[ILoveLexus]

Do tell what specialty tools will be needed that are 300-400?
One-time use tools as well?

What I would get to make a transmission swap easy would be a transmission jack, or if you have a floor jack you can get an adapter. A good impact or if you have an impact a good long reach electric ratchet. Right there you’re already looking at $300 unless you can get some used online for cheap.
it really depends what you have already and what you would need to get to fill the gaps to make the job easy

edit:
my phone was dying so I didn’t get to finish the list. But you’ll definitely need $100 worth of metric sockets from HF and metric ratcheting wrenches optimally with and without flex heads . I spent about $1500 on my cheap bare bones tool collection and there were times during the engine swap I’m still working on (have to see if there is a short in the wiring harness from a small fuel fire on the intake manifold resulting from sloppily trying to locate any leaking fuel injectors and checking to make sure I mitigated the leak) but to make swapping a transaxle easy it would be nice to have an engine hoist to use on the transmission but with a 4 cylinder it might actually be easier just to use a hoist and remove the whole drivetrain and then reattach the transaxle to the engine out of the engine bay and then put it back in attach the auxiliary components bolt it all up do fluids and call it a day. Because mating an engine and transaxle in the engine bay is a bitch no matter how big it is but the bigger it is the harder it will be

 

[DrZ]

Im talking about this line. In no way it’s connected to the neutral safety switch.
View attachment 406912

Oh, sorry. I'm not sure what it is. It's not one of the two hoses going to the cooler (radiator)? Is it a fluid hose or does it have a cable in it? There is a cable going to the throttle, but I guess you can see where that goes. WHere does this line go to?

You have the 3-speed A131L? My 1990 Corolla has an earlier version of the A131L, but probably pretty much the same. In the last couple years it started acting up. First the lock-up torque converter stopped working. It's suppesed to lock up at 45 mph, and that feels like a small shift. Then it progressed to not wanting to shift into 3rd gear when I'm accelerating unless I let off the gas, or I'm well beyond the normal shift point. It also doesn't fall into reverse quickly when I first start it. I took the pan off and took the valve body out and didn't find a problem. I wan't to check the oil pressure and governor, but I need to take the left axle out to get to the governor. I'm interested in what your problem is if you can eventually figure it out. I only take the 1990 on short trips to the store now, until I figure out the problem, and I keep it in 2 position when I'm going under 30 mph.

 

[itsmrman2u]

Oh, sorry. I'm not sure what it is. It's not one of the two hoses going to the cooler (radiator)? Is it a fluid hose or does it have a cable in it? There is a cable going to the throttle, but I guess you can see where that goes. WHere does this line go to?

You have the 3-speed A131L? My 1990 Corolla has an earlier version of the A131L, but probably pretty much the same. In the last couple years it started acting up. First the lock-up torque converter stopped working. It's suppesed to lock up at 45 mph, and that feels like a small shift. Then it progressed to not wanting to shift into 3rd gear when I'm accelerating unless I let off the gas, or I'm well beyond the normal shift point. It also doesn't fall into reverse quickly when I first start it. I took the pan off and took the valve body out and didn't find a problem. I wan't to check the oil pressure and governor, but I need to take the left axle out to get to the governor. I'm interested in what your problem is if you can eventually figure it out. I only take the 1990 on short trips to the store now, until I figure out the problem, and I keep it in 2 position when I'm going under 30 mph.

yes it’s a 3speed. I was playingwith the Kickdown cable by the throttle and it started to engage but I’m hearing a light scraping noise while idle. I’m still going to check on the differential. I have a feeling that the person who rebuilt the trans assume that the trans fluid will go inside the differential because it was at least 2 1/2 qt OVER. I hope the differential is still intact but it moves. There’s a whining noise around the belts but I think it’s either the alternator or AC compressor. Previous owner says that both are reman parts from autozone.

 

[pchalpin]

Why would you not fix it if the door bottoms are rotted out?

The doors would have to be replaced, and you aren't going to find any good 1994 doors at the junk yard, just more rusted out doors. Don't ask how I know this.

 

[ILoveLexus]

The doors would have to be replaced, and you aren't going to find any good 1994 doors at the junk yard, just more rusted out doors. Don't ask how I know this.

Just playing devils advocate here but aren’t there some later / newer models that would have doors that fit the ‘94

 

[pchalpin]

Just playing devils advocate here but aren’t there some later / newer models that would have doors that fit the ‘94

I'm sure there are somewhere for that generation, but they are also 25+ years old.
I hope this all works out for him.

 

[itsmrman2u]

Well. I check the diffrential and it was dry. So I flushed it with dextron 3 fluid and filled it up with half bottle of Lucas trans treatment and ATF and boom no more noise. Quiet. But I’m still having delay engagement so I will still play around with the shifter cable and the Kickdown

 

[LargeDuck]

There's a plastic bushing on the shift-lever end of the shifter cable that crumbles into dust. The shifter then can not push or pull the cable far enough to move the transmission end into the right place. Replacing that bushing fixed it on my car. It was more trouble removing the console than changing the bushing.

Select Your Vehicle - Toyota - Corolla - Bushingfix.com®

www.bushingfix.com

 

[itsmrman2u]

There's a plastic bushing on the shift-lever end of the shifter cable that crumbles into dust. The shifter then can not push or pull the cable far enough to move the transmission end into the right place. Replacing that bushing fixed it on my car. It was more trouble removing the console than changing the bushing.

Select Your Vehicle - Toyota - Corolla - Bushingfix.com®

www.bushingfix.com

Is this for an automatic?

 

[itsmrman2u]

There's a plastic bushing on the shift-lever end of the shifter cable that crumbles into dust. The shifter then can not push or pull the cable far enough to move the transmission end into the right place. Replacing that bushing fixed it on my car. It was more trouble removing the console than changing the bushing.

Select Your Vehicle - Toyota - Corolla - Bushingfix.com®

www.bushingfix.com

It’s still intact. Now I’m leaning more towards the transmission being shot. But the funny thing is when it won’t go into gear, I would turn the car off then back on and it will go. Hmm could something be blocked? Maybe my torque converter is acting up? Idk and nobody else knows either.

 

[Luca Stevens]

Hello All. Im a rookie on here. Had a few corollas before and now I have another one. But this time it Kodi nox needs work and was wondering if it’s worth it. I paid $1800 for a 94 1.6 3speed with 146k. It needs brakes. It needs hub bearings. But now it needs a transmission. So the previous owner had problems with it. It was slipping he said. So he got it rebuilt. Well now it slips again. When I put it in D, it won’t engage. I have to play with the shifter in order for it to get in gear. There’s a scraping sound. It’s sounds like it’s coming between the engine and transmission. Before I start playing and start to put money into this transmission and car, where should I look for? At the junkyard or somewhere else? Is it worth fixing? View attachment 406825
View attachment 406826

A great deal ! did you check the transmission fluid ?

 

[itsmrman2u]

A great deal ! did you check the transmission fluid ?

Yes I did. It was 2 1/2 qts over. Differential was dry. But I’m still getting slipping and not engaging when I put it on either D or R

 

[itsmrman2u]

Update. I changed the fluid and filter. 2 bolts fell right off. I tighten it up. Filter was clogged. I put maxlife red bottle. Put about 3qts. Turned it on and it got into gear asap. Put in reverse same thing. Now I’m letting it warm up to check and add