves but gets no power transfer from engine. Only rattles with inspection cover removed and engine running/shifter action

Second shop suggested it needed a rebuild as well. All invoked suggests it’s 4-5k for a trans plus labor.

I was reading the stator pump may also be bad, maybe no fluid pressure similar to a bad converter.

Vehicle is just two owners with a mountain of service paperwork. About 220k miles and nearly immaculate. On road most/all of its life clearly. Clean dry and tidy underneath. Plenty of fluid and history of service.

Seems reading it has a 343f transmission. My questions are: 1) whether or not this is likely converter or stator (it will not take any gear, no dash light) 2) if input an OBD tool on it could I expect to get any other codes? 3) is the “340 family” such that I could use a “non 343” and bolt up his transfer case and swap with a unit from other things in the family? 4Runners seem to have some family transmissions and are common at pick a part etc locally. We really hate to have a $5k bill on a 11k truck (but isn’t that problem as old as the automobile in a way!).

If anyone can give advice on this we are really struggling with how to proceed. If a rebuilt unit is best I’m also open to safe advice on where to get it!

I’m the mechanic in this and I’m totally happy with all kinds of heavy swapping but I have NO experience with these trucks specifically so any advice is well-appreciated.

Thanks all!

 

[ChattanoogaJSB]

Sorry a few typos in my original message

 

[JunkCrzr89]

I’m just gonna go ahead and say it before somebody else does: There may very well be something wrong with the transmission or torque converter, but at least check condition of the front drive flanges/outboard CV axle shafts before tearing into the trans. Many folks have been led astray by the AWD system in these trucks and mistakenly thought their transmissions took a dump when the problem was actually stripped drive flanges/axle shafts.

 

[ChattanoogaJSB]

I’m just gonna go ahead and say it before somebody else does: There may very well be something wrong with the transmission or torque converter, but at least check condition of the front drive flanges/outboard CV axle shafts before tearing into the trans. Many folks have been led astray by the AWD system in these trucks and mistakenly thought their transmissions took a dump when the problem was actually stripped drive flanges/axle shafts.

Happy to have you say it! I’m definitely trying to explore what could be wrong. I’ll have to read some threads about the front drive flange. I am mostly shooting from the hip coming from 2wd car land when I focused on the sound and lack any fluid coupling “feel” when it’s shifted into any/every gear. I appreciate your post!

 

[saucebox]

Happy to have you say it! I’m definitely trying to explore what could be wrong. I’ll have to read some threads about the front drive flange. I am mostly shooting from the hip coming from 2wd car land when I focused on the sound and lack any fluid coupling “feel” when it’s shifted into any/every gear. I appreciate your post!

Have him lock the center differential and see if it drives. If it does: drive flanges...just an afternoon's worth of work to correct. He'd likely need new CVs also—if the teeth are gone on the drive flange, you can bet they're gone on the CVs.

Still beats transmission work.

 

[ChattanoogaJSB]

Have him lock the center differential and see if it drives. If it does: drive flanges...just an afternoon's worth of work to correct. He'd likely need new CVs also—if the teeth are gone on the drive flange, you can bet they're gone on the CVs.

Still beats transmission work.

Good advice. My buddy checked it this way when it first went out: pushed the button for 4wd and put it in low and high and wasn’t making an effort to move, so I don’t suspect the flanges. If that’s not what you meant let me know? I’ll try it again. It’s still at the second transmission shop so we aren’t near it but I’m about to advise him to just bring it home and we will deal with any troubleshooting and the eventual fix to include swapping the trans (if that’s the final result).

I have read a bunch of threads and I don’t see chronic failure of the converter or stator but the way it makes a racket and doesn’t even attempt to take an power transfer from the engine I don’t know what else to look for. I do wonder if another 300 series trans that has an f code would swap in. The 343f itself seems a littler more uncommon than a 340, so I just don’t know what will work.

Thank you for taking the time to give the original advice!

 

[ChattanoogaJSB]

I’m sorry to have this post buried among a few good helpful replies but I can’t figure out how to edit my first post! The LC is a 2001! Not a 2002. The difference is important because I’d stated correctly it seems that I’m dealing with a 343f

 

[JunkCrzr89]

The LC is a 2001! Not a 2002. The difference is important because I’d stated correctly it seems that I’m dealing with a 343f

98-02 model years all had the A343F. The A750F wasn’t swapped in until 2003.

 

[97 AZ LC]

I’m sorry to have this post buried among a few good helpful replies but I can’t figure out how to edit my first post! The LC is a 2001! Not a 2002. The difference is important because I’d stated correctly it seems that I’m dealing with a 343f

Log in, go to the first post, click on "edit" in the lower left - you should be edit both the post and the title.

 

[shoboat90]

I’m sorry to have this post buried among a few good helpful replies but I can’t figure out how to edit my first post! The LC is a 2001! Not a 2002. The difference is important because I’d stated correctly it seems that I’m dealing with a 343f

Just curious if you ever got this figured out with the 2001? I have a 2001 with seemingly the same or similar issue to yours and most suspect transmission related...it's still in my driveway and just trying to determine where to take it at this point. Any info you can provide could be useful. Thank you