DIY Transmission swap, Anyone done it? Tundra trans compatible? (1 Viewer)

[IOPTURBO]

so my LX570 is at 275k and the transmission is ready for retirement. Harsh upshifts, missed downshifts and its no longer predictable. I did the valve body a few years ago along with all of the solenoids. It made the CEL go away and improved it a little but I think it was too late.

Has anyone done this themselves? I'm not concerned about my ability more the fact it won't be on a lift. If anyone has done it and knows how high I need to get it that would be useful.

From my understanding all AB60's are essentially the same mechanically with the Tundra/sequoia. The only difference being the tailpiece 2wd/4wd and a sensor but if I have them sitting there it would be apparent and I could use a Tundra trans. Is this correct or is there something that I'm missing? It's obviously much easier to find a low mile Tundra trans than one from a 200 series. If I get a Toyota reman I have to purchase the torque converter seperately it looks like?

 

[Sandroad]

Have you checked part number compatibility on parts sites? That might give you an initial clue. I do wonder how many sensors and how the electronic controls will differ.

@linuxgod is replacing his 6 speed this month with a reman and will know if the torque converter is a separate part. Quick edit....from reading his thread just now it looks like he's not sure if the converter is a separate part number.

You can likely get the clearance question answered yourself by measuring from the ground to the top of the bell housing and then calculating how high you need to be to get the transmission under the frame. As I learned when I removed and repaired the manual transmission on my Tacoma years ago, you also have to figure in just how low the transmission jack will go.

 

[04UZJ100]

Did you do any fluid changes on it? What kind of life did it live?

 

[burtlively]

I’ve noted on a few threads I bought reman transmission in 2023. Torque converter was included. Bell Lexus has it on sale now.

 

[yOHda]

I maybe paid 1k less for a well used Tundra trans. Not for a swap in a 200. I might would stick with a 200 trans just to avoid any unforeseen issues with compatibility.

You just need to get the vehicle high enough to fit yourself and the transmissions in and out. I lift them a little higher in my old age to avoid the claustrophobic feeling I get every once in a while.

Engine hoist to be able to tilt the engine for ease of installation and lining things up.

A bottle jack may also be your friend.

 

[linuxgod]

@kcjaz swapped his and can probably provide some context about the effort.

Slee is doing my swap. A little more than what @kcjaz paid but he was in KC. I couldn’t get the truck back to Chicago, and don’t have a lift or enough hands available to assist me anyhow.

Yeah from what I’ve found in the FSM if the solenoids are sticking they run the risk of burning out the clutches, so even if you swap them you may have a lot of excessive wear depending on how long it went on.

Personally reman Land Cruiser made more sense to me than used, given the cost of labor and the dice rolling involved on anything used. If you’re doing the work yourself and can get a used one cheap and don’t value the time too highly then it might be worth the risk.

FYI core charge on a reman is $1000, so I doubt you can find a used transmission for less than that, even non-functional.

 

[kcjaz]

We had 3-5 guys working over 5 days to swap all my mods and upgraded parts from my wrecked 200 to my new one. Part of that was swaping the transfer and trannies. I think we (my contribution was watching) did the transmission/transfer swap (including new rear main seal) in about 1/2 day (maybe 5 hours) with 2 guys on each truck. Shout out to @cjmoon, best cruiser shop in KC!

 

[kcjaz]

@linuxgod,
Here’s a good pic of the starter:

I’m pretty sure we had to take the starter out to access one or more transmission bolts.

 

[burtlively]

Good stuff. That starter is in an easily accessible place. LOL
Still have no idea what I was thinking that I could actually swap it out myself. Comical.

 

[gasman4u]

We had 3-5 guys working over 5 days to swap all my mods and upgraded parts from my wrecked 200 to my new one. Part of that was swaping the transfer and trannies. I think we (my contribution was watching) did the transmission/transfer swap (including new rear main seal) in about 1/2 day (maybe 5 hours) with 2 guys on each truck. Shout out to @cjmoon, best cruiser shop in KC!

View attachment 3966126View attachment 3966127View attachment 3966128View attachment 3966129View attachment 3966130View attachment 3966131View attachment 3966132View attachment 3966133View attachment 3966134

View attachment 3966135

That’s like watching your kid have surgery! I’d struggle with that!

 

[Sandroad]

If all those electrical connectors go to the transmission, the chances of a Tundra swap seem unlikely.

 

[IOPTURBO]

Did you do any fluid changes on it? What kind of life did it live?

Yes, it was serviced routinely but I do tow, pull out stuck jeeps etc... I took care of it but I didn't just drive around town. It sucks that its failed but it did a good job.

I’ve noted on a few threads I bought reman transmission in 2023. Torque converter was included. Bell Lexus has it on sale now.

View attachment 3966093

Thats hard to pass up. I'm wondering if I can get my local dealer to match since I would need to get the core back to whoever I buy it from.

I maybe paid 1k less for a well used Tundra trans. Not for a swap in a 200. I might would stick with a 200 trans just to avoid any unforeseen issues with compatibility.

You just need to get the vehicle high enough to fit yourself and the transmissions in and out. I lift them a little higher in my old age to avoid the claustrophobic feeling I get every once in a while.

Engine hoist to be able to tilt the engine for ease of installation and lining things up.

A bottle jack may also be your friend.

Yeah If I decide to do it I'll get some higher jack stands. I'm in the early stages of building a new house and my shop will definitely have a lift.

@kcjaz swapped his and can probably provide some context about the effort.

Slee is doing my swap. A little more than what @kcjaz paid but he was in KC. I couldn’t get the truck back to Chicago, and don’t have a lift or enough hands available to assist me anyhow.

Yeah from what I’ve found in the FSM if the solenoids are sticking they run the risk of burning out the clutches, so even if you swap them you may have a lot of excessive wear depending on how long it went on.

Personally reman Land Cruiser made more sense to me than used, given the cost of labor and the dice rolling involved on anything used. If you’re doing the work yourself and can get a used one cheap and don’t value the time too highly then it might be worth the risk.

FYI core charge on a reman is $1000, so I doubt you can find a used transmission for less than that, even non-functional.

That's not bad for SLEE to do it, I called around and most of the shops around me are 6kish and they don't have the reputation of SLEE. After looking at the price on a factory reman it's a no brainer. It's now do I do it or let someone else. I have trust issues so I like to do everything myself.
The conclusion I arrived at is the transmission adjusts itself so well that by the time you have a CEL for the solenoids the damage is done.

We had 3-5 guys working over 5 days to swap all my mods and upgraded parts from my wrecked 200 to my new one. Part of that was swaping the transfer and trannies. I think we (my contribution was watching) did the transmission/transfer swap (including new rear main seal) in about 1/2 day (maybe 5 hours) with 2 guys on each truck. Shout out to @cjmoon, best cruiser shop in KC!

View attachment 3966126View attachment 3966127View attachment 3966128View attachment 3966129View attachment 3966130View attachment 3966131View attachment 3966132View attachment 3966133View attachment 3966134

View attachment 3966135

Thanks for the images, that actually helps. When I do it the RMS and starter will be done as well, too easy not to.

 

[Malleus]

so my LX570 is at 275k and the transmission is ready for retirement. Harsh upshifts, missed downshifts and its no longer predictable. I did the valve body a few years ago along with all of the solenoids. It made the CEL go away and improved it a little but I think it was too late.

Has anyone done this themselves? I'm not concerned about my ability more the fact it won't be on a lift. If anyone has done it and knows how high I need to get it that would be useful.

From my understanding all AB60's are essentially the same mechanically with the Tundra/sequoia. The only difference being the tailpiece 2wd/4wd and a sensor but if I have them sitting there it would be apparent and I could use a Tundra trans. Is this correct or is there something that I'm missing? It's obviously much easier to find a low mile Tundra trans than one from a 200 series. If I get a Toyota reman I have to purchase the torque converter seperately it looks like?

Yes, you can do it yourself, in your driveway, but you'll need a few things first:
1» You need to remove the passenger side step and get the frame up as high as your (4) 6-ton jackstands will safely let you raise it.
2» You need either a low rise transmission jack or a 3-ton floor jack, with a modified cradle to support both the tranmission and transfer case.
3» You need a helper, with at least some mechanical knowledge; not so much for removal, but definitely for installation.
4» Plan on splitting the transmission and transfer after removal and reassembling before installation.

No, the Tundra will not be a direct replacement for the LX570. A reman transmission is the only option, IMHO. A used transmission, from any truck, puts you in the same position you're in now, unless you plan on rebuilding yours, and are just using the used transmission as a interim spare.

$2,800 for a Toyota reman is a fair price. Depending on the age of your truck, Lexus may give you a discount. Hendrick in Charlotte does; at least for me.

 

[linuxgod]

That's not bad for SLEE to do it, I called around and most of the shops around me are 6kish and they don't have the reputation of SLEE. After looking at the price on a factory reman it's a no brainer. It's now do I do it or let someone else. I have trust issues so I like to do everything myself.
The conclusion I arrived at is the transmission adjusts itself so well that by the time you have a CEL for the solenoids the damage is done.

It was a bit higher than I'd hoped (I was hoping about $6k too since that's what @kcjax paid in KC) but when I checked the dealer parts around Denver they were for some reason about $3500 for the reman transmission which was $500 more than in KC, so the price is similar IMO. And yes I trust Slee, and also I trust them to do a thorough and honest inspection of the truck while it's there which in itself is worth it to me.

I think that's my conclusion as well. I drove 300 miles before I got a code, and then after scanning all systems it was just the O2 sensor (which had been appearing all trip). Rather than reset it I finished the drive to Slee (another 50 or so miles). I didn't try to do a full rescan when I got there. So either (a) the transmission codes appeared in the last 50 miles in which case the damage was almost assuredly done, or (b) the codes never appeared in OBD Fusion and would have never thrown a check engine light but were stored in the ECU and available in Techstream, or possibly (c) the codes appeared on restart after I dropped the truck off. Either way yeah if something is intermittently failing maybe the codes will catch it but once you have a full solenoid failure if you wait for a code the damage is probably already done.

 

[32cls6speedmt]

@IOPTURBO @Trollhole

Troll hole is in Greenville sc. I would contact them and see if they will replace your transmission. Very trust worthy landcruiser shop.

 

[gasman4u]

@IOPTURBO I have first hand experience with @Trollhole . Marshall, Teddy, etc are all stand up guys I too would trust with this big lift.