Transmission needed bad

[T4WDOR]

Need a new transmission to get an 86 i bought for 200$ running, if i can get a trans it will be one of two t4wd's i own! So if you got one ill pay for shipping and all! My diagnosis is the transmission because when i fired it up and put it in neutral and let the clutch out, there is a horrible grinding, same with when i put it in first and drove it, it rolls, but just enough to get it on a trailer to my house. Thanks a ton!

[Petros]

Welcome to the list!

Was that the blue/gray DX that was on Craig's list the week before Thanksgiving? I considered that car, but it was just too far to go get when it needed a transmission. Good it went to a Tercel4wd enthusiast. There is two T4wd in the Sherwood OR Picknpull, at least one is good and will work in your '86 (correct gear ratio), when I was there a month ago. It is just south of Portland, a bit of a drive for you but worth it to get a good trans. If you have the time and $, I would pull both of the trans, keep one for parts or as a spare. Well worth it. I would have but I did not have time since I was driving north from CA to get home.

Good luck.

[T4WDOR]

cool ill check out the sherwood one, hopefully its not too much money. Its an 86 sr5 blue gray i got in Ashland and trailered it to Grants Pass like forty miles away, and the engine runs good but its got like 340K on the chassis on a 2nd engine. Interior is terrible but its got a sun roof and everything functions (aside from the tranny). So if i get a cheap one id like to get it driveable.

[Petros]

sounds like the same one I considered. Best to pull your old trans and take it with you to the picknpull. They want like a $40 core charge for the trans, pull it your self and I think they will charge you about $140. Best deal around, has a 30 day warranty.

Here are some tests you can do once you get it out of the car: Turn the input shaft by hand and shift it throught all the gears, both in fwd and 4wd (including reverse). Verify that the output shaft/diff out put turn a different speed with each gear. check for smooth turning of the input and out put shafts (you will feel bad bearings as roughness). So make sure it will go into all six gears and reverse, and it turns smoothly in each. With that test you should get a good trans, the only thing this does not test is the syncros, but it will be driveable even with worn syncros.

When you get it in the car you might try an ATF flush: put in half and half ATF and cheap or used gear oil, drive it for a few days (including getting it good and warm at hwy speeds), than drain and refill with quality gear oil. Usually that will clean out old sludge and grit, and improve the function of the syncros.

You might consider installing new seals before you install the trans, espcially the one on the input shaft (hard to reach once the trans is installed). Also, I would not recommend running synthetic gear oil, it is too slippery for this trans which was designed to be used with regular gear oil. But if all the seals are good you can run a 50/50 mixture of synthetic trans oil and regular oil. I have found running synthic it will leak past the seals and also cause the gears to clash (like the syncros are worn out), but with a 50/50 mix it works fine. Factory recommends 90 wt gear oil, if you change that at 30k mile intervals the trans will last a very long time.

good luck.