My replacement trans is acting up on my '85 Tercel wagon

Mar 27, 2006 7 Replies

I am suspicious that the $440 I paid for a trans replacement at the junk yard was bogus, and that he never removed the old one, but flushed it out.



Originally it was stuck in second gear. Now it doesn't often shift into 3rd or 1st from 2nd.



I was told it probably has some dirt in it, and that I should bring it in tomorrow so they can flush it out----possibly some more.



How can I assure myself that I have gotten a different trans? Scratch something on the original one?



One thing I can imagine is, it would be pretty easy to tell if the bolts have been removed recently.



Also, the fluid is up twice as high as it should be on the stick. When I told him about it he laughed and told me it's a wives tale that the seals can be blown; that it doesn't matter what the trans fluid level is; he says it has a regulator for that.



voice from the past



dude its an 85, you should junk it!!!! its unsafe for u and if ur near me while im driving, ur causing bad view of the freeway!

The transmission should have a serial number stamped somewhere. Barring that, I'd put a scratch on the case somewhere.

"Blown seals" won't necessarily make the transmission fluid level too high on the dip stick. More likely, it was overfilled. It does matter what the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) level is; it should at least be close to the correct level on the dip stick.

I mean, if it's too high the seals COULD blow.

voice from the past

I have never heard of a high fluid level causing the transmission seals to blow.

Synopsis from a Toyota repair manual: If the ATF level is too low, the oil pump could draw in air and aerate the ATF. Aerated ATF lowers pressure, causing damage to clutches and bands. If the ATF level is too high, planetary gears and other rotating components agitate the ATF and aerate it, causing the same problems as a level that is too low.

ATF level that is too high or to low causes insufficient pressure. Seals "blow" from pressure that is too high, and seals can leak from normal wear, contamination, or physical damage.

You're welcome. good luck with the transmission!

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