Trans issues

General discussion about our beloved Tercel 4WD cars
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Terdcell
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Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:23 pm
My tercel:: 1985 4wd sr5 wagon

Trans issues

Post by Terdcell »

My car on take off from a red light popped outta fwd, and won’t go back in, it will only either go to neutral or 4wd. So I had to drive home in 4wd. Tried many different ways to get it back into fwd but it won’t go.. is the tranny low on fluid? Did something break internally in the trans? Anyone have this issue before?
1985 4wd sr5 wagon
1981 3door hatch
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SirFoxx
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Posts: 335
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 5:42 pm
My tercel:: 1981 Toyota Tercel w/ 7age

Re: Trans issues

Post by SirFoxx »

manual or auto?
1988 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon w/ weber (RIP)
1985 4wd Tercel SR5 (RIP)
1986 Base 2dr Hatch (RIP / PARTS)
1986 DLX 4wd Tercel Wagon with ???
1985 DLX 2dr Tercel Hatch w/manual swap
1981 2dr Toyota Tercel w/7age (RIP)
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel w/Turbo 4AGE
1981 3dr hatch Toyota Tercel SR-5
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NWMO
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Re: Trans issues

Post by NWMO »

Terdcell,

As you indicate an SR5 I am going to assume you have a M/T car. There is no neutral between 2WD and 4WD, the car always supplies power to the front wheels when the transmission is in a gear. Putting the car in 4WD changes nothing in the FWD portion, only slides a collar connecting the rear of the transmission to the rear drive shaft. Since you have no movement in 2WD, but can drive in 4WD, it sounds like you have lost some component of the front drive train. I would expect a "stripped" shaft or "receiver" (my word for the hollow differential shaft the front transmission shaft slides into) OR more likely, a failed half-shaft that is broken or stripped. I would get the front safely on jack stands and start turning the tires by hand while I listented carefully. You can also pull trans/diff drain plugs and start looking for metal pieces.

Chris
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Terdcell
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Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:23 pm
My tercel:: 1985 4wd sr5 wagon

Re: Trans issues

Post by Terdcell »

NWMO wrote: Tue Feb 22, 2022 11:01 am Terdcell,

As you indicate an SR5 I am going to assume you have a M/T car. There is no neutral between 2WD and 4WD, the car always supplies power to the front wheels when the transmission is in a gear. Putting the car in 4WD changes nothing in the FWD portion, only slides a collar connecting the rear of the transmission to the rear drive shaft. Since you have no movement in 2WD, but can drive in 4WD, it sounds like you have lost some component of the front drive train. I would expect a "stripped" shaft or "receiver" (my word for the hollow differential shaft the front transmission shaft slides into) OR more likely, a failed half-shaft that is broken or stripped. I would get the front safely on jack stands and start turning the tires by hand while I listented carefully. You can also pull trans/diff drain plugs and start looking for metal pieces.

Chris
It’s a 5speed.
And I got to take it apart today and found the front drivers side axle broke right where the clip that holds it in place is. So the pop was it popping out of the shaft in the third member. Cleaned it out drained the trans and ordered and new shaft. Since front was apart new brakes and rubber lines on order too.
1985 4wd sr5 wagon
1981 3door hatch
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Trans issues

Post by Petros »

A broken output shaft may only be part of your behavior, and the fact it only works in 4wd is likely indicating your front drive is not engaging because of it. that is likely the cause, and it is a simple fix.

Sometimes popping out of gear occurs when the gear clusters are worn and sloppy. sort of works, but the pressure of driving on them causes them to pop out of gear. usually the solution is to take apart the transmission and replace the worn out bearings. the bearings themselves are still available, as are the seals, but if the gear cluster "hard" parts are worn out, it would be easier to just find a good used transmission. sometimes you can find a blown one and get enough usable parts out of it, plus yours, to make a one working trans out of it.

There might be something you can also try: get the trans warm by driving it, and than drain out all of the gear lube (open all three drain plus). than refill with 2 quarts of cheap ATF and 2 Quarts of 90 wt gear lube (make sure you get all 4 quarts in it). than drive it for a few days, get it good and warm at hwy speeds, and than drain it when it is warm, and install 4 quarts of quality 90 wt. gear lube. sometimes that will clean out sludge and metal particles to make it work properly again. The ATF (auto trans fluid) has high detergent properties, but it is only 5 wt oil, so you should not run on it for very long.

It does not always work, but that is a lot easier than replacing the trans. And it does work sometimes, it should also make worn out syncros work again.

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)
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Terdcell
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Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:23 pm
My tercel:: 1985 4wd sr5 wagon

Re: Trans issues

Post by Terdcell »

Petros wrote: Tue Feb 22, 2022 6:22 pm A broken output shaft may only be part of your behavior, and the fact it only works in 4wd is likely indicating your front drive is not engaging because of it. that is likely the cause, and it is a simple fix.

Sometimes popping out of gear occurs when the gear clusters are worn and sloppy. sort of works, but the pressure of driving on them causes them to pop out of gear. usually the solution is to take apart the transmission and replace the worn out bearings. the bearings themselves are still available, as are the seals, but if the gear cluster "hard" parts are worn out, it would be easier to just find a good used transmission. sometimes you can find a blown one and get enough usable parts out of it, plus yours, to make a one working trans out of it.

There might be something you can also try: get the trans warm by driving it, and than drain out all of the gear lube (open all three drain plus). than refill with 2 quarts of cheap ATF and 2 Quarts of 90 wt gear lube (make sure you get all 4 quarts in it). than drive it for a few days, get it good and warm at hwy speeds, and than drain it when it is warm, and install 4 quarts of quality 90 wt. gear lube. sometimes that will clean out sludge and metal particles to make it work properly again. The ATF (auto trans fluid) has high detergent properties, but it is only 5 wt oil, so you should not run on it for very long.

It does not always work, but that is a lot easier than replacing the trans. And it does work sometimes, it should also make worn out syncros work again.

Good luck.
Car is up on the jack stands and apart with parts ordered. Hopefully this will be the fix.
1985 4wd sr5 wagon
1981 3door hatch
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