Mechanic told me I need a new Gearbox Hilux 4WD

Submitted: Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 18:30

ThreadID: 82518 Views:15548 Replies:7 FollowUps:5

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Jontxu

Hi everyone, new here and kinda desperate.

I took my Hilux to the Toyota dealer (customer there for 8 years) and was adviced that I needed a new clutch. I could hear the noise and went for it. They rang me during the change of clutch and told me that I also needed a new gear box. They said I could get a second hand one, etc, etc. (160.000 kms)

I am looking for advice, I havent changed the gearbox but the car seems to go well, took it on a 600kms trip on the weekend, no worries.

Should I wait till the gearbox dies ? how long do they go?

Is a second hand gearbox a good idea, I dont have the $$$$ for a new one!!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Regards
JON

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Reply By: trainslux - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 18:50

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 18:50

Umm, why did they say you needed another box??

160k is not alot for a g box.
Did they drop it or damage it when doing the clutch??

Did you notice any noise from it when driving thru the gears??

If you get a 2nd hand one, chances are its done at least 160k anyway.

I would want to know why they justify such a suggestion if it was fine before hand.

sounds strange to me.

Trains

AnswerID: 436079

Follow Up By: Jontxu - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:09

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:09

Hi Trains, thanks for your comments.

There is no noise driving though the gears. When slowing down you can hear a "waving" noise thats all. The same noise I could hear before the clutch got changed.

Maybe they stuffed up my g box and told me I needed one. It is strange.

How long can I drive my Hilux with this supposedly damaged gear box? Can it create other problems?

Cheers

JON

FollowupID: 707277

Follow Up By: Fab72 - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:16

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:16

Agree with Trains.....sounds pretty extreme.

Is it your car that's done 160,00kms or the second hand gear box they're recommending you get?

If you're not mechanically minded, I'd be getting a second opinion.

What sort of noise was it making? Was it noisey with your foot on the clutch or off the clutch?

How was gear selection???? Especially when it was cold? Was there any difficult selection issues?

Ask to see an oil sample....is there any hint of metal in the oil? Is the oil excessively dark or smells burnt?

Was there excessive backlash through the box????

Knowing the answers to these questions will certainly give you a more accurate diagnosis.

In my opinion..... a good gearbox specialist will generally be able to recon your gearbox for abot the same dollars you'll pay for a 2nd hand unit and it's always better the devil you know.

In all my years at a prominant Toyota dealership here in Adelaide, we RARELY took the 2nd hand option. A set of bearings and synchro rings was usually enough UNLESS the box has suffered a catasrophic failure through abuse or lack of lubrication, in which case, it was usually uneconomical to repair.

In brief.....ask the questions and then get a second opinion.

Fab.

FollowupID: 707278

Follow Up By: matval 4298 - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:20

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:20

Hi jon , mate tell them to put it back in and if they have stuffed it, its all on them to get you a new one to replace the damaged one. yeh put it back in and see it will be worth it as it is only a two hours or less to get a Hilux box on the ground .

FollowupID: 707279

Reply By: Bushranger1 - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:45

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 19:45

Hi Jon

My first Hilux developed a noise (very difficult to describe on the internet) in what I was told was the gearbox & I paid some big bucks to get the box reconditioned. Well the noise was still there afterwards!
I decided instead to wait for it to get worse so that it would be easier to track the source. Several months later it got loud enough to hear that it was clearly coming from the rear diff. Got the diff done & problem solved. Wish I did that BEFORE I shelled out the cash for the gearbox.
The hilux had done 240,000 km & had towed for about 50,000 km prior to this by the way.

Hope this helps
Stu

AnswerID: 436086

Reply By: Madfisher - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 20:25

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 20:25

Hi Jon,
Mate do you reliase that you are paying in excess of $120 per hour for a dealer. Plenty of good private mechanics arround on about $60 to $80 per hour. And I would be telling them to put it back in and get a 2nd opinion, particuly if the gears where not crouncing or it was not noisy.
Good luck Pete

AnswerID: 436091

Reply By: PeterInSa - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 20:43

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 20:43

Jon,
The problem with gearboxes is that they can go at an in appropriate time. eg when you are half way to your destination when on holidays with the van packed, rather than buying another second hand unit can your box be done up with worn/broken bits replaced.

Some years ago had my Cruiser box and transfer case rebuilt for $3,500. Vehicle may be longer off the road, but suggest you will have a better warranty than a second hand box.

Peter

AnswerID: 436095

Reply By: Member - Joe n Mel n kids (FNQ - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 21:03

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 21:03

i do agree with the others to a point but you have been a customer for 8 years and they may very well be spot on with there advice, all you need is a bit more detail as to why......
They have done the right thing in removing the clutch and letting you know about the gearbox before they go any further, if you get it all put back togeather and they are right, you do know them well, you will be charged to pull everything back out again and in the long run it will be cheaper to simply get a few more details from them and if ok with there decision then let them go ahead, they are NOT some "cheap" backyard setup and will not install a s/h box that is r/s as it will give them a bad name, sometimes it pays to stay with someone you know rather than go for the "cheaper" option, by all means get a second opinion, they will respect that ..............
End of the day you only get what you pay for, labour or parts.

AnswerID: 436099

Reply By: Jontxu - Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 21:17

Monday, Nov 15, 2010 at 21:17

Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

The gearbox is up and I took it on a weekend trip up the coast and it went fine.

I may wait till it dies, make sure my NRMA is up to date and have it re-built as some of you suggested.

Many thanks

JON

AnswerID: 436105

Follow Up By: mikehzz - Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010 at 07:11

Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010 at 07:11

You haven't been towing in top gear have you? Plenty of threads on here warning about that.. Mike

FollowupID: 707318

Reply By: splits - Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010 at 12:20

Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010 at 12:20

Jon

Can you describe that "waving" noise a bit better? If that is happening while slowing down in the lower gears then it could easily be the input shaft or cluster gear bearings. The noise is not so noticeable in top gear because the drive goes straight through. The heavy load is taken off those bearings in that gear.

I had to replace the front bearing on the cluster in my Hilux at 50,000 ks. That is rare at that mileage but 160,000 is enough to wear out those that have done a bit of heavy work and it is common at about 300,000 or higher.

How long it will last is a good question.Mine went from the faintest little noise that only an experienced person would have noticed to the bearing being close to collapsing in only 300ks.

Ask them for a more detailed explanation. I have worked in the service office of new car dealers. Most customers have trouble understand technical explanations but the service adviser should always try and say something. To just say you need a new gearbox and nothing else is not good enough.

AnswerID: 436132