FJ62 Transmission Issues (1 Viewer)

[tschuszl]

Hey Guys, I know there are lots of threads on replacing 62 transmissions...but I wanted to get more local feedback and advice from you all.

This summer my transmission overheated several times, and then a few weeks ago it starting having trouble shifting up in gears. The guys at LCNW recommended I take my truck to River City Transmissions.

They drove it around and inspected external parts but said it was coming from inside the tranny and to actually diagnose it they’d have to take down the transmission which would immediately start costing some serious money. Just a repair (depending on what it is) could be $1200-3000. And Ive heard complete rebuild would be around $3k. Where as a H55F swap is around $6k? Either way I don't have the funds right now, and need to take some time to save and think about my options.

I wanted to get some advice from you all about a rebuild VS a swap, and what is the most cost effective.

Cheers!
Tal

 

[umpqua]

I'd definitely do the H55 swap and the only place that I would take it would be Willamette Blvd Auto. They're pretty backed up over there so not sure when they could get you in.

 

[lechnito]

How many miles does your rig have and when was the last time you checked your trans fluid level? Are there any metal bits in the transmission pan? Best case scenario is the problem goes away with a Rodney flush and you install an external trans cooler to avoid overheating again.

As for rebuilding, the A440 auto transmission is apparently pretty complicated to rebuild. I haven't heard of River City Transmissions before, but I would trust a reference from LCNW.

If money and time weren't concerns, then the H55F swap would yield the biggest improvement. I believe @Paul DiNapoli did this swap on his own and will have a ton of good advice if you want to go that route. He even published a very detailed spreadsheet with all the parts you would need to source.

 

[tschuszl]

I changed the fluid and filter last Winter. The level seems fine but the fluid is definitely brown. I may do a flush again just to see if that helps.

Thanks! I will have to look over @Paul DiNapoli threads, I think it's still probably too complex a job for my skill set, but I'd still like to know what goes into it.

 

[lechnito]

I wouldn't trust any trans fluid that was allowed to overheat for very long. Did you do the full Rodney flush where you disconnect the trans cooler hose from your radiator and run your rig in neutral while carefully adding back more fluid?

Have you looked at your kickdown cable yet? About 2 years ago, my cable was getting stuck in the housing which resulted in all manner of gear shifting issues. For example, after a short time driving around the city, it was like my FJ62 was stuck in 1st gear and would kick out 3K+ RPMs at 45mph.

Replacing the cable solved all the shifting issues I was experiencing. The cable itself was around $65 and you can install it yourself by dropping the transmission pan.

 

[Paul DiNapoli]

I changed the fluid and filter last Winter. The level seems fine but the fluid is definitely brown. I may do a flush again just to see if that helps.

Thanks! I will have to look over @Paul DiNapoli threads, I think it's still probably too complex a job for my skill set, but I'd still like to know what goes into it.

link to my h55 swap thread - there's a link in there to my google sheet...feel free to copy to your own and start procuring parts!
My H55 swap thread

i would say that my wrenching skills and fabrication skills are average at best... the h55 swap was not too hard. there were aspects of it that were hard - but overall - really not that big of a deal. I was done in 2 weeks. took a total of a month to be rolling again - but 2 weeks of those 4 were waiting on drive lines...the actual work was 2 weeks end to end...and i gained a lot of confidence in my ability to keep my truck rolling - and got to know it very well.

i bought a transmission jack from harbor freight that made it pretty easy - and made it safe...you're welcome to use it.

There's a bunch of parts that are going to take a while to find/procure. I'd start there...pull down a copy of my spreadsheet and start sourcing parts.

there's another guy here (Jason) that did his right after I did mine - you've got a lot of help around here.

that being said...my total price was a little over $5000.00 all in - and maybe paying a professional to get it done in just a few days might be worth it if it's your daily driver - or if you have no place to do it. it was a messy project and I have a nice long driveway and a garage..still it was a mess!

ask lots of questions - everyone here will help. if you've done any decent wrenching like brakes, leaf springs, bled your own clutch or anything like that...then a 5 speed swap is within your grasp. the parts all generally bolt together like a puzzle.