What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

Our automatic transmissions have a lockup torque converter, which means that the only thing transmitting power from the engine to the transmission is ATF being spun really fast (sheared) between a plate connected to the crankshaft and one connected to the transmission input shaft (sorry that’s as 2nd grader as I can make it without breaking out my crayons). That sheared fluid creates a shit ton of heat, which then goes through a cooler in the bottom of your radiator to get cooled before returning to the transmission. At a certain pressure, the torque converter locks up, meaning that those two plates physically attach the engine to the transmission and it’s not relying on shearing the ATF to transmit power. That happens in overdrive (the 400 rpm drop you see on level ground at about 60mph or so), and it also happens in 3rd gear when you turn overdrive off with the button on the side of the shifter. Keeping the truck in 3rd gear will keep the torque converter in lockup mode at highway speed and will prevent the transmission from overheating.

The overdrive gear in our transmissions is also very small, even if the torque converter is in lockup in overdrive, the load reversals from normal trailer towing can do a lot of damage to the gearset. It’s highly recommended to only tow with the truck locked in 3rd gear. That will limit you to 60-65 mph without the engine screaming, but is much preferred to a transmission overhaul in the future.

Others will disagree with me, but you probably didn’t do too much damage by overheating the transmission once, and changing the fluid right away was exactly the right thing to do. I’ve done the same thing myself. Another thing to consider is installing a secondary transmission cooler either before or after the stock radiator cooler, to further bring temps down if you do a lot of towing.

 

Nope. Sounds normal.

Add an external cooler and you'll be okay. Keep an eye on it and all should be okay.

 

True story!
I learned this after asking @drr and @Digiratus about keeping temps down.
They both recommended installing a trans cooler (mine is after the radiator) and when going up a pass, flick the O/D button off to keep the trans from heating up.
Also picked up a ScanGuage II to monitor temps.

 

Agree with all of that.

Additional notes. The trans "cooler" in the bottom of the radiator is there more so to heat up the trans fluid is cold conditions than to cool the fluid in hot conditions.

Some people in warmer climates bypass that completely. It wouldn't be advisable in places that deal with freezing temps though. Cold trans fluid can actually do as much damage as overheated fluid.

In terms of the OD... worth mentioning that pre 1998 4 runner shifters... the button for the OD is an actual on/off switch. Meaning OD can stay off until you turn it back on even if you turn the truck off. Our OD switch is a momentary switch. It turns OD off until you switch it back on OR you turn off the truck.

 

I had it laying down, they all eventually leak or crack cus of the sun. This jerry can is made of metal and I hope will be my last can, I dont like it standing cus ik its hard on the airflow and clearance, but I knew that, I dont really go to drive thrus tbh and my truck clears my garage. I like it standing as it takes pressure off the seal and I know the gas jumps but makes me feel more comftorable like this. Now the location it had to be there because I dont need a swingaway rear bumper, dont wana make my single cab bigger, I live in LA, the less space the better. The can wont be on there all the time (im not that guy lol) just as an emergency for those longer trips. Jerry can came today.

 

looks like not a nato can. So probably won't be your last going off my experience anyways.

If you want a true last can grab a Scepter one next time. Expensive but worth it. What the military currently uses. And they won't care which direction you lay them.

 

Both my scepter cans leak.

 

That makes 3 scepter cans that leak... cause mine does too lol.

 

ah well lame. Both mine don't haha

 

Your seals are bad or the lids are cracked then. Not cheap to replace but if you have the right components they can be upside down and don’t leak.

 

Brand new seals and the lids not cracked.

 

You're going to need the extra gas for all that increased drag you created.

 

So...

Scepter cans don't leak
unless they leak
at which point, you need to replace a bunch of crap, so they don't leak

Until they leak again.

 

Sooo, what’s leaking then?

 

By the way... it's the Holidays and two of my 3 sons are home. (both of them used Scepter cans as part of their job, in the Army)

Lmfao... they BOTH agree... Scepter cans ALWAYS LEAK.

 

These are the best cans we’ve found.

VP Racing Fuels 3512 + 3044B 5 Gallon Square Red Racing Utility Jug w/ 14 Inch Deluxe Filler Hose https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVQC01U

 

Dude I just one of these for my extra long trips and they work so much better than Jerry cans.

 

Uhhh, yeah one of em definitely is gone or the threaded neck is cracked. These aren't even the good military Sceptre cans (just regular Sceptre home grade ones) and they survived a week in the desert on their sides exposed to the sun without leaking a drop or smelling even....

 

Yeah well I hope its my last one, all the plastic ones ive bought in the past just break and leak eventually. Going forward theyre always gonna be upright. If this one goes, then i’ll buy the one you said. thx

 

its okay ima add a 6 foot wing off a Honda