86 SR5 Transmission issues

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JDNightFox
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86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by JDNightFox »

Found this website through a Google search, hi

Literally just picked up an '86 SR5 with a blown transmission last night

The main output gear is shredded beyond recognition along with a few others, not sure how recoverable it is. The case is okay though.

Need another transmission, but where to start?
It's the 6 speed, has 140k miles

Anything else I need to check over on it?
Last edited by JDNightFox on Mon Nov 02, 2015 8:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Gottolovem
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My tercel:: 1985 SR5 with snow plow,1987 auto 1984 parts car,1987 FX-16 GTS
Location: Reno

Re: send help

Post by Gottolovem »

Welcome
You need to do a little more troubleshooting of what part of the transaxle is broken!
Is the gearbox busted or the front differential?
What gear raito is the tranny in it? (They often have been messed with)
Did the last owner tell you "how it broke?"
Their is a couple members here with parts or complete units but we need more info.
You know the tranny needs to come out already so get after it when your done you will have more answers.
Pull front diff cover count teeth if their still there.

Good luck
JDNightFox
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Re: send help

Post by JDNightFox »

The previous owner pulled the transmission so it's already out and disassembled. The main output gear has all the teeth ground off plus another gear and a few other things. It would probably be easiest to just find a complete working transmission to drop in while I tinker with the old one since it's undriveable currently
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Gottolovem
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Re: send help

Post by Gottolovem »

Sounds like the front diff could still be ok.
You should pull the cover count the ring and pinion gear to confirm what was in there
JDNightFox
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Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by JDNightFox »

I don't have the car with me anymore so I can't look at anything for another week or two once I get back to my other house.

All i know is that whatever is connected to the rear driveshaft is removed and in pieces in the trunk, along with the rear driveshaft. The previous owner said he had to put something back in because the car couldn't roll without it, but the starter motor is removed and there's no transmission shifter. I think the 4wd shifter is still there if that's the one closest to the driver seat pointing forward. No not the e-brake.

He said that when he got it that it was hard to put into first gear so he changed the oil thinking that would fix it and "apparently did something wrong with that"


Forgive me for knowing absolutely nothing about these, I didn't even know they existed until I accidentally came across the craigslist ad for this one
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Gottolovem
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Location: Reno

Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by Gottolovem »

Stick with it until it is back on the road you will be glad you did
Their is someone in New Mexico with a tranny for your car but you will need to change out the rear diff to match it likely.
That's why i'm after the ring and pinion count! You can just change the gear box from any year T4 (not my preferred method}
JDNightFox
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Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by JDNightFox »

Found a website selling an 87 6 speed for 860 out the door + free shipping, is that an okay price for one?

http://www.lowmileageparts.com/1987-TOY ... jeo_rczbDc
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Gottolovem
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Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by Gottolovem »

Scarry from a parts house :shock:
I'll bet you can get one of this forum for half that :oldgeek:
JDNightFox
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Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by JDNightFox »

Gottolovem wrote:Scarry from a parts house :shock:
I'll bet you can get one of this forum for half that :oldgeek:
Yeah I thought so

There's one on eBay for 300 but I'm not sure what year it's off of and they won't let me message the seller about it

Is it possible to change the front gearing to the 4:1 ratio? Or is it easier to just change the rear axle gearing if it's the older style
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Petros
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Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by Petros »

welcome to the forum!

If your car has the original trans axle assembly, the front and rear diff should have the 4.1:1 final drive ring and pinion. That came in the '85-88 Tercel4wd wagons, the '83-84 had the 3.73:1 final drive. many parts houses and wreckign yards show that the whole year range from '83-'88 4wd trans interchangeable. This is not exactly correct, it can be interchanged if you swap out a matching front diff assembly on those two year's ranges, to match the rear diff. Or you can get a matching rear diff assembly to swap out to match the what ever you have in the replacement trans.

There can be a complication with this old a vehicle, the reason the trans failed was someone may have swapped in the wrong front diff ratio on bad advice from a wrecking yard, and than trashed the replacment trans. That is why it is important to verify what final drive ratio you have in front and rear diff before you get it back on the road.

It is also possible that the trans was run low on gear oil from a seal leaking, and this tents to trash the input shaft gears because they are highest in the trans, and tend to get oil starved first if the gear oil is low.

On the manual trans the gear oil in the front diff assembly, the main gear box, and the transfer case all mixes together. so there is also the very rear risk that the disintegrating gears was sending metal shavings all though the tranaxle assembly. So replacing the whole assembly is the best way to go if you can find the correct gear ratio font diff.

Trans are out there and available, but getting harder to find as this car get older. you can still get most bearings and seals, no syncros and no gear "hard parts", but there are many on this forum that keeps all junk trans for spare parts to keep these great little 4wd wagons on the road.

$860 is a bit steep unless it is like new (not likely, not worth trying to make an out of state claim agaist a shady operator, check out google reviews and consumer complaints against the supplier before you buy). There are still wrecking yards that will sell a good trans for $250-450, I would use a local one only, or one with a good reputation (of which I have not yet found). And see if there are any on this forum that is willing to sell their spare trans to get your ride going.

good luck.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
xirdneh
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Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by xirdneh »

transmission and front differential (aka transaxle) are two seperate items that are bolted together
tranny "only" can be swapped between the 83-88 years with no problem
front differential has to match rear differential gear ratio 3.73 to 3.73 or 4.1 to 4.1
save the broken tranny, you may need it for parts someday in the future when you are a full fledged tercel repairman
there are youtube vids on 6 speed 4wd tranny repair
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
JDNightFox
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Re: 86 SR5 Transmission issues

Post by JDNightFox »

Yeah the fluid sounds like it wasn't changed correctly

I'll be on the lookout for transmissions so thanks for the help so far
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