L1999rx300

Im not a mechanic but like to fix my own cars, I just bought an rx 300 with very high mileage 220k with a bad tranny for a very good deal, plus the body and interior is in very good shape. the thing is I jusrtr replaced the tranny with an used one, made the proper filter/oil change, and expected the trans. to work, but no luck, I checked the cooler lines to see if there was any pressure and nothing so I guess the transmission pump isn't working. well Im not familiar with this car, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE TRANNY PUMP IS LOCATED?, AND IF IS SOMETHING i CAN DO MY SELF? IF NOT, IS THERE ANY OTHER OPINION ON WHAT ELSE CAN IT BE OTHER THAN THE PUMP?

hypervish

Welcome to Club Lexus!

Hate to tell you this, but the transmission oil pump is inside the transmission. Did the used transmission you got, come with a warranty? Was it from a junkyard?

L1999rx300

WOW, OK thats bad news. Yes it has 3 month warranty, I guess I'll have to take it back then, even do i dont think they have another one. I wanted to ask first before i actually take it back off... but THANKS FOR THE HELP!!

salimshah

Just for completeness:

The pump cant pump if the fluid level is low or the delivery system is clogged. [drop the pan and find out]
Next is the possibility that the pump is bad.
The last possibility is the plumbing is clogged after the pump.

Salim

code58

If you have no pressure, and it had NO PRESSURE before it went to the wrecking yard, then the transmission is obviously burned up, since it wouldn't hold the clutches tight enough to keep from burning up. What did the inside of the trans. look like when you pulled the pan and replaced the filter? I must ask one other question. Did you have the torque convertor off of the trans. or was it "pinned" all the way back from the time it was removed from the doaner car? It is EXTREMELY important that the torque convertor is ALL the way back into the pawls on the pump. It is not easy to get it to "set" all the way back and if you bolt it up without it "setting" all the way back, when you bolt up the convertor to the flex plate, you stand the risk of wiping out the transmission because of the pressure the convertor puts on the transmission internals. The factory manual gives an exact distance between a straight edge placed across the trans. bell housing flange and the front of the convertor. I have had them out and almost thought they must be wrong, when in rotating the convertor, it FINALLY dropped all the way back. This may be your problem. I believe it is the pump pawls that it last drops onto.
The distance between the back edge of a straight edge placed across the front surface of the transmission housing and one of the pads where the bolt holes for the convertor is, is "more than 12.75 mm ( 0.5020 in.)". Any less is a NO GO!

Aprazur

X2 for code58...

In another life I was a trans mechanic. The converter most likely is pinched against the front pump. And most likely the paws on the converter and or the pump were wiped out when you started the vehicle. A very easy mistake for a first time installer to make. My dad warned me about it when I worked in his garage in 1956.

Did you hear a grinding noise when you first started it?

L1999rx300

well when i placed the converter into the transmission it came in very smoth and went all the way in plus I was very carefull when i was matching it with the engine, Im very confident I didnt push or put any pressure to make them volt together, thats why I beleived I actually installed properly the converter, plus when I was volting on the flywheel whit the converter, there was just a little friccion between them but not much, I could make the converter spin while holding the flywheel in place, there was some resistance due to the friction but not so much. when I replaced the filter, it actually looked kind a new, the little oil in it seemed red and not to burned, the trans itself was very clean but Im sure the wreking yard guys cleaned all the exterior very good to give it a nice look. now i beleive I have to rebuild the pump or change the converter, thats what a couple trans mechanic have told me, but Im sending them the tranny for inspection and diagnosis first for no cost, I'll take off my transmission during this week and send it to inspection hopelly this week end, thanks for your comments and tips, it is very helpfull to get hints from you guys... I'll post later when I get an answer from the mechanics... thanks

L1999rx300

the pan had very little oil left but it didnt look to bad, and the converter was off the transmission I actually placed it back in, I think i did it the right way but i guess Ill find out when I take it to the shop for inspection they will know 4 sure...

L1999rx300

sorry and no grinding noise when I 1st start it, I wouldit notice, but I dont remember anything like that... thanks guys...

code58

I wish the best for you but I still fear that the converter wasn't ALL the way back which would mean that the converter pawls weren't engaged with the pump. There should have been NO friction between the converter and the flywheel. I believe normally there should be a slight gap even before they are bolted up. When I put the converter back in my DIL's when I had the front drive unit out I really had to work at turning the converter back and forth before I finally got it to drop in. I have had many other AT's out and I have never had one that was as hard to find the right spot for it to drop in that final notch.

L1999rx300

I got my tranny back, they rebuilt the oil pump and check the converter, the pump was broken so I supose u guys were right I didnt had the converter all the way in, so today Im gonna try to install that tranny again hoping to do it right this time, thanks for all the help, and I'll post after I'm done, I apreciated all the help and any tips are welcome, thanks again its been very helpfull...

Lexmex

Let us know how it goes on the reinstall.

L1999rx300

my lexus is working now, I guess it was the pump, thanks everyone your coments and tips were very helpfull, thankyou!

L1999rx300

hi after I reinstalled my last transmission everything seems to be working fine there is only one thing that worries me and that is that when I'm driving my vehicle the transmission seems to be shifting good between gears from lower to higher gears butwhen I start to lower my speed and that transmission needs to shift to the lower gears and I believe specifically from 2nd to 1st gear I can feel some kind of rough shifting I'm not sure how to describe it but it feels like a little kick when it shifts and it doesn't always does it so I'm not sure what can it be thank you for reading in any ideas are very much appreciated thank you

salimshah

Please take the following with a grain of salt (you should get confirmation from resident experts or from a professional).

After transmission work, you may need reflashing of the ecu by the dealer ...

Salim