Automatic Transmission Temperature Gauge

My tranny is in the hospital right now. It's giving me more grief 
than expected. It's the A43D (automatic) out of my 1986 Sunrader.

I'm hoping that someone who's installed a tranny fluid temperature 
gauge can offer a parts list with order numbers and point me to 
where I can buy the stuff online.

It needs a new case (an aluminum casting that encloses the tranny). 
Seems like a bearing or a seal had spun, damaging its seat and 
thereby causing the fluid to leak. Ka-ching, $200 for a new case.

>From the beginning (Sept 2001) I knew there was a small leak and 
that the tranny was questionable, but since the leak seemed to dry 
up, I deluded myself into thinking it could somehow heal itself. 
Wrong. I should have tended to it then. I also noticed there was 
some lash in the drive line causing a 'clank' under certain 
conditions but I learned to shift in a way that suppressed it.

The original owner may have abused the tranny, perhaps by 
overloading the coach with cargo, or by lugging it in overdrive, 
resulting in excessive heat build-up and wear.

During my ownership, the leak could have worsened when operated 
under severe conditions, such as climbing the 10,000 foot Tioga 
grade in hot weather. And recently, rocketing down a Mexican highway 
at 75+ mph didn't help either. When I stopped, the leak stopped and 
I neglected to check the ATF level as often as I should have. From 
Santa Rosa, CA, round trip to Alamos, Sonora, Mexico, about it's 
3,000 miles and that's where I lost about a quart and a half of 
Dextron III. Way down in Mexico I noticed there was slippage on the 
first to second shift but that I could manually shift through the 
gears without too much slippage. My mechanic says I was lucky to 
make it out of Mexico but I think he was feeling lucky that I made 
it back in time for him to fix it. No doubt I'll be paying his 
electric bill this month.

There is excessive wear on the driveshaft yoke that connects to the 
tranny and it must be replaced (that's the clank). On the hunch this 
may have been caused by having a drive shaft that's out of balance, 
I'm having it balanced along with the installation of the new yoke. 
It's an articulated driveshaft (meaning it's made in two sections) 
so it will cost more than balancing only one shaft. I expect this 
will amount to an additional expense of $250 or more.

I would advise other Toyhouse owners who drive mountain roads, or 
who drive in hot weather, or on long hauls, to install a GOOD, heavy 
duty tranny cooler, and to check the ATF fluid frequently, and be 
alert for signs of leakage, to use overdrive properly, and to have a 
tranny fluid temperature gauge installed, and if excessive heat 
builds up under load or harsh conditions, just pull over and allow 
things to cool off before continuing on. --Gary






 
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