Part 1-4 2002 Lexus RX300 U140 Transmission Disassembly

[@joell439]

You are a true renaissance man, not afraid to tackle any job. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@ghostses]

Thanks Joel! That's very true, I will try anything- win or lose. We will see after the assembly video if my efforts were successful. Hopefully they will be. Take care, G.

[@BryanChance]

This is an amazing job you did. I learn a ton from watching you do this work. Your explanation and comments throughout the video are also super helpful. And you are a pro. Thank you so much.

[@ghostses]

Thanks Bryan! I wouldn't say I'm a pro by any stretch but thanks for the confidence. Take care, G.

[@richkellow1535]

Excellent photographic quality, I can see I am going to enjoy this particular topic.

[@ghostses]

Thanks Rich! I hope you enjoy the rest of the series. Take care, G.

[@ghostses]

Thanks! G.

[@jetjazz05]

9:22 - A wiggle and a pull... I'm only 28, but time has taught me that no matter how many times you've worked with brittle old car connectors it's usually a wiggle and a prayer lol.

[@ghostses]

That's right Jesse! You're certainly wiser beyond your years and are correct! G.

[@GreenEarth20]

10:12 I've been looking so long for clear footage or a photo of this, now I can see the solenoids probably have enough clearance to be pulled out and replaced without needing to drop the entire valve body, that's a relief. Well granted this trans is similar to U241E (2004 toyota camry le 4-cyl), fingers crossed. Thanks for your efforts brother.

[@ghostses]

I don't remember if they do or not. If there's not, you might try loosening up the valve body without taking the bolts all the way out. Good luck, G.

[@aros007z]

Wow...cool, calm and collected....like your style!

[@ghostses]

Thanks! Take care, G.

[@FEETLE]

lovely series ....... thank for your effort and time

[@ghostses]

Thanks! It's still running great to this day. Take care, G.

[@tinkerbell1877]

Excellent video and expert technical skills, I have one 2003 RX going great,

[@ghostses]

Thanks! G.

[@jetjazz05]

"I'm not a transmission specialist by any stretch" Heh, yeah, neither are the guys who work at the transmission shops, the only difference is you actually care if the transmission comes out right.

[@ghostses]

LOL! Perhaps you're right Jesse! My money, time and effort surly governs I want it to turn out right. Take care, G.

[@mikeshevchenko4190]

Lol

[@MiguelHEnriquez-rg7ow]

Buenos dias le puedo hacer una pregunta

[@ghostses]

You didn't have to ask, just ask your question. I doubt I can answer it, but ask anyway. G.

[@nextlevelfortlauderdale8811]

I wish you were my neighbor... Great video!

[@ghostses]

LOL! Thanks, G.

[@evelynrodriguez8652]

I wish he was also mine , he has the soothing voice like Mr Rodgers Neighborhood

[@jacobharding2880]

G is this the U140E trans? I got a 01 es300 making sure we got the same trans using ur video as a how to on helping me get the job done on solenoid replacements.

[@ghostses]

Jacob, this has been years back, but If it would've been an E- I can't believe I wouldn't have noted that. I say look for a manual for the E, use my video series- and go from there. Not much help, but good luck, G.

[@SteveS-q3v]

Awesome video, very big help🎉

[@ghostses]

Glad it was helpful. Good luck, G.

[@noobkilla-m9i]

I have a U140F 2001 Toyota Rav 4. Suddenly it has no reverse and is currently stuck in Limp mode, which part in the transmission could most likely be the cause? about 2 sources said it's the direct clutch. Also which clutch is the direct clutch and can I just replace the part that needed replacing without disassembling the rest of the transmission?

[@ghostses]

I can't say what the problem is with your transmission and how to fix it. I'm no expert and only illustrated what I had going on to get mine going again. But, it seems to me, you will have to tear things down to fix yours. I can't be beyond that. No help, but good luck, G,

[@trailerparkcryptoking5213]

My 2001 RX300 jumps and clangs/bangs loudly if you put it under load in reverse. As long as you get on it lightly, no problem. The kicker is it started doing this 5-6 years ago and the tranny hasn’t failed yet, but I avoid putting it under load in reverse. I’m trying to see what part could be failed that allows this....?

[@ghostses]

I wouldn't know. I say, be gentle in reverse and just run with it. It might be a bearing. But again, I wouldn't know. Good luck, G.

[@sifu7495]

Thanks for the video Ghostses. Do you think I can replace new solenoids without removing the gear box off the car ? Will any thing fall out under gravity when the valve body is removed? Thanks.

[@ghostses]

Man, I can't say for sure. I guess you could start that way and if anything goes wrong- you can continue from there. No pro here! G.

[@tmph1814]

Please share where you got the instructions/manual to remove the transmission

[@ghostses]

I didn't have a manual on how to remove the transmission. The manual I used to rebuild it was found on the internet as a pdf. Don't recall where though. Good luck, G.

[@jcisar]

Are the direct drum and sungear supposed to freely spin clockwise with snap ring installed on first pressure plate? They spin with the pressure plate snap ring off and I'm wondering if that's indicative of something. I am not sure if that would explain why I lost all gears and reverse after doing this partial rebuild. I originally lost reverse and got 3-4 gear flares and my ATF was badly burned so I bought a master kit to rebuild the rear case which is accessible from behind the drivers side tire. The clutches on the direct drum were badly burned and ring grooved but I found no broken hard parts. The deeper I dug the better things looked. After installing a remanufactured direct drum with direct clutches, a remanufactured sungear, a new 2nd brake clutch pack, low/reverse clutch pack, changing the seals/orings in the rear case along with a valve body zip kit, new transmission solenoid wire, two new transmission speed sensors, and cleaning the rear case hard parts, I finally put things back together. I started her up but I now lost everything. Any ideas? Thank you for making this video. It's helped a lot

[@ghostses]

I really don't know John. I'm not a trans tech. I just did everything like I've shown in the disassembly and reassembly videos I've posted and it worked out for me. Not much help but good luck solving your problem. Take care, G.

[@phoenixmistertwo8815]

Thanks for this video. I am rebuilding my U140 now, and I did find alot of damage with the forward planet gear set, due to a clutch sleeve, or crown, grinding its crown tips down and releasing metal chunks throughout the forward and rear planet sets. Thing is, I cannot find out why this clutch shroud got all ground up. I see that my 4 pin forward, and 3 pin rear planets, have their pins still intact and they arent loose, so I am very concerned about the culprit for this damage before moving on to purchase a rebuild kit, along with one or two replacement planet sets.

[@ghostses]

Keep watching the series to see if you find what I found. One of the cages/baskets/shells/shrouds? on mine was cracked and let things loose to chew things up. Good luck, G.

[@phoenixmistertwo8815]

So the rebuild was a success, and many thanks to being guided by channels like these. Anyways, I have a few questions about issues that have arisen since test driving. I have the infamous flare and delay up shift from 2nd to 3rd, and so far I cannot seem to find the issue. I have since replaced the Valve body from a company that revises the cores and solenoids and send you back a whole new unit. Mine seemed to be bad despite rebuilding it with new balls and seals. After putting on the new valve body and solenoid setup, the transmission still did not do that up shift correctly, and essentially there was no real change in the behavior. Now I can get the shift to happen smoothly, if I shift manually from 2nd to D. Now if its in drive and I floor it beyond 2900 RPMs, It starts to shift better, however, the flare and delay are still present, but noticeably much less severe as it does on normal acceleration. If I manually shift, at the 2900 rpms, where it will flare and delay when its in Drive, it does not recreate the issue and the shift goes smoothly. That all said, the issue only happens when its in drive, under normal acceleration, and the issue becomes more minimized, when at full throttle which allows it to shift above the 2900 RPM mark. Keep in mind, with all these symptoms, there has never been a transmission warning code or engine light. On the engine side I replaced two bad knock sensors and also found out the timing was off a tooth and the VVT system was out of whack. Re timing the car and replacing the VVTs finally got the engine light off and fully functioning. So for another small test I unplugged the solenoids to see how the default system would behave, and it did stay in 2nd gear, and allowed for an upshift into 3rd only if I wasn't accelerating. This default situation seems to be by the book, when the TCM looses control of any solenoid, or in this case, all of them. Finally, suspecting the TCM, I sent it in to a place called UpFix, and they offered to re flash the ECM and TCM, with the latest firmware, and also re solder any potential joints that are loose. Since I got the ECM back, when I installed it, the transmission still had the same up shift issue and not too much changed on that regard at all. I have since sent the ECM back to UpFix, and they offered to check it all out again and dig a little deeper in case they did not re-flash the ECM to whatever upgrade Lexus did during their great recall event due the faulty engineering of the 2001-2002 Lexus models that used this U140E transmission and electronics. I know this re-flashing existing, however, I cannot seem to find any actual code or naming, of this update to Lexus's of these years, that were done during their recall event. Now, if I get this ECM back, and the same issue is still present, then I am at a complete loss as to what else could be causing this issue, that is also not triggering any warning code from both the engine and transmission. I know the TCM uses the two speed sensors to determine upshifts or downshifts on hills, and also that the Throttle position sensor and brake lights are in play just as well. Now I dont have any issues with how it downshifts or engine brakes, as all those tasks seem good to go, and non seem to have any flare or delay issues. Really, its this darn 2nd to 3rd upshift in particular, that seems to be a unique event for the TCM, and somehow, the signals it gets while in drive arent timed right or something. One other thing to note is that while Im in Drive, I can stop any harsh gear engagement when it flare shifts, by letting off the throttle and then reapplying it, and usually this will prevent the transmission from engaging harshly, as the shift event resets after reapplying the throttle. Only on a very few occasions would it enter in that delayed mode where it tries to upshift the moment you lift off the throttle, and when that does actually happen, it performs the flare shift twice, with the anticipated delay that the old TCM programming caused. I would think some reasoning behind this Lexus recall and reflash remedy, was to re program the soft upshift event from taking place, with a delay in case the throttle is reapplied quick enough by the driver. Anyways, regardless of that extra detail, at no time has this upshift ever been smooth and on time, while its in drive accelerating normally. I will be attempting to swap my 2003 ECM into my 2001 Lexus, just to see what difference that may make. I am unsure if they are directly compatible like that, but if it allows me to plug it in, Ill give it a try to see what changes may take place. I havent got my ECM back from UpFIX yet, so this is a good time to try out this other ECM, while I have time to disable my daily 2003. Sorry for the long winded post here, but my main question is, considering all the above information... Do you have any idea what could be causing this bad upshift? Perhaps I made a mistake rebuilding the 2001 transmission, and I perhaps should have just found a 2003 and rebuilt that instead. I really dont think I screwed up the rebuild, however, I lacked the precision to do all the clearance checks, and I also did not perform an air test for the clutch packs while installing. That said, the transmission is quiet, and the clutch engagement seems very strong and quick enough for all the other shift events. Basically, the functioning of this transmission seems good to go, and it seems more like this is an ongoing electronic issue that is not so obvious given that I have addressed all those potentials. Lastly, I have used both Dex IV and Dex V1, but for now I am using the Dex IV. This is about the 4th time if have drain and refilled, and 1 of those times I replaced the filter again, along with the revised Valve body I purchased. I doubt that not using the exact Toyota Trans fluid is an issue, since the Dex IV should be compatible.

[@benko204]

Good job! Thanks for the video!

[@ghostses]

Thanks Ben! Glad you like it. Take care, G.

[@williamkreth]

Just the video I needed thanks

[@ghostses]

Good deal William. Good luck, G.

[@williamkreth]

@ghostses so my tranny was slipping got it home. Then it wouldn't start and was throwing transmission solenoid codes. I dropped the pan and checked the solenoids they were engaging with 12v applied. Cleaned everything up put it back together still no start and same Codes. P0758 P0753 P0768 P1760. Might throw some used solenoids in see if that fixes it

[@celestineokafor-fb6hf]

good day, have a 2003 lexus es 300, the gear when on D moves but stops and behaves as if its in N, only works fine when in R, pls what could be the issue?

[@ghostses]

Sorry, I don't know. I am not a transmission specialist, I just did what was shown here. Good luck, G.

[@isaacrussell3030]

Is this similar to the u140f? It's been hard to find videos for mine

[@ghostses]

I can't say Isaac. G.

[@acikgaming4433]

Great video bro...tq for sharing😀

[@ghostses]

Glad you liked it. Take care, G.

[@ennisgunns]

Great video. Just did a a960e, tackling the u140e next. Love your ring pliers. What's the brand? Thanks.

[@ghostses]

Please give me a timestamp so I know what you're referring to. Take care, G.

[@judemorales9763]

Do you know which one is the shift solenoid e? I have the same trans and getting a P0770 code error. Thanks!

[@ghostses]

I do not Jude. Sorry but I can't help. Good luck, G.

[@sifu7495]

Hi again. Are the pistons and the drain back valve long enough for them to set on the valve body as I push it back up for the reinstallation? Thanks.

[@ghostses]

Again- I don't know for sure. I'm just a guy that did this job- no professional. G.

[@ruggoodlookin63]

I need a brand and/or type of grease to put inside the auto trans in order to hold the check-ball valve and springs, etc so they wont fall out as i reinstall my valve body from under the car?? Please advise asap. I live in Melbourne, Australia

[@ghostses]

I used Transjel Red transmission assembly lube but I'm sure you could use any brand of assembly lube. Good luck, G.

[@itsathaithing]

Nice video

[@ghostses]

Thanks Joe! Glad you liked the series. Take care, G.

[@alexandrklassen3676]

Must oil pump is rotated by hand?

[@ghostses]

I don't know. G.

[@vag4lvevo22]

My transmission got a P0753 code and P0758. Idk which solenoid i have to replace to get it fix.

[@ghostses]

I can't say. Search for the codes to see which one it is. Good luck, G.

[@vag4lvevo22]

@@ghostsesthank you.

[@BROREACHOfficial]

Thank you for knowledge ❤️

[@ghostses]

No problem. Good luck, G.

[@Marcheva91]

Hi, i have an u140f transmission in a 2006 European rav 4. I have rebuilt it according to your guidelines, and after road test, when the oil is hot, it returns an p0746 error, and does not shift from 1-2. When I use the tech stream software i can force 3rd gear. I have replaced the SL1 solenoide, but that did not help. Any advice?

[@ghostses]

I'm sorry, I have no idea on what the problem might be. I'm not a specialist by any means and just did a one off for myself. That code seems to be related to some solenoid. Good luck, G.

[@tmph1814]

I just replaced my 2000 RX300 U140F with 1 from the junkyard. Unfortunately the car rolls in Park but all other selectors (D, R, 2, L etc) work fine. I believe the parking pawl on this junkyard transmission is bad. Can you point to where the parking pawl was removed in your video? Very grateful if you can. Excellent videos

[@ghostses]

I could be wrong, but I believe it is here. Hope this helps, G. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4vFpWlod7Kolck

[@tmph1814]

@@ghostses Thanks so much, yes that's it. It's a big job to replace it😖

[@ghostses]

@@tmph1814 No problem! Good luck, G.

[@laprepper]

Bro, if you can do this, you are definitely a professional just this alone😂

[@ghostses]

I'm really not, but I appreciate that. It's still running great!

[@tmph1814]

It seems you are a more sociable version of Forest Gump😅

[@ghostses]

LOL! Thanks, G.

[@khokonghosh5011]

Thanks bro

[@Rukivmasle]

Excellent

[@ghostses]

Thanks, G.

[@benjaminishak7206]

This is an information gold mine! Thank you! I have a 2000 RX300 with about 270k miles on it. Shift 2-3 has a bit of a kick warm and cold. Is that the solenoid? I have drained and filled the fluid 3 times now and it was bright red coming out even the first time. It is on its second transmission with about 60k miles. I am considering dropping the pan to change the filter anyway. Thank you again. Subbed

[@ghostses]

I'm not pro, but I guess it could be, or perhaps a valve that is slow to move in the valve body. If the fluid is red, it sounds like the friction material is in good shape. Not much help, but good luck, G.

[@benjaminishak7206]

@@ghostses Gotcha. I will probably just replace that solenoid while i'm in there. Also, do you know if this transmission is partially splashed lubricated?

[@ghostses]

@@benjaminishak7206 I don't think it's splash lubricated, but I can't say for sure. G.

[@jricardolobo]

​@@benjaminishak7206Hi, did you replace the solenoid? I'm having the same issue (small kick between 2 a 3) only when cold. Thank You 😃

[@FelipeGarcia-zc5ve]

Thank you boos 👏👏

[@ghostses]

Hope it's helpful. Take care, G.

[@stephencook7337]

Awesome video. Say I messed up and put the middle accumulator in without the spring when working on my car. Do you or anybody know how to get it out of the hole? Thanks in advance.

[@ghostses]

Stephan, I think the middle accumulator spring(s) are on top of the piston. The two on the outsides were on the bottom. Either way, I would assume there is a port somewhere where you can apply a little compressed air to blow it out of the hole. Not much help, but hope it helps nonetheless. Good luck, G.

[@stephencook7337]

@@ghostses lol yeah I ended up finding it....got frustrated asf....thanks again

[@ghostses]

@@stephencook7337 No problem Stephen. Glad you got it sorted out. Take care, G.

[@makhan8620]

Hi Ghostes, I must say, this is probably the best and most comprehensive videos on U140E transmission. I wish I could have the courage and facility to build my own but I had to get eventually replaced it with a used U140E. I was having a bit different issue after the swap. The transmission in final gear runs at a slightly higher RPMs for the same speed as it used to before. May be the final gear ratio of replacement transmission was different. Is the final gear in your video the same which you have pulled with the zip ties. Just wondering if Camry and RX300 have a different ratio although with the same U140E. Thanks for replying.

[@ghostses]

I'm no pro by any stretch. I can say what was pulled out was exactly what was put back in in this series. I can't remember what it's called- but search for something on google like transmission relearning or driver relearning, or something like that. There may be a way to set it to defaults so it can learn again. Again, no pro here- but hope this helps to solve your problem. Take care, G.

[@tinkerbell1877]

Appreciate if you could help me answer a question, for my RX 300 ,which has 130,000 miles is it necessary to change the transmission fluid and the filter? I checked with Toyota dealer he says no need to change the filter. What is your advice? Thanks in advance

[@ghostses]

A fluid change can't hurt in my opinion. If you're going that far- change the filter as well. Good luck, G.

[@tinkerbell1877]

@@ghostses thank you

[@ghostses]

No problem. Take care, G.

[@doorguner01]

where did you get those fancy surgon tool at the 33.00 mark

[@ghostses]

Terry, I've had them for years. They're an old automotive tool, but for the life of me I can't remember their true purpose. It's a Proto 251. Take care, G.

[@doorguner01]

ghostses cool beans!

[@ghostses]

Good deal! G.

[@taphaindy3399]

very interesting

[@ghostses]

Thanks! Good luck,G.

[@yourvault1612]

Very good

[@ghostses]

Thanks! It's still working great. Take care, G.

[@ForwardEngineering]

What symptoms did you have before failure? Vibration, whining?

[@ghostses]

Nothing really. It just failed all of a sudden when the cage broke. Since new, it always had and occasional revving up whining sound when down shifting. It doesn't do that anymore for some reason. Good luck, G.

[@davidhughes7507]

Thanks for video just put mind back together with out you showing the springs location it would have been a long day

[@ghostses]

That's cool David! Glad it was helpful. Hope your project turns out well. Take care, G.

[@scoobydoo1726]

I have one question, in regards to solenoids, how did you go about testing to be sure they were good? I just started taking apart same exact trans, and i want to be sure they are ok without frying them during test.. Thanks in advance for answer

[@ghostses]

I did not do any testing of the solenoids. I believe trouble codes would show if there were a problem with any of them. If your CEL was/is lit- you should pull the codes to make sure they're not transmission related. In my case, everything was mechanical problems. Good luck with your rebuild, G.

[@evelynrodriguez8652]

Did you find the video online , I think a Spanish person from Mexico put it up

[@JeffreeRamirez]

Good job

[@ghostses]

Thanks! Take care, G.

[@arnoldbaclig7709]

Hi sir i have a question i got a 2001 lexus rx300 and we got a same transmission.. my problem when you drive 4 miles and the 4th gear wont shift 60 mph and my rpm more than 3000 any idea what is that

[@ghostses]

Sorry, I know very little about them. I would start by checking if any codes are present. Good luck, G.

[@arnoldbaclig7709]

Thanks

[@ghostses]

No problem! G.

[@reinhardstreiter351]

The O-Ring on one of the 3 pistons (responsible for switching 3..4) was broken. 10 ct. plus 3 hours to change it.

[@kristiabrashi8193]

@@reinhardstreiter351hello, i have the same issue can you tell in which piston u change the O ring?

[@MRrwmac]

Oh yea, this is gonna be good and educational set of videos. Might want to put 911 on speed dial with all the blood your getting. Paper towels and blue tape for shop bandaids is what I use. Curious why first video was last uploaded? Just seeing if we are awake right?

[@ghostses]

I hope so Mac! They might help out the ambitious with a job like this. As strange as it might sound, super glue is my bandaid of choice. For clean cuts- they're usually healed up in a day or so. I upload the last video to first so they come up in order in the search list. So, in the future, if you see a part "what of what" coming in- just wait and they will all be uploaded. Take care, G.

[@MRrwmac]

ghostses Super glue, why not. They used it instead of stitches on me a few times. I'll try it. It was difficult to wait for the 1st of 4, but I'm glad I did - haha.

[@ghostses]

That's exactly why I use it Mac! If the docs use it, why cant I? I've cured some pretty bad wounds, some to the bone and stitch worthy, and it worked great. Not necessarily for the "weak at heart" that has to have a "pro" do the mending- but in most cases I'm the "pro"..lol. Never had an infection but buyer beware! Try it out. Glad the wait was worth it. G.

[@JamesLee-oe7mt]

How many miles on it?

[@ghostses]

A little over 253K James. Take care, G.

[@MyDeere3320]

I have a 2002 Lexus ES300. I think my transmission is going because when I go up hills, my speed is decreasing and when I floored the throttle, RPM just jump to 5K or so. I was wondering if it's better to rebuild or to get another used transmission. Which would be more affordable? And where do you get your parts after you find out what is damaged?

[@ghostses]

It does sound like you need to go through the transmission. Personally, I would not go used because you don't even know if the used one will work. It's a lot of work to pull and replace one. As for how much it cost to rebuild mine, I say in the end of the series i have posted on assembling it- but I think it was around 1k. I got all my parts from this place. Depending on what's wrong with yours- it might cost more or less. Good luck, G. www.wittrans.com/

[@khaledmohamed1456]

anybody sure of the compatibility of this transmission with the transmission of rav4 and highlander

[@ghostses]

I can't say. G.

[@prasanthsagar8732]

now who the fuck invented this complex mechanism. geniusssssssss

[@ghostses]

Yup!

[@ahmedsalisu5870]

Greatly🎉🎉

[@ghostses]

Thanks! Good luck, G.

[@glennoc8585]

That fluid looked toast. The Rx trans should've been cooled but wasn't which had the oil running hot .

[@ghostses]

Yeah, it did. G.

[@gmsworkshop3957]

Hi Teacher.

[@ghostses]

Thanks! G.

[@ericdixon2898]

Wish they still made this simple gearbox.. but no.

[@ghostses]

I wouldn't know what the newer ones are like Eric, but thanks for the comment. Take care, G.

[@BELHORIZON31]

wear your gloves for sake!

[@ghostses]

What fun is that? G.

[@macmanjimmy69]

How many miles ?

[@ghostses]

About 254k at the rebuild.