Need to buy a transmission jack for a Tacoma clutch - HF has a sale - advice?

My personal favorite would be the hydraulic one. It looks like that would be great to use. Back in the early 70's I replaced a lot of clutch plates in Toyotas without using a jack. Transmissions are probably a lot heavier now, not just because I'm old. Replacing a clutch plate back then required an allignment tool that I was able to borrow from the local Toyota dealer, but I knew most of the mechanics. I don't know if you still need one.

Working on a transmission with either one would be great, but have you checked with a parts store to see if they have one you can use, or rent? How often do you plan to use it?

He who is Space Cadet said on Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:41:29 -0500:

I like that one too, but I had never seen the scissor type so that's why I asked.

I think the problem is the last half inch when putting it back ... you need the transmission dead on or you'll break something expensive.

I've watched videos. They use an old cutoff transmission shaft to align things, so I'll need to buy that tool too.

I called all the local parts stores and rental shops. Nobody rents it. All the parts stores sell them though. But the HF ones above are on sale until the end of the month. So that's why I ask for the advice.

Definitely more than adequate. Not pro quality, but all of the required features.

The cheap one does not have the tilt features> The hydraulic one is MUCH better for the job

Get their "universal clutch alignment tool" kit while you are at it

snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

for a one time deal either one will do the job. KB

He who is snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca said on Fri, 27 Oct 2017 22:24:56 -0400:

Thanks. I'll pick up the hydraulic jack for $160 before the end of the month sale goes off. It's cheap compared to the job itself.

I'm debating whether I should rebuild or replace the master cylinder and slave clutch release cylinder.

Toyota prices are the following but I have no experience with rebuilding or replacing them.

Master cylinder repair kit $30 Master cylinder $117 Slave cylinder repair kit $13 Slave cylinder $50

At those prices, which would you go for (rebuild or the whole thing)?

Here are the hydraulic parts:

IMO, get the hydraulic trans jack. You will find it a lot easier to adjust the height every few minutes while putting the trans back in. The screw one does not appear to have angle adjustments. You will need that. It is critical. The trans weight will be around 115 lbs. More with the front drive box attached. Don't bother trying to rebuild them yourself. If they are pitted then the usual cylinder honing will not fix them and they will leak. Get the already rebuilt cylinder kits, or new.

If it does not have tilt capability the job will be a lot more difficult - whether done once or a dozen times. The hydraulic one definitely has the tilt features required.

Did you look for rebuilt ones? They would be priced in the middle and are done under good conditions. Check you local parts store for availability.

There are plenty of YouTube vids on how to rebuild them too.

Unless things are badly corroded, I'd rebuild.

Before you buy a jack for one time use, call the local parts stores that have loan a tool programs. Many have trans jacks. Will cost you the price of the jack but when you return it in the same shape you get your money back.

If you're going to get into working on Toyotas big time, check out this site that specializes in Toyota parts.

He who is Albert Hodge said on Sat, 28 Oct 2017 03:53:09 -0500:

Thanks for the pointer to that toyota transmission specialist's site. Marlin Crawler seems like it has almost everything needed for transmissions (except the rebuild repair kits for the master & slave cylinders).

The prices are far better than my local Toyota dealership, but about the same as the prices at Camelback Toyota, which usually has the best prices.

But they do seem to know transmissions well, and that means they're probably better (by far) than any Toyota dealership (whose parts guys, in my opinion, are almost useless, if not useless, for useful knowledge).

They do seem to carry almost everything needed for a transmission job, starting with the entire W59 transmission at $1,250 shipped: which was one of the high prices for the repair as quoted by the local AAMCO over the phone (low price being in the $700 range).

I don't see a transmission jack but they do sell a plastic "21-spline clutch disc alignment tool" for $5:

They say the stock clutch is 900 ft-pounds but what they sell for $300 is a

• 1,200 ft-lb Pressure Plate (which is at Toyota for the 900ft-lb)
• Heavy Duty Metallic Clutch Disc (which is at Toytoa for OEM)
• Japanese Release Bearing (which is at Toyota for OEM)
• Pilot Bearing (which is at Toyota for OEM)
• Alignment Tool

The prices are comparable to and slightly lower than Camelback Toyota parts of $117 and $50 for the clutch master and slave cylinders respectively (and half the price of the local Toyota stealership at $225 & $95 respectively).

For example, the OEM ASCO (Aisin Seiki CO) clutch master cylinder is $100:

And the OEM ASCO (Aisin Seiki COmpany) slave cylinder is $50:

The release (aka throwout) bearing is the same price at $50:

The rubber shield pilot bearing is the same at $6 (rubber versus metal):

And they sell a very strange to me Redline gear oil that doesn't have GL4/GL5 designations, so I'd suspect it - but the site says it's fine:

He who is Terry Coombs said on Sat, 28 Oct 2017 06:47:20 -0500:

Thanks for that information because what always matters most, is whether the stuff works and not so much the theoretical implications.

I'm looking this up now, where it seems that the entire GL-4 and GL-5 spec really has *nothing* to do with transmissions, but with gears alone.

As you noted, apparently the GL-5 is for the hypoid gears, where the compounds added are considered by many to be damaging to the yellow metal that is in transmissions.

My Toyota owners manual says GL-4 or GL-5 75W90 (which is about the weight of a 30-weight motor oil, give or take, according to what I read, and depending on the temperature for the first five minutes of operation).

I'm confused by all this data, but Redline is a respected company based on

So maybe this lack of a GL-4/GL-5 spec is sort of like the "blue" brake fluid, which can't get a DOT designation because it's not "amber" color but it exceeds the DOT specs?

Do you think that's the case with that oddball non-GL Redline fluid?

He who is snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca said on Fri, 27 Oct 2017 23:54:01 -0400:

The car doesn't have any corrosion at all but of course I wouldn't know what's inside the master and slave cylinder.

But the fluid is black!

I'm going to flush it today but I only have a quart of DOT4 and it calls for DOT3.

Do you think it will harm anything to flush with DOT4 until I can get DOT3 in there until I buy and receive the parts to replace or rebuild the master and slave cylinders?

Don't know. But I did a clutch job on my FJ40. I'd estimate the tranny and transfer to weigh about 250 lbs. I can lift them if they are lying on the ground, but not to position them for reinstallation.

I took the floor panel off (over the transmission), opened both doors, ran a beam through the doors and hung a chain hoist from it. I don't know if a Tacoma has such a floor panel.

The progression mostly comes down to higher boiling points. Disc brakes have less thermal mass than the older drum brakes and can get hotter in operation. ABS adds a few more factors.

I have DOT 5 in my '98 Harley. It's claims to fame are it doesn't absorb water and doesn't harm paint. It does absorb air and is a bitch to bleed. I don't know how widespread it is. It doesn't work with ABS and I've never had a car with it, just the bike.

Since you'll be replacing the seals I'd just flush with 4 and fill it with 4 when you're done. It's a little more expensive but nothing that will break the bank.