This is my first post with the group hopefully I'm on the right forum. I have a 1977 fj40. It has a probable transmission issue. No one in my area, muscle shoals, wants anything to do with it. Any recommendations for FJ specialists in the area. I'm thinking I may need to travel to Huntsville, Nashville, or Birmingham, but hopefully closer. Any information gratefully received, thanks.
Cruiser specialists North Alabama (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bama4mud
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What's it doing?
Mike
Jackson, TN
Mike
Jackson, TN
Catching Neutral
GOLD Star
Rocket City Cruisers…Huntsville, Al
- Thread starter
- #4
Loud clattering sound in the region of the transmission when you let off the throttle. When you apply throttle all gears work properly. Some guys I spoke with think it's a driveline issue, not the tranny. Driveline looks tight. Recently, it developed another problem that left me stranded. So I really can't take it out to see what is happening. Nevertheless, I think it is the tranny. Thanks for asking, and I'll post when I find out.
- Thread starter
- #5
Here is a follow up on my query from a month ago. I contacted Rory at Rocket City Cruisers. Initially, he seemed available to help. After our second conversation, I mentioned my ride was a chevy conversion and apparenty he lost interest as I have not heard back from him - 3 weeks . (Told him everything up to the clutch was bona fide fj40 oem., as this is where the problem lay...nothing to do with the Chevy motor.) On our first call, after describing the problem, he seemed confident in telling me I had a failed transaxle pilot bearing. He said it was a common issue and the easiest (cheapest?) solution was to replace the whole transaxle w. a used unit.
Bottom line: still looking for someone to handle the problem....thanks.
Bottom line: still looking for someone to handle the problem....thanks.
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
What the heck is a "transaxle pilot bearing"?
- Thread starter
- #7
Not sure, just what I was told. I assume its a bearing in the transaxle casting that supports the end of an internal shaft. At any rate, if that's the case, it probably would make the noise I heard.
… And the sound then goes away? Any noise under neutral idle?
- Thread starter
- #10
At idle or under 5 mph, there are no unusual noises from the tranny region
Not transaxle, it's the transmission input pilot bearing bushing. Sits in a pocket at the end of the crankshaft and the nose of the transmission input fits into it.
It can be replaced if indeed it's the problem. Likely the transmission needs to be inspected closely also. Any reputable transmission shop can do this work. There's nothing terribly special about it.
If the other problem is not related, you may need a shop that knows old Land Cruisers. Some Heep 4x4 shops work on FJ40s also, but be very careful to be sure they have a lot of experience with them.
There are two clubs in Alabama:
forum.ih8mud.com
forum.ih8mud.com
Edited for correctness
It can be replaced if indeed it's the problem. Likely the transmission needs to be inspected closely also. Any reputable transmission shop can do this work. There's nothing terribly special about it.
If the other problem is not related, you may need a shop that knows old Land Cruisers. Some Heep 4x4 shops work on FJ40s also, but be very careful to be sure they have a lot of experience with them.
There are two clubs in Alabama:
AL- Hot South Cruisers
forum.ih8mud.com
AL- DixieLand Cruisers
forum.ih8mud.com
Edited for correctness
Last edited:
Sounds like a bad u-joint to me. Had the same issue many years ago. Fine under load, until you let off the gas. Check your u-joints!
pb4ugo
SILVER Star
An SBC would have a pilot bushing and not a bearing. I doubt that's what is creating the noise.
