Swamp Pirate

Hello everybody, I'm Austin. I'm 17 years old and have plenty of experience with fixing things that I've broke. Needless to say, I have rebuilt the a340f transmission in my 1993 Toyota Pickup with a 22re (Becuase I broke it). I've never rebuilt a transmission before (even a standard), but I figured it really couldn't be impossible. When I say "I rebuilt ....", I mean, "I", not "I with the help of a transmission expert", just "I". A few times, I had a set of helping hands to help hold things or whatnot, but those helping hands were just as clueless as I was.

This is my first thread and I'm not sure if I should post here or not but I figured better here than newbie tech. I have just finished rebuilding my A340f transmission and finished putting in back in the truck today. I'm posting this because I cannot find an actual rebuild thread for an a340f so I'm wanting to see what kind of interest this thread gets to see whether people want to see or hear about this. If interest is shown, I will post up plenty (and i mean PLENTY) of pictures and share with you my experience with this rebuild. While I was at it, I shimmed my 1-2 and 2-3 accumulators 1/2 inch, turned my pressure regulator to high, and ran all of the breather's to my engine compartment.

Here's the kicker, i get this all back in and ready to go (It's also got new tires, electric fan, and a whole lot of other things over the last eight weeks), and my truck won't start. You have to understand, I have this certain love for my truck that my friends say isn't healthy. I don't like other people working on it and I really can't stand not driving it, so I'm more than a little angry. I've been searching and searching, but I can't figure this out. I have a few things to try tommorow, but, until then, I wont know. I'm getting fuel, getting spark, getting air, and have about 150# of compression on all cylinders, but it wont run. Now, I'm ranting.

Sorry, but show some interest here and I will make a very nice rebuild thread and once my truck is running (probably tommorow), I will be able to tell you how it all works.

rustypigeon

I have also thought of putting up a a340F rebuild thread but never thought enough people would be interested to justify my time. But anyway, I would love to see your pictures.

Did you use any Special Service Tools? I have done it without them, but it is MUCH easier when using SST's for certain jobs. Being able to weld helps. I have welded up a clutch spring compressor and an mounting bracket to attach my transmission to my engine stand. It helps to be able to rotate the transmission on the stand when assembling it.

Swamp Pirate

Yeah, I didn't know if enough people would care, but I figured I would've really liked to see one before I got into mine and I thought it might help someone else. I didn't actually buy any SST's but it would've been nice to have had them. For the big snap rings, it says to use a SST, and I managed to use a gigantic pair of MAC ratcheting snap ring pliers. I wish I had a welder because, you're right, it would've made it much easier. For the piston return springs, I managed to use some different pullers, and for the low/reverse piston return spring, I used a brake caliper compressor and an s-hook to hold the other side. To get the overdrive piston return spring back on (The big one closest to the pump), I actually used a bunch of zipties holding down the individual springs on the piston return spring so I could get the snap ring on, then I cut the zipties off and pulled them out with needle-nose pliers. I was thinking about putting mine on my engine stand, too, but I just ended up with it on the bench. I will try to post up some pictures today.

What did you use to clean all of your parts and how in-depth did you clean them?

Swamp Pirate

Also, what did your a340f come out of? Did you modify your transmission in any way (Shimmed accumulators, raised line pressure, etc)? If so, how does it do and do you have any recommendations?

rustypigeon

The one sitting on my engine stand right now came out of a '94 pickup. The clutch packs are in good shape, they are all within specs. Some of the bushings are worn a bit out of spec. The seals all need replaced.

I am using this transmission as a spare. I don't plan on modifying it in any way just bringing it back to factory specs.

rustyf99

iTrader: (1)

Frankly I'd love to see the pics! I always hear "oh, that's a shop job" and there's this big "mystery" around automatic trannys, like some sort of magic occurs inside that only special people are supposed to know.

The tranny in my 4R is slipping in first and I have a swap-out unit I haven't installed yet, but I may just take on a rebuild "because it's there" but mostly because everybody says not to! (I'm that kind of person!).

Swamp Pirate

Where'd you manage to find an a340f from the "Fabled 22re/a340f" combo? That's what I have but I've been hearing that they're pretty rare. Also, what is it you drive (no sig).

Swamp Pirate

Yes, I sense you're like me. I will definitely post some pictures tommorow when I'm not so damn pissed and still trying to figure my truck out. That's what everyone told me, too. I got the same talks about how that's best left to a shop and "You can't do that yourself, it's too complicated". The mystery of an automatic transmission isn't much of a mystery at all once you're done putting it back together. I figured that somebody puts these things together and somebody rebuilds them. The rebuilders aren't all NASA certified rocket scientists so I thought I'd take a stab at it. I also wasn't about to spend the kind of money people wanted to rebuild it (mostly because I didn't have it). It's also a great learning experience. I would've just found a used one and rebuilt this one in my spare time but I couldn't find a used one from behind a 22re(Speed sensors are different styles with different output shafts from different years).

Also, that's how my truck started. Slipping in first gear. I kept beating the ˟˟˟˟ out of it and one day it slipped through all gears and didn't give me reverse. I parked it. Now here I am.

Swamp Pirate

Well, I got the old bird to sputter by putting some gas in cylinder number one and holding it at WOT. I started messing with the timing a bit and it didn't get better so I reset the timing and she started right up and ran like a top. I even forgot to put on my number 1 plug wire. So I turned it off, tightened everything I had loosened, blah, blah, blah,and drove her around. I forgot what my truck was like to drive. So I'm having a good old time taking it easy around the neighborhood until It shifts to third and it seems like it's slipping. Long story short, it turns out I can't get third gear to grab(like it's just slipping away), and if I put it in Low on my gear selecter it acts like I'm trying to pull a semi-trailer and wont barely move. If I put the shifter in 2, everything works perfectly; it goes through first gear, shifts to second and delivers power perfectly the whole time. If I put it in D(Drive), everything works perfect up until third. It's almost like it doesn't really want to shift to third, I have to get it up to 2500-3000 rpms or let off the gas a little to get it to shift to third, then it doesn't go at all, I either have to drop it to 2 on my shifter or stomp it and let it slip till about 4000 rpm's until it downshifts back to second. Needless to say, I'm not happy.

I'm hoping and thinking this is something simple. From what I now know about the insides of these things, I would say that the direct clutch piston just isn't engaging. Why, I don't know. If I did, I wouldn't have this problem. I'm going to check my fluid level again and mess with my shifter linkage before I take the pan off or anything. But if it's still doing it, I'm going to take my valve body back off and repeat all the air pressure test's to make sure that all my piston's are moving properly, then check my valve body and yadda yadda yadda. Anybody got any ideas?

rustypigeon

Does reverse work? The direct clutch engages for reverse as well.

Take the electronic harness connector off the transmission then shift it manually. This will remove all solenoid function from the transmission and you can verify that the problem is a mechanical one. With the harness disconnected, your shifter will give you the following gears...

R=REVERSE
L= 1ST
2=3RD
D=O/D

See if you can get 3rd gear by selecting "2" on your shifter with the connector off.

Swamp Pirate

Yes, from what I can tell, reverse works perfectly. Thank you, I forgot all about the manual shift test. Which electronic harness connector are you talking about; the connector for my solenoids on the side of the case. If I remember correctly, the manual shift test is performed by unplugging the ect button. I'll google it but my heads still spinning from all the other research I've been doing. Also, what do you think about the problem I'm having with Low gear on my shifter. When I put it into 2, 1st and 2nd gear work perfectly, but in low, it BARELY wants to move, and if there's any resistance (Small hill, bump, rock, or anything else in front of me), it wont move, even at full throttle. I put it into 2 on my shifter, and off I go.

Even through all this, I'm still so happy that my trucks running and driving again. I'm also pretty excited that the transmission actually works, but it's a bummer it doesn't work perfectly. But hey, It still works and it was my first time rebuilding anything more than a steering box (which in my opinion isn't even hard at all and is more complicated than any motor I've ever rebuilt). I look at it as a learning experience.

rustypigeon
By the way, thanks for any and all help or advice you've given or have to offer. I really appreciate it because it's nice being able to get help from or bounce idea's off someone (who is I'm sure more knowledgable than me) and not just try to go at it alone.

rustypigeon

The one just above the drivers side rear corner of the oil pan. It connects to your solenoids.

Did you touch the valve body at all? What exactly did you do? If you took the valve body apart you may have mixed up the 2-3 shift valve spring with one of the other springs. There are 3 blue colored springs, they are slighty different from each other. Did you put all check balls in the proper place?

In any case let me know the results of the manual shift test. Be careful when doing it because you don't have any engine overspeed protection. (ie: don't put the selector in "L" when driving at high speeds.) Simply start off in "L", then go to "2", then "D" and note what happens at each manual shift. Also try going in reverse while going up a hill and see if you can get it to slip. Since line pressure is automaticaly increased in reverse, you may have a problem with the direct clutch that is masked by the increased line pressure in reverse.

phildelfino

post it up and make a full on rebuild thread out of this.
i'd be interested cuz i got one behind my 3.0L.
i am not an auto trans guy but maybe the shims and or the higher pressure is affecting your shifting. just a thought.
you are the first one i have seen to rebuild an a340. mostly they just work till you replace them with a 5 speed.

glad you got it running again and i'll keep tuned in till it works better.

Swamp Pirate

Well, after the manual shift test, I've determined that this sucks. Low still does the same thing(I can't even get up to speed), 2 (on my shifter) lets me move but by the time I'm at 30 mph, I'm at about 3000 rpms(You can just tell somethings not right). D does almost the same thing as 2(Which is actually 3rd), it lets me get going but you can tell it's slipping and I can't actually build any real speed. I wouldn't have been able to get up to 60 mph if I tried. Reverse works like normal (I did not get a chance to try it on a hill, but I did put it in reverse and get on it and it just hauled ass backwards).

I did completely disassemble the valve body to clean it, however there is NO WAY that I could've mixed up a spring. I was just way too organized. I didn't just take all the valves and springs and whatnot and throw them in a tub. I took a picture of each assembly as it came out (I have a little over 400 pictures from start to finish of the whole rebuild), and I only took one bank of valves out at a time, cleaned them and put all the parts to each valve assembly in their own ziploc bag until after I cleaned the valve body out.Then I put everything back together with a little petroleum jelly, and eveything worked perfectly. The check balls and the gasket are a concern of mine. I need to find a diagram of the check ball locations and compare that to the pictures I took of mine to see if they are indeed in the correct spots but I put all of the new check balls back where the old ones were (I also found out the hard way that one is slightly bigger, but because of all of the pictures I took, it didn't take long to figure out where that one went). The gasket also is a concern. I'm positive I used the proper gaskets(my rebuild kit came with a bunch of different ones), but they almost seemed like they might've been slightly (Like a millimeter) too big. Not sure if that's a problem or not, I think I'm just being a little too critical.

Sorry for teasing y'all about the pictures, I'll try my best to start the rebuild portion of this thread later today. It's just that I don't know how in-depth I should go because I have a little over 400 pictures from start to finish. I guess I'll go on the more in-depth side, because I sure wish I had a step by step instruction manual with detailed pictures (not just the stupid rebuild manual with the retarded little cartoon pictures that I had) to guide me through this.

Again, thanks to rustypigeon for all your help and thanks to all for the interest in the rebuild. Sorry for keeping you waiting.

rustypigeon

Your problem sounds like it's in the valve body. If it were me, I would take the valve body out and give it a careful lookover. I would also bring the accumulators and pressure regulator back to factory specs. Increasing line pressure on these transmissions will only lead to a hotter transmission, and more drag through the pump.

Does your rebuild manual have the checkball locations? What rebuild manual are you using?

Swamp Pirate

I'm actually planning on doing this tomorrow, which is now today. I think that I can find some good diagrams of the valve body and allon the internet but if you want to post some up, I'm not opposed. The rebuild manual I'm using is one I had a buddy print me out which I later found wasn't complete, but it had all the important parts (mostly).

Pictures tomorrow (today)......I mean it this time, I've just been busy.

phildelfino

bump for a progress report.


the rebuild manual i have is from ATSG.
i have heard they are pretty good mauals.

PowerstrokeJoe

Automatics are actually fairly simple. I don't see why people freak over them. I have built several and actually just finished building the 47re in my Dodge. The first thing I would check is line pressure. You can borrow a gauge from your local auto parts store. Your manual should have the correct pressure readings in it. Also make sure that your T/V cable is on and adjusted correctly. I saw one one time do what yours is doing and the T/V cable was way too slack and to was causing it to not build enough pressure. The fact that you have reverse indicates that you are able to build pressure, you just need to find out where the leak is in the other gears. Did you replace all of the seals? Also be sure to check all the check balls in the VB.

Swamp Pirate

Sorry everybody, I've been battling a few issues with my truck still. If someone could please tell me the easiest way to post pictures directly onto here rather than photobucket, I would greatly appreciate it. The pics are on the computer already, I just need to post some up. I took my valve body out and flipped a valve backwards, which was wrong to begin with and now I can drive in 3rd gear when the shifter is in L. Then, Just yesterday, I'm driving through the swamp , hub deep in water, and the truck starts running like ˟˟˟˟ (It had done this a few times before since I got it running again), and I rev it up a few times, and it dies. Then, it acts like it tries to start a few times, and then wont even try to start. Then, I killed the battery. I didn't feel like messing with it in the swamp, so I called a buddy with a bronco and he came and drug me out of the swamp out to a spot under a billboard so I had light. I jump the fuel pump and it's good. I check for fuel at the cold start injector and it's good. I check for spark at the spark plug, none. Check for spark at the plug wire, none. Take the distributor cap off and there's copper wiring inside. I had him drag me home. I happened to have an extra pickup coil (signal generator) at home, put that on today and it fired up on the first try. Didn't cost me a penny. I'm pretty happy. I go to walmart to get tranny fluid so I can take my valve body off and check it against another one that I got and some diagrams that my friend Drew got me and on the way to walmart, it starts running like ˟˟˟˟ when I take off from a light again, it wouldn't barely move. So, I pull it over, rev it up to 3500-4000 a few times, it smooths out, and didn't do it to me again. I'm going to pull codes again, but right now, I'm just exhausted.

What I can say for sure is that all of the check balls are correct and my kickdown cable is adjusted correctly. Looking at my diagrams, I believe I may have 1 or 2 other valves in backwards. Tommorow, I'm going to get into it. Somebody tell me how to post pictures directly here (as easy as possible) and I'll post them up right after I read your post.

paintthetown

iTrader: (1)

Scribed! It's about time. Swamp, I'm in Jax. FL, where in FL are u? Thanks for this thread.
Brian in Jacksonville (Fleming Island), FL