Automatic Transmission Bashed in, stranded in the woods

Hi all,

Just hiked to service to post this, in the Sierras in central California. Me and my friend are out running some trails and unfortunately he has bashed the automatic transmission pan on his 2020 TRD Off Road 4x4, all fluid is lost (we caught most of it and cleaned up what spilled).

We're camping tonight and tomorrow morning I'm heading down to the nearest dealer to get a new pan and gasket and fluid.

My question is, since I only have one chance to get this right, is it even possible to change the pan on the trail with no lift? If so, what am I going to need? I have a decent assortment of tools with me and plenty of experience working on trucks i just need the specifics for this job.

Unfortunately internet is spotty, I can't stream video, and I'm having difficulty even doing Google searches.

Basically, any information you can send my way about the job will help immensely.

Thanks all

 

Not familiar at all with anything 2nd/3rd gen related; should check to see if that transmission uses a gasket or FIPG.

If FIPG, you'd need to clean it all up well enough so that the new pan can seal well with a new gasket otherwise it's going to leak again.

Not sure where you're at exactly, but I live in Central CA and if you need assistance, feel free to shoot me a PM.

Be happy to drive an hour or two to lend a hand or bring some tools.

 

You will need a pump of some sort to pump from bottle into fill plug. There is no dip stick tube.

 

Harbor Freight pump will work.

 

have you checked with the dealer to see if they have a pan in stock? my dealer didn't even have the crush washers for the check & fill plugs on the shelf. plan B might be to pull it off & have it repaired or have it towed. or try to find one in a junkyard.

 

Where is it leaking from? Can you just slap some JB Weld or bubble gum on it to get home?

 

Get looots of silicone. You might have cracked some aluminum. In reality u should have pulled the pan before you left to see what you're up against

 

Depending where it’s leaking from, you should get some JB Weld or something similar to stop the leak and limp the truck home for a full observation

 

Just a 10mm socket for the pan. It uses a gasket, no FIPG. You don’t need a hand pump. Way easier with a long hose and funnel snaked to the engine bay and gravity will do the work for you. Overfill it ever so slightly and make sure you get a slight trickle from the check plug when the ATF is at operating temp. Good luck

 

This is the best answer for filling. Unless u get a good pump (mighty vac), that pos will just leak everywhere. Get a long tube and a funnel OP. Make sure it'll fit in the fill hole (~1/2"). How much fluid u need depends on how long u drove with the leak

 

or just JB Weld it for now, fill it up and take to the shop to do it property, IMO.
https://www.quill.com/j-b-weld-wate...RnB5k2QLLspaaQPHKNLrIxRf3o7Aff9xoC0tYQAvD_BwE

$12 Slippery Pete 5cc Hand Pump Transfers Gear Oil, Transmission and Differential Fluids From Quart Bottles (Not for Red Line Quarts) (1)

https://www.amazon.com/Slippery-Pet...d=1&keywords=fluid+pump&qid=1599000792&sr=8-5
Both parts can be picked up at almost any auto store.

 

Order a set of skids while the Labor Day sales are happening.

 

When can we start giving OP shit for busting up a brand new truck? Asking for a friend

 

I found the pan removal info on page 9650 of the 2016 Tacoma Service Manual. These instructions assume you've already removed the transmission from the truck.
I attached a pdf of just that page. Step 13 has the instructions.

 

Why not plug the hole with a foam ear plug, golf tee, corn cob or similar? Top off fluids and drive home then fix it right.

 

If you're going to replace the pan on the trail, you should also take the time to make sure you have the fluid level correct.

Here is how to check the level properly:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-automatic-transmission-fluid-level-check-diy.547455/

Since you don't know how much fluid you lost, filling the tranny could be tricky.

Here are the capacities:

 

Where abouts is the wayward truck?
West side of the mountains, or east side?

 

I haven't left yet. I can still get to the truck to check things.

Here are some more facts:

1. I was driving my 2008. My poor friend has received all the shit i could muster for this one!

2. The pan itself isn't punctured. The leak appears to be coming from the gasket. It looks the impact deformed the pan such that it no longer correctly squeezes the gasket, but I haven't pulled the pan yet to confirm.

3. I do not know how long the truck was driven with a leak. No more than 10 minutes and it was dripping, not puking.

I assume the truck needs to be level for proper fluid check procedure? Because that will be difficult. And there is zero chance of getting a tow truck to the spot it's in.

We're South of Yosemite in the mountains East of Fresno/Merced.

Thanks for the help so far everybody.