2009 V6 auto - first real problem - trans

Got this job done yesterday. This one goes in the "not fun" category for sure, especially if you are working from the floor in a tiny garage like mine and have big hands, like me. Have to pull the skid pan for access to disconnect the hose connections and front hard clamp. That's where the easy steps end. The bolts on the hard clamp clam shells were rusted and the first one broke off even with my little 1/4 drive ratchet. So I removed both clamps entirely from the motor... those bolts and the clamps themselves were in perfect shape but the front one was hard to access. Luckily I had some spare bolts that fit the rear clamshell clamp to replace the one that broke so I avoided a run out to the hardware store. How often do you get lucky that way??

Then, instead of fighting the connections to the tranny unions with a 17mm open end wrench that can only turn maybe 1/6 of a turn at a time and maybe round them off I decided to cut the lines with a cordless die grinder and use a good 6 point socket on those. Worked like a champ. Then I pulled the line set out as a unit, not caring about bending them, of course. The unions themselves were fine in spite of their rusty outer appearance.

My first mistake was in trying to put the line set back as a unit assembled to the clamps. Just didn't work and cost me some time. You need to put them in one at a time, starting with the top line. And tighten that one at the tranny union before installing the bottom one or else you won't be able to get a wrench on it. Then do up the clamps. Sounds easy, but access is tight, especially to the one in front, and you have very little swing with the wrench on the hard line unions. But those spun on most of the way by hand.

Then I drained the pan, and I had intended to pull it and replace the filter. But 4 or 5 of the 20 or so pan bolt heads were in too bad shape from rust to take a chance on removing. I didn't have replacements, nor did I have time to deal with what might be some PITA extractions. So that job will have to wait. Instead I just flushed 3 or 4 qts out of the tranny via the disconnected cooler return line... 3 times. Remote starter made that easy in that I could start the engine whilst watching the container and then shut it off after 3 or 4 qts when it started frothing a bit. Then refilled, idled up to 117 degrees or so (ScanGauge 2 programmed with TFT XCode made that easy) and popped the overflow to drain off the excess.

I made one messy mistake with that part that makes a good FYI if you haven't done this job. I didn't have quite enough fluid in there when I first pulled the overflow plug. Nothing came out. So I needed to extract myself and go around to the other side to add some more fluid. I was worried abut the tranny maybe getting too warm so I switched off the engine. Of course that caused fluid to pour out of the still open overflow plug. D'oooh. Probably spilt a qt or so onto the garage floor. Just leave it running if you get in this situation. The trans temp comes up very slowly and if you start just above 115 there is almost no chance of getting too hot before you finish.

Trans is dry again and shifting great. No pictures... just imagine the one above without the fluid running down the lines and no rust bubbles. Tacoma is rolling again.

 

OK... obligatory picture:

 

Well done!

 

Thanks for the report.
Well documented, this will be of some help to others.
Good to hear you got it back up and running.

 

Nice !