Build "The Milk Truck" FJ45 Preservation Sorta

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Great work, Dennis. Still nailing those details!

The ECU is very picky about what signals it is getting from the transmission, the shifter, and the brake switch circuit. I'd recommend looking over your wiring and making sure that you haven't made a splice somewhere that could be causing a resistance or voltage deviation from OE. Also....grounds....connect every one of them from the ECU - all of 'em.

Having said all that, you can drop all the signals other than neutral and still drive it, but you won't have manual control of 4th and 1st - it should operate quietly. What noises are you hearing? Is it a mechanical or hydraulic noise?
 
Last edited:
Zjohnsonua said:
Great work, Dennis. Still nailing those details!

The ECU is very picky about what signals it is getting from the transmission, the shifter, and the brake switch circuit. I'd recommend looking over your wiring and making sure that you haven't made a splice somewhere that could be causing a resistance or voltage deviation from OE. Also....grounds....connect every one of them from the ECU - all of 'em.

Having said all that, you can drop all the signals other than neutral and still drive it, but you won't have manual control of 4th and 1st - it should operate quietly. What noises are you hearing? Is it a mechanical or hydraulic noise?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words and the advice. I really don’t believe wiring is the issue. I paid to have the engine and transmission harness built stand alone and what I had to wire in was pretty minimal.

I really feel like the issue is related to the hydraulic pressure in the system. I believe what I am hearing is the transmission trying to shift into gear when the hydraulic pressure is not sufficient to shift it. When I run the rpm’s up it will shift and as long as I stay on the throttle all seems fine but when I let off the pressure drops and it it gets noisy again until I build the pressure again by way of pressing the gas pedal.

I am wondering if the issue could be the routing of my lines though the custom radiator with built in cooler. I am planning to test this by looping the transmission lines together removing the cooler from the system. I read the transmission has a heat sensor in it that will put it into limp mode if it gets hot. I am curious to see if that might have been what killed it on the test drive the other day.

I hope test this theory tonight.
 
how much fluid did it take? Did you top it off a few times when you first got it running?
it might be low especially if it sat for such a long time without running.
 
I looped the transmission lines with a clear tube. I can see it circulating and looks fine. No change though when I put it in gear. I made a video of the noise and will upload a link for it shortly. Hopefully someone knows what is going on then.
 
cruisermatt said:
how much fluid did it take? Did you top it off a few times when you first got it running?
it might be low especially if it sat for such a long time without running.
Click to expand...


I have topped after running and it measures full when cold and measures full after warmed up. I can’t say how much it actually took to fill. I kept topping it off initially and didn’t keep track.

What is the danger in over filling, aside from it puking it out the dip stick? If that is it I am tempted to add more and see if it improves?
 
No danger in overfilling, but full is full.

it would be worthwhile to check the line pressure.

That is basically the fastest health check for an auto.
 
cruisermatt said:
No danger in overfilling, but full is full.

it would be worthwhile to check the line pressure.

That is basically the fastest health check for an auto.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help, I am going to have to rent a gauge and see what the pressure is.

The video is still uploading but I should have it up shortly.
 
Hopefully this works the link below is of me starting, shifting to D then N, R, P. Then back to D and all gears to Low and then back to park.

 
I took it out for a drive to record the noise on the road and it is done. You can hear me review it up, that is just me trying to get it to shift into gear. After slowing down to turn onto my road it decided it no longer wanted to shift into any forward gears. I was able to get it to shift into low to limp it home. Reverse into the garage worked fine.

I’m not sure what failed but I will be swapping it out.

Video attached for your enjoyment. Sorry if it is tough to hear, until I get the weatherstripping on the doors installed it sounds like your driving through a hurricane.

 
Last edited:
You will get it Dennis! We are cheering you on. Small set back to many cool memories ahead.
 
ceylonfj40nut said:
You will get it Dennis! We are cheering you on. Small set back to many cool memories ahead.
Click to expand...
Thanks, yes it is a set back but I know exactly what needs to be done to swap another transmission in. As long as the new one is good I will have it on the road again when I get time to work on it again. I appreciate the support.
 
I am just now getting back to this with hopes of swapping the transmission in time to make it to Ouray next week.

I have the transmission ready to come out, and should have it out tomorrow night. Pulling the transmission tunnel cover makes reaching all the plugs and bolts to pull the transmission really easy.
IMG_7917.webp


I realized the replacement transmission is from an 06 Land Cruiser which doesn’t have a dipstick. I am thinking of swapping the oil pans to keep the dipstick. I don’t know, I guess Toyota did away with it, so how beneficial is it to keep?
 
Like a dipstick. You can check, replace filter while your at it. All around a good idea😁
 
Tank5 said:
I am just now getting back to this with hopes of swapping the transmission in time to make it to Ouray next week.

I have the transmission ready to come out, and should have it out tomorrow night. Pulling the transmission tunnel cover makes reaching all the plugs and bolts to pull the transmission really easy.
View attachment 3384706

I realized the replacement transmission is from an 06 Land Cruiser which doesn’t have a dipstick. I am thinking of swapping the oil pans to keep the dipstick. I don’t know, I guess Toyota did away with it, so how beneficial is it to keep?
Click to expand...

Keep the dipstick! Its a pain without it.
 
I swapped the oil pan to keep the dipstick and installed a new oem filter and gaskets on the replacement transmission.

IMG_7923.webp


After draining the oil out of the bad transmission I found lots of glitter in the bottom of the pan and there was plenty of material stuck to the magnets in the bottom. I wonder what failed.

IMG_7919.webp


The replacement transmission was perfect as in I didn’t find anything in the bottom of the pan, it was clean.

The transmission and transfer case are bolted together and back in. Hopefully Saturday I can get it all put back together and take it for a test drive.
 
I got it is back together this morning and took it out for a test drive. It died just after I got 1/4 mile from the house. Had to get towed home by a neighbor. Spent the following 4 hours trying to figure out what happened. Turned out the relay for the fuel pump died. Swapped it out and got on the road. It seems to be shifting much smoother and quieter than the last transmission. I didn’t go far though. Took it home confirmed the fluid was topped off.

I bought a pressure gauge to check the transmission hydraulic pressure this time before I drive it any more. I will do that tonight, if it is where it should be I will start getting ready to head out to Ouray.
 
☹️ I conducted the hydraulic test and at idle it is within spec. Conducting the stall test it is within spec in reverse but it is 23 psi below the low spec limit in Drive. I warmed it up and conducted the test multiple times. Considering all the other test are well with in spec I am accepting that it needs work. I am also finding the it shift hard when put in drive. Shifting into reverse is smooth as expected.

I already destroyed one transmission and don’t want to kill this one. The FSM says low pressure test in D is due to a circuit leak or the C1 clutch is defective. I am not sure what that means exactly, can I just replace a part or is it a rebuild. I have some more learning to do.

At the moment I am thinking I am not going to make it to Ouray this week. I don’t want to kill this transmission if I can fix it. Bummer.
 
@Tank5 Just went threw this build and absolutely love it! One of my favorites! You may have helped me solve my oil filter problems. Did that 90 degree ford oil adapter bolt on or did you have to change out the hardware? Bummer your having transmission troubles but you will get it!
 
ryaneddy16 said:
@Tank5 Just went threw this build and absolutely love it! One of my favorites! You may have helped me solve my oil filter problems. Did that 90 degree ford oil adapter bolt on or did you have to change out the hardware? Bummer your having transmission troubles but you will get it!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words.

It has been a while since I played with the Ford Adapter but I believe it bolts right on. No special hardware needed. Good luck with your project.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom