Transmission shot?? (1 Viewer)

[LCconvert]

I have been having problems with my transmission for about a year now. It was just over a year ago that we were coming back from the mountains having cut firewood when someone noticed my 1994 LC was dripping fluid from the front. It was radiator fluid. Long story short, a large brimmed hat was left tied to my bumper during the 1.5 hour drive home. The wife did not notice any changes in temperature during the drive (that doesn't mean it didn't happen though). She was driving the LC while I was driving the truck full of wood.

The fluid was not just coolant but coolant mixed with ATF. So I replaced the radiator and flushed the entire system using the tranny cooler hoses and hoped for the best. It seemed like the flush worked and nothing was wrong for about a month until I made a 6 hour journey to the Kaibab for a hunt. The LC ran great the whole trip up even with pulling my little offroad trailer. No problems going up the plateau either, and that is a pretty steep climb. However, on the return trip up after just reaching the top of the plateau (a very steep incline) my LC stopped moving just as we topped the hill. No matter how much gas or what gear I put it in it acted like it was in neutral. The engine just rev'd. It wasn't until after sitting there for about 45 minutes that it started to move again. We limped into the nearest gas station and checked the ATF. It was dirty so I drained it and replaced it with new fluid. We took it slow for the rest of the way home because if I ran it at higher speeds the transmission would go out and I mean go out.. No movement until I waited a while. If I kept it at about 30 mph it did just fine. My CDL was also locked and remains locked to this day. After I got back, I drained the ATF again but this time dropped the pan and cleaned the filter and put new fluid in.

The only driving I have done this past year was to see if I could get the CDL to unlock. No luck there. The transmission has seemed fine EXCEPT I for some shuddering going from a complete stop to just a couple mph. If I took it slow from a stop it was fine. Wasn't sure what that was so I thought for the most part it might be back to normal and I just had some residual coolant in the system. Now comes hunting season. I had decided after reading here that it might not be the end of the world to drive the LC with a locked CDL. I know this is controversial but I knew I would only be driving a minimal distance on the highway and then all dirt roads. So to get ready, I checked the ATF level (warmed up) and noticed it was a little low. I added a quart more and took it on drive. I decided to push it on the highway and it seemed normal. Came back checked the level and notice now it was low according to the hot marks. Since I had driven it on the highway for sometime I thought using those marks was correct. I added even more fluid. Now I was about 6 quarts. Started down the driveway and up our little hill and stopped at the stop sign. Proceeded to go and....nothing I started rolling backwards. No gears worked. I put in neutral and rolled down the hill turned it off and waited about 3 minutes. Started it and it went about 10 yards and lost all gears again. Mind you I am only feet away from my house. Waited a few more minutes and got into my driveway and left it.

I have not had any gears since. When I start it up the transmission squeals a little and then goes silent. Just today I started the LC after I got home and the squealing was quite loud. So in hopes of stopping the squealing I quickly put it in reverse and the truck went into its reverse gear!! I quickly put it back into park for a bit, the squeals went away. Put it back into reverse and nothing!! Went through all the gears and still nothing. Tried it again an hour or so later...still nothing.

I hope this all makes sense.

Any ideas? I am ready to get a new transmission, I just need this truck running. I have had it for a long time and it is hard being without it.

 

[LCconvert]

I should also note that the situation is the same when in LO. I have also looked underneath to see if the driveshafts move at all. They don't in either HI or LO.

 

[voodu3]

Have you looked at the AT troubleshooting in the FSM? That’s a good place to start. Have you disconnected the solenoid plug and tried shifting it manually? Do you have a CDL switch or did it stay locked from when you put it in low range? @OTRAMM does a live Q and A on his YouTube channel on Tuesday nights at 6:00. I thought mine was trashed according to the Toyota dealer when I first got my 93 and it was bad solenoids. Attached is the AT troubleshooting from the FSM.

 

[sjpitts]

Ok, to help my brother out a little bit. Here is the section of the troubles PDF Voodu3 posted for "vehicle does not move". Given that his problems started when his radiator blew and filled his transmission with radiator fluid, which of these problems is more likely to be the culprit? It doesn't seem like it would just be something like the linkage. But could it just be the valve body? What is most likely to have failed as a result of radiator fluid in the transmission?

 

[slow95z]

if you need one i can send you one or 3 if you pay shipping. free of charge if you want. i would highly doubt its a bad transmission.

 

[LCconvert]

if you need one i can send you one or 3 if you pay shipping. free of charge if you want. i would highly doubt its a bad transmission.

Thanks!! I just may take you up on that...

Do you have any suggestions on what it might be if not the transmission? Remember I have no gears forward or reverse, in LO or HI. The transmission is also squealing on start up for a roughly 20 to 30 seconds and stops. On time it moved in reverse during the squealing but stop engaging after the squealing went away.

 

[LCconvert]

And remember this did not happen overnight. It has been a year since the radiator fluid was introduced to the transmission. And has progressively gotten worse.

 

[slow95z]

I would start with dropping the pan, cleaning the filter and adding fresh fluid.

 

[LCconvert]

I would start with dropping the pan, cleaning the filter and adding fresh fluid.

My bad, I should have mentioned this earlier but I have done that already. Even after my initial complete flush of the entire system. I have also drained the fluid multiple times as well since dropping the pan and cleaning the filter. I guess it wouldn't hurt to do it again.

 

[LCconvert]

Just reread my post...I did say I dropped the pan and cleaned the filter. But that is a long post...and details get easily lost.

 

[slow95z]

Well if you want a trans you can have one. Just let me know.

 

[LINUS]

When you dropped the pan, was there a bunch of coolant, or slim/none?

These are really hard to kill slushboxes.

I seem to recall it’s some sorta mini-bus trans in Japan.

Was the flush an exchange or a “power flush” -job from a shop?

 

[elhombre]

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I had a buddy in high school put a brand new tranny into a car. But the radiator had a leak at the tranny cooler. It allowed water into the tranny. Had to replace a brand new tranny. Water and internal tranny parts don't mix. A quick search got me a site that talks about the clutch plate glue dissolving because of water.

Alot of people try to change fluid out when they start having shifting and slipping problems. The old fluid contains the clutch material in it, and that material/fluid mixture is the last thing that is keeping the tranny going down the road. Change the fluid out, and replace it with clean slippery fluid, the tranny quits moving because the clutch material is neither on the clutches or in the fluid anymore.

Here's a quick reference from "Mister Transmission". With a name like that, you know it's got to be gospel......

Water in the Transmission | Mister Transmission

Water in the transmission spells trouble, even a very small amout can create massive problems. But how does it get in there in the first place and how can you avoid it from getting inside?

www.mistertransmission.com

 

[Red Merle]

I saved a 2000 4Runner that had the pink milkshake by completely flushing the entire cooling system and replacing the radiator and then also ran 10 gallons of ATF through the transmission until the stuff coming out looked as good as the stuff going in. That truck has another 20K miles on it now.

It sounds like this one might be one of the first A442 trannys to poop the bed. As others have noted, it's very robust and far, far more more machine than what this truck would have needed. I like to imagine the crew that was assembled to design the 80 having a discussion about which tranny to toss in there and somebody mentioned that the city bus trans that they put in the Coaster and a bunch of other massive vehicles was pretty stout and the 80 weighed like 10% of a fully loaded city bus. "Good call, Yuki. Let's toss that in there."

I think for ease of operation and the fact that you don't know if you are just polishing a turd, I would take slow up on a used one and just get it in there.

You could take the old one out and dissect it for posterity, but you could probably just bolt in a new trans in a weekend if you planned for it and had all the parts you want to replace on hand and have researched how you are going to tackle the job.

Motor hoists are cheap to rent or buy.

 

[sjpitts]

After thinking about this some more, my best guess is that there remained some radiator fluid/water in the transmission after the first flush. And that, combined with whatever damage was done the first time, is what finally killed the transmission on the Kaibab trip one month later. As Elhombre points out, that water dissolves the friction material in the clutch plates and eventually, you don't move anymore.

That seems like a good explanation for how a 442 was finally killed.

But to be clear--- if the radiator fluid/water in the transmission kills the clutch plates there is no cheap solution, right? You just can't easily replace those clutch plates?

The best fix is a good used transmission to swap in?

 

[Red Merle]

After thinking about this some more, my best guess is that there remained some radiator fluid/water in the transmission after the first flush. And that, combined with whatever damage was done the first time, is what finally killed the transmission on the Kaibab trip one month later. As Elhombre points out, that water dissolves the friction material in the clutch plates and eventually, you don't move anymore.

That seems like a good explanation for how a 442 was finally killed.

But to be clear--- if the radiator fluid/water in the transmission kills the clutch plates there is no cheap solution, right? You just can't easily replace those clutch plates?

The best fix is a good used transmission to swap in?

Yeah, I think the year of driving it with the issue probably did kill it. The Runner I mentioned had less than 500 miles on it before he noted the issue and we had it towed to my place so that we didn't run anything before I flushed everything. It was a huge mess too. I had to relax my standards for acceptable amounts of both coolant and trans fluid that splashed on the ground and I filled up like 7, 5 gallon pails that we took to the haz mat facility.

I agree. She's done. No need to create a Super Fund site over something that is probably true, especially when you can get a good used trans shipped to your nearest Fastenal for a few hundred bucks(I think slow deserves more for his efforts, but he made the statement.)

 

[slow95z]

well let me know before i haul another bunch off to the scrapper. all i keep is the pan, solenoids and wiring. the actual trans i junk since i have never sold one.

 

[LCconvert]

Not sure how I feel about going down in MUD history as the first to kill a A442...

On a side note, I just jumped into the 80 and started it up. After a couple seconds I put it in reverse and it went! I stopped the 80 after a few feet, put it in drive and went a few feet forward. Put it back in reverse and...nothing. Went through all the gears and nothing. That quickly it was gone.

I have no idea what this means. Why would it work for a few seconds only? Mind you the truck has sat for two days maybe since I last started it.

BTW, I really appreciate all the help. I really don't know anything about this transmission or automatic transmission in general.

thanks!!

 

[LCconvert]

And Slow I have a lead on a transmission here locally but I have yet to see it in person. If you don't mind I would like to check out that one first before I have you go through the trouble of packing one up. Is that ok?

 

[mjosoba]

well let me know before i haul another bunch off to the scrapper. all i keep is the pan, solenoids and wiring. the actual trans i junk since i have never sold one.

Where are you located and how do you end up with so many A442’s? I’ve seen you say similar before. Do you do the same with the A343’s?