Tacoma won’t move in any gear.

^^^That could also be the issue but hopefully nothing was damaged.

 

If I left the torque conv unbolted in all the transmissions I changed they would make noises you could hear in the next town. Broken pump drive rod is my vote.

 

Did you try pulling a cooler line loose from the radiator to see if the fluid is circulating?

 

If you broke the pump gear nothing will happen it will not move but with no pressure to apply clutches it will not burn the trans up. It could have caused serious damage to the entire pump assembly and the converter. Here is another little thought with a engine exchange did you check the see if the crank had a bushing/bearing in it? If it did the converter end would not fit inside the crank this could cause the same effect as a misaligned converter some thing is going to break. A stick shift engine would have a bushing/bearing in it.

 

Thats a good one Tim .
I was caught with this on a GM truck when I was young fellow . I managed not to bust the alluminum pump but it was close .
From that point forward I always prefitted the converter before assembly .

But it reminds me that Toyotas mating surfaces have tighter tolerances than the domestic stuff . Emery cloth the converter pilot hole in the back of the crank as well as the converter pilot and test fit the converter before you put the transmission into place . I would even go as far as placing some light grease on the converter pilot .

 

Been a real long time since I was in the transmission game things have changed a lot and I would be a bit lost but the basics still remain!

 

I took apart both transmissions too get to the bottom of this.

I found a broken front pump and clutch cup on my old transmission.

And I found just a broken front pump on my new transmission.

they both had identical breakages on the front pump. I think my old transmission broke when I pulled the old engine. And the newer transmission must have broke when they pulled the engine at the salvage yard.

 

If the converter was un bolted there should have been no damage to the pump. The case is clearly cracked from some force. If the converter was still bolted to the flex plate then yes it could have caused damage, the front pump bushing does not look to swell either. Your thoughts gearcruncher?

 

I agree with you Tim . Looks as if the converter got tweeked and that pump bushing is completely shot from mileage .
I always go with the Teflon coated bushings when changing out the brass bushing .
Judging by the grooving in the pump casing and gearing , I wouldnt consider using that pump on a rebuild .There has got to be a lot of miles on that trans .
Some of those wrecking yard transmissions get damaged badly during a front end collision as well .
I hope the wrecking yard will help OP out finding another transmission

 

hm, sounds legit. If you unbolt the torque converter before lowering the transmission you wouldn't run into any issues like a manual transmission where you have to carefully maneuver it out of the clutch.

 

there not called wrecking yards for no reason... damn, sorry to hear about it, but you found the problem. Getting to the torque convertors bolts on a 3.4, 4X4 is a real soab. That's why there is an indentation in the engine oil pan... you can only get to the torque convertor bolts from underneath with the drive-train assembly lifted using a long 3/8 extension and a wobbly socket.

 

Yea i made the mistake of not unbolting the torque converter when I pulled the old engine. Getting to the torque converter bolts is an absolute pain. It honestly didn’t even seem possible. It was a poor design. I definitely learned a lot from this.

 

So it turns out I was just really unlucky and bought three different broken transmissions from the salvage yards. The forth transmission I bought finally worked.

 

I have the same exact problem, new engine and bolt it all up and runs good put it in gear and nada.Took the transmission out for the 4th time now and took off the pump and looks brand new nothing wrong with it butvwont go into any gear not even 4lo yet no fluid coming out the line.

 

If there is no fluid coming out the transmission cooling lines , are you sure the transmission was filled correctly ?
You checked the transmission fluid with the engine running in park ?
Did you use a torque converter from a different truck ?
Did the engine come from a truck with a manual transmission ? some guys forget to remove the clutch pilot bushing
Did you have the transmission pan off ?

 

No fluid coming out the line , and its the same motor just all new guts. And same converter. I put 1 1/2 quarts in the converter and abt 4.5 in the transmission and thats all it would take . And yes i took off the pan and put in a new filter.

 

But after looking at the pic of his broken pump i think mine is broke now as well cuz it looks just like his in the same spot but found no metal at all in the pan. Here is a pic of mine.

 

I would think you would still get some pumping even with that chunk of casting being broken .
You didnt by chance find that chunk ? usually it will get caught in one of the pump discharge holes creating lower pressure .

How much crap was in the pan when you changed the filter ? were your pan magnets covered ?
Some guys accidently install a 2 wheel drive transmission filter in a 4 wheel drive application .
4 wheel drive uses a deeper pan and a deeper filter .


You were saying the transmission wouldnt take any more fluid ?
The engine has to be running when adding fluid to the transmission. Can you confirm this . Seems more like a low fluid issue to me .
Is the transmission in the truck as we speak ?