crazy noise from my 5 speed

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83 chif

83 chif

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Sep 11, 2007
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New Jersey
my 89' 4runner's 5 speed is making some strange ungly noises....i thought it was my throw out bearing, but when i push the clutch pedal to the floor, the noise stops, and isn't the throw out bearing engaged when the pedal is to the floor?

so in 1st, 2cd, 3rd and 5th, the tranny makes the noise, but not in 4th, neutral, or any gear with the clutch pushed to the floor.

the noise sounds like sandy bearings or something(?). sort of metallic...hard to describe, just looking for some leads or ideas. i'm going to change the fluid tomorrow and look for metal flakes and stuff

oh, and it doesn't shift any differently then it did before the noise.....

that's about it....thanks for anything you can tell me!
 
Check the fluid level 1st

If the sound goes away with the clutch in it might be the input bearing on the tranny.

Mark
 
If you have an RF1A transfer case, over time rear driveline vibration can cause coupler spline wear. Symptoms include a grinding rattle noise that is present any time the rear driveline is turning. The noise may lessen under load, and become louder when coasting at higher speeds. This may not be your problem but it is worth looking at if you beat up your driveshafts.
 
pilot shaft maybe?....I think that would give you the "sandy bearings" you were talking about.


And 4th, just to throw it out there, is the 1:1. That might account for something...maybe less load than that of any other gears???
 
Odd,

My L52 5 speed in my 83 is doing the same thing. Loud in 1st, 2nd, 3rd (not 4th) and 5th gear makes noise just not as much as the first 1-3. I have been having a hard time trying to find a replacement. I know I could bolt a newer one in, but that will require drive shaft mods. I was wondering if there is a newer tranny I could install with a newer driveshaft so I would not have to deal with driving way out of town to a driveline shop and the time it would take to get shortened.

I think the sound is just shot bearings, reminds me of a old 3 speed tranny out of a fj40.
 
pilot shaft or input bearings?

yea, it sounds like it is coming from the front of the tranny, from the best i can tell, which isn't saying much.

is the input bearings and pilot shaft the same thing?

i did some quick shopping around and it looks like it might be easier to buy a used 100 dollar tranny and throw it in place of mine. after 240,xxx miles, i'm sure whatever these bad bearings are are just the beginning of trans' descent into scrap metal.

if i do grab a used transmission, is there any way to check for wear or any parts to replace before i install it? any advice?

thanks again for all the help!
 
it's a shame...

I'm sure allot more trannys would last allot longer if people would change the oil in them....


but, when you live in a disposable society....
 
83 chif said:
is the input bearings and pilot shaft the same thing?
Click to expand...


No, the input shaft bearing is in the cover plate you can see once the trannys removed. The pilot shaft is the little button one that goes into the crank.



83 chif said:
i did some quick shopping around and it looks like it might be easier to buy a used 100 dollar tranny and throw it in place of mine. after 240,xxx miles, i'm sure whatever these bad bearings are are just the beginning of trans' descent into s**** metal.

if i do grab a used transmission, is there any way to check for wear or any parts to replace before i install it? any advice?

thanks again for all the help!
Click to expand...


Well, there's a reason we call junk yard motors "mystery motors".

We just haven't thought a snappy way of putting it for the trannys yet :D


You can turn the shaft and feel for the obvious. But IMO you'll still have to wait and see when you get a load on it...


Find a running driving...like a rollover or something. That is, if you have the space though.


1st thing you need to do is the obvious and cheapest. Put a shifter bushing in it. Then, if it persists, remove and check the PShaft bearings condition.

MO
 
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I doubt a shifter bushing is causing any of the problems. He said shifting was normal, so is shifting on mine. The bearings on 79-83 trannys where undersized. The tranny has made the same noises since I have owned the truck, even with fresh fluid. Its more than likely the tranny slowly giving up the ghost.
 
I have a 1988 pickup 2wd that I have owned for 19 years. 155,000 miles. It has a W55 tansmission. Don't know if this means anything in the contex of your 4 wheel drive. I think you have a W56 which is very much like my W55 except for the 1st and 2nd gear ratios.

In the past few years the transmission made noise under acceleration in all gears, except 4th. No noise if I lifted off the gas. Loudest in 5th. Clutch in or out had nothing to do with the noise.

Had a local shop take the transmission apart. The mainshaft bearing was bad. Did not hear the noise in 4th because that is direct drive. Louder in 5th because there is more load on the mainshaft in 5th. Input shaft was also starting to go bad.

A rebuild kit was put in that includes all new Japanese bearings. This is a picture of the old parts. The input and mainshaft bearings are the large ones. In my transmission both bearings looked the same to me. The mainshaft bearing was hard to spin smoothly. When I spun the input shaft bearing it was like there was some sand in there - but not as bad as the mainshaft bearing.

Lucky the rebuild was $300 for labor and $220 for the rebuild kit. Guy who owns the shop rebuilds transmissions, rear ends, transfer cases, and anything else that moves on a Toyota. Also restores Landcruisers. He was a lucky find.

Drives like it did when I bought it 19 years ago.
Manjit (16).webp
manjit 53.webp
 
Welcome. And do you know those ratio #s by any chance?


Tool Pants said:
I think you have a W56 which is very much like my W55 except for the 1st and 2nd gear ratios.
Click to expand...


:hhmm:
 
83 chif said:
yea, it sounds like it is coming from the front of the tranny, from the best i can tell, which isn't saying much.

is the input bearings and pilot shaft the same thing?

i did some quick shopping around and it looks like it might be easier to buy a used 100 dollar tranny and throw it in place of mine. after 240,xxx miles, i'm sure whatever these bad bearings are are just the beginning of trans' descent into scrap metal.

if i do grab a used transmission, is there any way to check for wear or any parts to replace before i install it? any advice?

thanks again for all the help!
Click to expand...

If you can pick up a used tranny for 100.00 then you are doing well. I would suggest looking for a tranny/transfer combo. When I was looking for mine, most I came across were still connected so install was much easier.

Might as well do the pilot bearing/clutch when you have it out.
 
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