Automatic Transmission Issues

[PanAmVan]

Hi,

I have a 1987 Toyota Van 4WD with a couple transmission problems that I'm having difficulty with diagnosing. I am driving the PanAmerican highway and currently in Ecuador. I have found it hard to find someone who knows these vans well, let alone conveying the problems in Spanish tech talk. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here's what's going on:

Originally having problems with shifting and had transmission rebuilt in Colombia where we found a cracked torque converter.

Since it's been rebuilt...

1) I had a problem getting it to shift from 3-OD. Adjusted the throttle body cable and now it seems fine.

2) When I first start driving, it doesn't want to shift from 1-2. After a few minutes of revving out in 1st she finally kicks up and she is good for the rest of the day

3) After driving for a couple hours (in the Andes, really big hills) she starts in 2nd from a stop and I find it hard to downshift.

4) After driving all day, the shifter gets wacky. I sometimes lose reverse and it accelerates in neutral. Park works.


Appreciate any/all help. Thanks in advance.

[trestlehed]

I'm certainly no auto-trans expert, but here's a thread that might help you.
Could be the kick-down cable. Read the thread and the link(s) therein.

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...ick-down+cable

[PanAmVan]

Thanks for the tip. I adjusted the throttle body cable per the repair manual specs and it seems to have made some improvement with the shifting but it doesn't seem to be the problem that I'm still having.

I've narrowed it down to being temperature related since the transmission is fully functional when I first begin driving, usually in the mornings. Where I run into hell is when I have been driving all day or especially when I top out on a very large hill (mountain or canyon) and I lose the ability to go into OD and Reverse gear is gone, it shudders forward instead. I have to wait and let it cool before it starts acting right. There's also the pungent smell of burning tranny fluid that comes with it.

I had the transmission rebuilt 2 months ago and I'm still having serious problems. I am now in Chile hoping to get it to Patagonia and wonder if I should even spend more money getting it corrected since in all likelihood it will be donated to some farmer down there.

Could use and would greatly appreciate any feedback on this.

Thanks for reading.