I love this car and the engine runs fine; do you guys think I could get a used 5spd tranny for around 200.00? And if so; where? Is it hard to pull a 5spd tranny at pull apart? I pd 15.00 for the clutch kit and approx. 250.00 to have it installed…I hate to just junk the car!!
Jay in Bama
So what is the transmission doing that leads you to believe it needs to be replaced?
Was the trans acting up before the clutch kit?
My mechanic removed the old clutch and said it did not look real bad…just rusty etc. He stated that he put in the new clutch and the tranny would not engage? He said tranny had no fluid and seemed like tranny may be bad. I also hit a curve in an ice storm a while back and I think I had to replace the front axle spindle etc. ( a big jolt on the front end). I just assumed the clutch was out…I did not know a 5spd tranny would go out. I think I heard something brake going around 45 mph and I pulled over, car would not pull and tranny not smoking nor slipping. My mechanic says he is a tranny expert and seems knowledgeable.
What exactly is wrong. Clutch pedal will not depress so shifter cannot engage gear? Is that clutch issue or trans issue?
From my vantage point I can’t tell you what is going on without hands on. If a trans problem was suspected I would hope that one would manually shift the trans through the gears and check the input and output shafts while it’s on the bench.
Maybe the mechanic should have held off on the new clutch if he knew the transmission was dry?
The Pull A Part yards here get about 65 dollars for a used transmission but you have to pull them yourself. I’m adverse to wrestling something like a transmission out while lying in gravel, oil, and usually with limited tools. My preference would be to just buy one from a yard that is already out even if the cost is higher.
Get a second opinion on the transmission before you do anything else.
Yes, it is definitely a challenge to pull a tranny from a used car. You’ve got a some advantages though. There’s probably a lot of stuff already removed from the car at the pick and pull, so less preliminaries to do before the actual trans removal. And the car is already up in the air a bit more than you’d be able to achieve in your driveway. And its a Camry, so finding documentation how to do it won’t be much trouble, and its probably going to come out without too much trouble anyway, just b/c that’s the way Toyota econo-boxes are designed; i.e. simple to service. At least Toyota’s in the 1980’s.
Suggest to visit the local pick n pull for a look see. While there you can see what other folks are removing. If someone is removing a transmission, when they’re taking a break ask for some tips. Usually the customers there are pretty friendly and willing to offer advice as long as you don’t interrupt them in the middle of the job they are trying to do.
One bit of advice: If you’ve never done a job like this yourself involving persuading heavy objects to do what you want – never replaced a clutch, never replaced a timing belt on a transverse engine involving the front motor mount, never removed the third member from a rear differential – you’ll probably need someone to help you who has done something like that before. One more thing: There’s a photo somewhere on this web site showing Tom wrestling a transmission from a car. Take a look at that photo. That’s going to be you, if you decide to do this. You sure you want it to be you? … lol …