Yamae

I needed 5.1L which is about 5.4qts when I drop the pan and filled 4 days later waiting for parts.

Caseyjones

Thanks guys,

I dont see any leaks and there was nothing on the ground so it must be a combination of sitting and maybe being low before. We're leaving for a 5 state road trip this morning and there is some disappointment that the LS is not ready. Sucks, its a perfect road trip car.

When I get back next week I'll get a case of Type IV and add until it's on the stick and post the results, it really didn't feel like it could be that low and it must be just about there now. Thanks for all the input!

LsG86

Just curious, is your car still making that whine noise on cold start up?

dicer

If its low its going to make noise, its sucking air.

Caseyjones

I just got back from a 5 state road trip, we were hoping the LS would be ready but we took wifeys 03 Acura CL instead, it turned out better than expected, it eats 90mph at barely 2500 rpm but lacks the ride quality, comfort and space of the LS.

I'll head in tomorrow and get some more fluid and get the CEL scanned. I'm hoping I can quiet it down and I'll definitely post the end result.

Caseyjones

Update:

I got some time to play with it this morning, it took most of another qt so it was nearly 5qts total.

Cold start, noise still there, maybe very slightly less but still annoying. When warmed up it is acceptably quiet and Lexus-like but if I get my head down there I can still barely hear it although it is not bothersome. It works very well, I love driving this car! It probably shifts better than before I did the servicing. I'm starting to wonder if it had the incorrect fluid in it causing some of these sounds. In all fairness to the car I'm hypersensitive to strange noises or vibrations in a car, I hear and feel things most people dont notice. I was going to replace the transmission mount and found it was an aftermarket part but still serviceable.

When I got home after 20 miles of driving I put it back up on the ramps, got my stethoscope and got under it, it sounds like the hydraulic pump sound is coming from the front of the trans area but hard to hear warm. There is also a very faint lifter sounding tap as well which is RPM dependent from the same area. It's just really hard to tell if it's front of trans or somewhere under the engine. I know it's not a knock or rod bearing, I know what those sound like and it's not that.

I left it on the ramps so I could cold start it tomorrow and slide underneath and repeat the stethoscope probing while it's louder.

Maybe not related but I code scanned it today and the error was insufficient EGR function. The lower EGR pipe was cracked nearly all the way through so I removed the lower piece of the broken pipe, welded up the hole inside to seal the exhaust and put it back on. I did that a year and thousands of miles ago and it just now threw this code. There are no emissions where I live. I wonder if some noise might not be coming from the EGR side of that broken tube which is pretty much open.

UNCJD

Dime to a dollar it's that EGR pipe making the lifter tap-sounding noise. I had an exhaust leak making a sound like that, andnit went away when I fixed it. Given the location of where the sound is coming from, it wouldn't surprise me a bit.

Yamae

Thanks for the update, Caseyjones. Your result was close to mine.
It's one of the important figures. You can drain only about 2qts from the drain hall. But when you drop the pan and waiting, the drippings from the torque converter continue and the frequency is almost the constant. The more you wait, the more you get. Look at the photo below. I had this much of ATF while waiting for parts and I needed to prepare a new cardboard to do the job again under the car.

I totally needed 5.4qts and you needed nearly 5qts after the pan dropping job which needed days to complete. The figure 5qts is important for those who drop the pan and resume the job after a couple of days or more later.

Caseyjones

I got under it for cold start this morning. It's very hard to localize the sound but it's almost like it's coming from the rear or driver side of the engine compartment as much as trans, but it's definitely a hydraulic sound and not PS. I'll plug the open end of the EGR tube just on principle but other than that I'm not sure whats left to do.

I'm stumped, I still believe it's the trans making the sound when cold, not sure what else it could be. I guess I have done all I can do to remedy it short of pulling the trans. It works great so I think I'll just drive it unless anyone can recommend any mechanic-in-a-bottle that might help keep things quiet without making matters worse. This is really the only issue with the car, its a dream otherwise. Funny thing is I drove my 72 Town Car making the same noise and it was the trans, but when you put the steth on it, it was painfully clear it was the front pump. It's more like this sound in the Lexus does not want to be found.

Thanks all for the responses, I really appreciate the help.

jdiron29

Oil pump on the front of the transmission is causing that sound. Its probably going bad, time for a new trans!!!!

Caseyjones

I fear you are correct. I cant trace the sound well, its like it carries all over the underside. I have been driving it since my join date and it has not gotten any worse so I think it will likely last for quite a while...maybe...

Trans replacement is not likely to happen, It works great so maybe I'll drive it until something happens. I think the manual conversion is a bit much for the work space I have although I think it would be awesome to own.

I'll go read up and see if I can fit a 5speed auto into it, a swap might make sense if I would give me longer highway legs without a major conversion.

Thank you gents for the assist. I do believe it is the front pump and needs to be replaced.

Yamae

How are you going to drive the solenoid for the 5th gear?

Caseyjones

I just got done reading some on this, sounds like a lot of work with different ECU for 98+. If it were just an issue of 5th gear servo I'm sure I could find some way to make it speed sensitive but it looks like conversion to the 5 speed auto is a major undertaking even if it did bolt in, and I dont even know that. I was unable to find any successful 5 speed auto swap thread. I would not be opposed to 5th gear functionality something like the old Ford OD switch but some way to auto cancell when speed drops. I do road trims through WY, MT et al and that 5th gear would be super nice.

I see lots of 5-6 speed manual swaps and I would LOVE that, it just cant take on that much of a project right now.

The way I see it my options are in order of likelyhood:
1. (most likely) drive it, continue to love it and grieve if/when the trans fails. Offer car up for parts.
2. Replace this 4 speed with another good one, continue to drive and love, maybe change rear end gears for highway use.
3. Replace 4 speed with 5 speed if it is actually not a major deal, but I think it probably is from what I see.
4. Sell as is and replace with 98+ SC or LS, or just use my Samurai as a daily driver until I move overseas.

It's really a great car to own, I suspect it will last awhile but I'm torn, it will always bother me if it's not right. If anyone has a 5 speed auto conversion thread that I missed I would love a link. It just had the timing belt replaced at Toyota and I feel obligated to get some miles out of that

Thanks again.

Caseyjones

I have been in the field working and had plenty of time to read and think this through, a transmission conversion is to much of a pain in the a$$. Ruled out trading in, I have my $ tied up in other places right now and have to minimize the cost as much as possible. Trading in will cost plenty and I'm sure my trade in is worth much more to me than anyone else.
Simple: I'm going to fix my current LS even though the current book value means it may not be worth it.

I would like to throw a couple things out to see if anyone may have input.

1. I have pulled trannys before on my older domestic stuff in less than ideal conditions. I saw the tutorial with pics but there was a lift in use. I have a gravel driveway, ramps, trans jack and basic hand tools. Should I even attempt this without a lift or pit?

2. Once the trans is out would it make sense to just replace the front pump with 200k on the clock or just find a low mile used replacement? Finding one locally is probably a no-go so I'm sure it will be a road trip. I failed to source a front pump in my searching so I'm guessing overhaul is out. What say you?

3. If anyone reading this has a known good trans feel free to contact me, if you have a place to install it and want to make some $$, even better, I can travel a ways. Anyone think of any other cost effective options I'm all ears. I love this splendid car! I want to fix this little issue, install a decent NAV/stereo and just drive it for the next 10 years. I'll get my money back that way.

Thank you!

Tony

dicer

I'd give it some time as long as its working good. No pump is going to be silent when using a stethoscope. And still are you sure the fluid is up to the proper level? And when on ramps if the front is higher than the rear of the car the level of fluid is not proper, I would still at some time look for pump suction leaks. Are you sure you have the correct dip stick? I don't know if they changed through the years.